Harvard SCEA Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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SAT 2340 superscore between two tests (800 M, 770 CR, 770 W)
SATIIs: 800 US History, 790 Math2
4.0
Moved states junior year

(Have taken basically hardest course load since freshman year)
Am taking hardest course load senior year
Four years of Spanish, two years of Hebrew (I moved to a school that offered Hebrew my Junior year).

First quarter grades senior year:
As in History, English, BC Calc, Spanish, Hebrew, Jewish Studies. A+ in Advanced Physics. A+ in my two music groups.

Recs will be fantastic from one teacher, very solid from the other. One supplemental rec from my music teacher, should be great as we have a very close/solid relationship and a mutual respect

Essays:
Common App: Wrote about my old home and how it relates to music and why I love music (because of its ability to provide me w/ emotional catharsis and bc it humbly allows me to extend the same to others, give examples)
Supplemental Essay: Wrote about my exploration of the art of character!

Interview went really well! :slight_smile:

Extracurriculars:
Music Director of my Acapella group
Music Director of Choir
Singer in Jazz Band
Prestigious choir in NY (then I moved)
Out of school choir (11th grade)
Have played piano for years
Berklee Five Week Program-- selected for singer’s showcase (selected 10/350), songwriter’s showcase (11/175)
Offered $80,000 scholarship from Berklee College of Music in total for 4 years ($20,000 a year)
Jazz music supplement, professionally recorded for colleges
Lead in School Musical
Drama Club
Editor in Chief of one of my school’s papers
Editor/writer for Literary Magazine
Writing tutor
President of JSA in Fall and then Director of Debate in Spring
Founder and President of Speech and Debate Team senior year
Model UN since 7th grade
Teacher’s assistant
Math tutor at school
Worked for three years as volunteer at Hebrew School (8-10th grades)
Member of a selective teen leadership board dedicated to philanthropy (12th grade)

State: MA
Gender: Female
Race: White
School: Small, private
Moved states my junior year.

Thanks so much! I recognize how irritating this thread is. I think I’m also aware of the fact that no one on here can provide any answers or actual chances. Yet here I am, an anxious applicant awaiting decisions in 11 days (as many of us on here are). I really appreciate your time. Thank you so, so much and have a lovely day!

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Then why are you asking and bumping this thread? Take a deep breath and relax.

Last year Harvard rejected less than 10% of all SCEA applicants, while 72.5% of SCEA applicants were deferred. Although every student would like to believe they will make “the cut” this year, the majority of students – 70 percent – will be deferred. You will handle the stress better if you mentally prepare yourself for a deferral.

“Waiting is the hardest part”
– Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

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I second both of these statements. As another applicant who’s going through a similar feeling of anxiousness, my advice for you is to try not to think too much about decisions. Enjoy the next 10 or so days. Breathe. And do something you like—whether that’s reading, Netflix, eating, or hanging out with friends,

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You have an excellent chance; I wouldn’t worry about it :slight_smile:

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@gibby @GrapePocky @RandomRhino
Thank you all so much for the support, kindness, and wisdom! Best of luck to you all :slight_smile:

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It appears that you’re definitely qualified and I my best guess is that you will not be rejected and might be accepted. Statistically, a deferral is most likely. Good luck, whether it’s at Harvard or another fine college.

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@sherpa Thank you so much for the kindness and for taking the time to respond :slight_smile:

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Yours seems to be a good soul, based on the thanks you’ve given and the attitude you portray. If Harvard says no to you – and statistically speaking, they likely will – take heart in that, if you do your homework and apply to a few more reaches, a couple of high-quality matches and a decent safety you can live with, you’ll end up at a school that is very happy to have you and at which you will flourish.

You might get into Harvard, of course, but it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t. :slight_smile:

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In terms of your chances, you already know the answer. You’re a competitive candidate, but most competitive candidates are not admitted. In any event, there’s no point in worrying about it, so you’re best off just focusing on living your life and the answer will come when it comes.

In terms of whether Harvard is the best choice for you, if you want to continue to pursue jazz while in college, you should be aware that Harvard does not have a strong jazz program. Not that there are no jazz resources, but their music department is primarily focused on classical, and the extra-curricular jazz opportunities are limited. The two best jazz programs in the Ivies are at Columbia (which also has all the resources of New York City to draw on) and Princeton.

Best of luck! As others have said, you will end up somewhere good, whether it’s Harvard or elsewhere.

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@cosar actually, I met with a jazz professor there who’s reinvigorating the program! He’s world-famous and a seriously brilliant guy; his music is astounding. His presence on the faculty, along with that of one other serious jazz musician, are really upping the jazz curriculum/offerings!

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@prezbucky your post is really so comforting and thoughtful. Thank you so much! I’m hoping for the best, but I know that whatever the outcome, all will work out. Best wishes to you :slight_smile:

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@highlyaspiring99, as a Harvard alum and jazz aficionado, I was delighted when Harvard announced that it had appointed Vijay Iyer as a professor of music. You’re right that he is an incredible musician and seriously brilliant. But I think his task is not so much to “reinvigorate” the program as it is to create one from the ground up. The addition of Yosvany Terry last summer as a visiting lecturer and head of the jazz band for this year is also encouraging, particularly given that the interim head of the jazz band, after Tom Everett’s retirement, was really a classical trumpet player more than a jazz guy. It would be even better if they could make Terry’s appointment a permanent one, but I think these appointments do offer some optimism for the future of jazz at Harvard.

That said, both Iyer and Terry are based in New York, so they commute up to Cambridge, and both, particularly Iyer, have touring commitments. So at best they are at Harvard only part-time. It’s now almost two years after Iyer’s appointment, and if you go to the Harvard jazz home page, it looks like it hasn’t been updated in over a year, which isn’t a great sign. To have a really robust jazz program, and most importantly, to draw high level jazz musician students in critical mass, I think they are going to need to devote a lot more resources to the program. Hopefully Iyer will be able to do that over time, but it’s very much a work in progress.

Just to provide a contrast, Columbia has had a well established jazz program for quite some time that regularly draws conservatory-level jazz musicians. They have a wide array of jazz ensembles, taught not only by jazz faculty at the school but also by over a dozen adjunct faculty, who are all well known professional jazz musicians based in New York. The school offers course credit for participation in the jazz ensembles, as well as for individual instruction in jazz piano, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone and voice. They have a residential jazz house where you can live with other jazz musicians in your junior and senior years. At least five Columbia jazz musicians also participate in the Juilliard jazz program through the Columbia-Juilliard exchange. For the serious jazz musician, there’s really no comparison between the two programs (if you can even call jazz at Harvard a program at this stage).

There is obviously a bit of a chicken and egg problem in trying to create a new jazz program, as you have to draw serious jazz musicians to the school to justify putting more resources into it. I have no doubt that Iyer would love to get students who, like you, are good enough to have significant scholarship offers from schools like Berklee. And I certainly don’t want to dissuade you from going there if you’re lucky enough to get in. But just want to make sure you do it with your eyes open, and maybe give you a reason not to feel so bad if you don’t get in. :slight_smile:

Again, best of luck!

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@cosar Thank you so much for the information-- and for the dash of perspective. I really do appreciate the attempt to make me feel better (just in case) :slight_smile: If I am rejected/deferred EA from Harvard, I’m definitely applying to Columbia RD. I grew up near Columbia and am not sure I want to be so very close to my old home (or I would’ve applied there ED) but I’ve heard such incredible things about the jazz program… and your information has only corroborated! Thank you so, so much again for the thoughtfulness :slight_smile: Have a wonderful day and best of luck with everything.

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@highlyaspiring99, I’m rooting for you - I hope you get good news tomorrow! And if by some chance you don’t get good news tomorrow, I hope you’ll take it in stride and recognize that there are lots of other good options. Wishing you the best.