Harvard SCEA asks for 1st quarter report card

<p>What does this mean? Are any of you also getting these requests?</p>

<p>Why wouldn’t they? It is standard at most schools to want senior grades.</p>

<p>If your school is on the quarter system, then it’s perfectly acceptable for Harvard to ask for your Q1 grades. On the other hand, if your school is on the semester system, but distributes a mid-semester report card – that is kind of unusual for an Admission Officer to ask for, as most mid-semester report cards are unofficial and never go onto a final transcript.</p>

<p>I see- do they ask this for ALL SCEA Applicants?</p>

<p>For schools on the quarter system, my guess is that they would ask for a Q1 of ALL SCEA applicants. For schools on the semester system, I would think they would wait for the mid-year report, which would be received after SCEA decisions come out.</p>

<p>My counselors think that this is a good sign that ive somehow advanced in the reading process- is this true?</p>

<p>No, I wouldn’t look at it that way, as it’s probably a requirement for all kids on the quarter system.</p>

<p>On the other hand, if 50 kids from your school applied SCEA and they only asked for your Q1 grades, and not anyone else’s – then, yes I would consider that a positive sign</p>

<p>Great- also, does Harvard send out likely letters to non-recruited athletes SCEA? It seems like it wouldn’t be necessary, as applying SCEA means that its my first choice school.</p>

<p>^^No. They do not. Even the creme de la creme students do not get a likely in the SCEA round…</p>

<p>…and don’t be surprised to be deferred…looking at your home address of Palo Alto…</p>

<p>…because statistically speaking, Harvard knows how many from Palo Alto prefer Stanford over Harvard…</p>

<p>…and vice versa, Stanford knows how many prefer Harvard over Stanford from students applying from certain Cambridge schools plus Boston Latin…</p>

<p>…last year no one got into Stanford from Boston Latin…but over 20 plus got into Harvard…</p>

<p>I would be deferred because I live in Palo ALto? That seems a little arbitrary, can you explain?</p>

<p>@Gibby- Now that you mention it, only my semester grades are put onto the transcript, so asking for my Q1 grades is a little strange?</p>

<p>It’s called local/regional preferences that ALL elite colleges practice…for YIELD protection…yes…even Harvard and Stanford practice this…</p>

<p>@Gravitas 2- I’m also a first-gen, low income student with >2300 SAT and many SAT II’s >750- as first-gen usually reads low SAT scores, how does this help my chances?</p>

<p>…I am not saying you are not more than qualified…which appears you are…for any of the top schools…it is the nature of the “business” called college admissions that is not necessarily always predictable based on merit/personal story alone…</p>

<p>…what is happening in recent years…many of the students who get into Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Yale EARLY still apply to other rival schools in the REGULAR round…so that they will have more choices come April…to evaluate FIT, financial aid packages, and what the strengths and weaknesses are for each college…</p>

<p>…and the odds are (statistically speaking) more often than not…those who get into EQUIVALENT schools…students “prefer” to stay closer to home…whether the Boston-area or the Bay-area…</p>

<p>So why is Harvard asking for my Q1 report carD?</p>

<p>They asked for all 30 or so who applied from my school. This probably means nothing.</p>

<p>wait, so if they don’t ask for your Q1 report card does that mean they’re not even considering you?</p>

<p>No, students whose schools grade by <em>quarters</em> and not <em>semesters</em> are likely being asked for their report card grades, since it’s helpful information about senior grades for admissions. Though semester students get report cards too, those grades aren’t normally final, so they are not necessary.</p>

<p>godot- my school only puts seem grades on but they requested by q1 grades</p>

<p>@dasdui: judging from past year’s threads it seems like you’re borderline admitted, and Harvard just wants to confirm that you’re maintaining “good academic standing”. this is just my impression though haha, so don’t coun’t your chickens before they hatch and all that jazz</p>

<p>(it seems pretty excessive to have to track down all the SCEA-er’s Q1 grades, unless Harvard was seriously considering them already.)</p>