Using history as a guide, as well as today’s announcement by Penn, once a date is released, at least 12 people will post it. 
What does everyone think about getting/not getting a transcript request?
I’ve heard that if you don’t get one, that means that you’ve already been denied or are good enough to get accepted without needing more information.
If you get one, you’re on the edge of getting deferred/accepted.
How important do yall think geographic area is
My school automatically sends first quarter grades to colleges, with or without a request. Will them sendkgn my grades a few weeks ago have any negative impact on my application if they weren’t going to be requested? @skieurope
For US applicants, not very. For international applicants, not very, other than their odds are less simply by being intl.
Assuming that they were on par with your earlier grades, it will not hurt. Many schools send Q1 updates as a standard procedure.
Does being born in Cambridge/living in Massachusetts have an affect? During my information session they discussed that a little bit. @skieurope
@Euclid314 I mean at this point, there’s nothing much we can do except pray LOLL or randomly drop a couple million in donations ha
ok but in all seriousness, I don’t think anyone should worry. grades are literally one factor out of 12039812039 others
Living in the Boston/Cambridge area might help ever so slightly, IMO. Really just a feather on the scale. Being born there? No.
@skieurope What do you think about the transcript thing?
I gave my opinion on the topic earlier in the thread. My opinion is basically what you said.
Sorry, I must’ve not seen it. Thanks!!
impact of interviews on defer/accept/reject rea?
multiple interviews?
@skieurope “For international applicants, not very, other than their odds are greater simply by being intl.” Isn’t it the other way around, our odds being less?
@lilyfullford Oh boy, hope that matters! (I’m a Harvard baby through and through.)
Still. No. Interview. Though. So… Probably not. They have plenty of alums in my area and there’s always the phone/Skype option.
By the way, I can offer some information (instead of complaining per usual). According to a San Fran guidance counselor, they drastically cut the number of interviewers this year so that the only ones left are those trained by the admissions office. Which also means interviews bear much more weight since they’re more normalized. (No more rogue interviewers who emphatically swoon over every single student who charms them.)
@bruhinterviewme do you think your application is strong? because maybe they think you’re an automatic admit and don’t feel the need to interview your or the other way around. I really don’t know much about your situation to speculate though
Does having previous involvement in research/career building programs that are Harvard affiliated give an edge in the application process?
@bruhinterviewme I wouldn’t read too much into the absence of an interview. Based on what you’ve said you seem like a very strong applicant. I think the experts on this thread such as @skieurope have lamented on the value or lack of value interviews can have. It seems also every year is different and if they changed the interview protocols this year then maybe you were a strong enough applicant they just didn’t feel you needed one.
Do they send out emails to only accepted students? Is it random?
@“rêveuse” I’m fairly strong. As I’ve stated before, perfect scores, essays, LORs, great ECs, international achievement (not BS–super legit stuff). Let’s just say that the work I did for one of my other spikes nearly landed me in a NYT article (that was probably the most recent real interview in my life–smh Harvard). I have a paid summer job, an internship, and a small business. I’ve taken an average of more than 8 AP classes per year even though we only take 8 classes per year. I’ve played a school sport every season of high school. Most impressively, I am also not Asian (I kid).
Despite all of this, I already smell the deferral crawling towards me. Boo Harvard. xD
It’s possible, @nrsebayer. If that’s true, I feel bad for the people at my school who applied and also haven’t gotten an interview… I don’t think it’s for the same reason.