Harvard University Transfer Thread Fall 2019

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
101

@gibby
Hi there Gibby,

I’ve been following along with your comments entirely as a spectator for the better part of about seven months now and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on what, if anything, it might mean to have logged somewhere in the area of twenty or so emails between an admissions officer and myself since having an on-campus interview with three different admissions officers, as well as a one on one with the director of admissions.

Is that worth reading into? As seems to be the case with most interviews, we touched upon my academic record (which I described as “unremarkable” only to be informed it was “very good”), but mostly engaged in musings about how much the area had changed since I was a kid (I grew up just over the bridge from the Harvard), and chit-chat about my travels (which admittedly are extensive). The entire engagement was both welcoming, and warm. It felt like I was catching up with old friends.

I had absolutely zero ambitions about hearing anything back from Harvard when I submitted my transfer application, and while I gave the application it’s due and proper, it would be dishonest to describe my approach to answering essays as anything more “from the hip.” So, while I have honestly accepted the statistical reality and feel totally at peace with the odds, I would be interested in hearing the take of a “senior member” who seems to be familiar with this conversation and the historical context on how transfers shake out.

What do ya say?

And cheers to the rest of you on here. I admire each of you for putting your chips in. For those of you having trouble with the wait, you might consider what is at stake here. The admissions committee might well be deciding on one of YOUR applications…if I were you (and I am), I might take comfort in the fact that the most careful considerations are being given. Nobody owes us anything, and transfers are the very last lot of about 40,000 applications submitted over a considerably short timespan. Good luck!

102

My frustration isn’t a sign of anger at the admissions commitee for not doing their job better (or faster), but moreso with the ambiguity that has been previously discussed. For instance, them saying things like “we don’t generally conduct interviews” and then hearing stories like yours wherein you had a one on one with the director of admissions can be somewhat disheartening. However, I think most of us understand their job is pretty darn demanding. Especially given the holistic review process, the amount of applications submitted, and the sheer number of essays Harvard requires.

Besides, I’m the sort of person who snuck into Christmas presents early, so I’ve always been a bit impatient :stuck_out_tongue:

103

I would NOT read anything into it, as Harvard’s full Admissions Committee is comprised of 20+ professional staff members and 20+ faculty members and it’s one-person, one-vote, meaning EVERY admitted transfer applicant must garner 51% of the votes in the room to be an admitted student.

Here’s how I think it works: For the sake of discussion, let’s assume the AO you had an on-campus interview with and have traded 20+ emails with is in your corner, meaning they are pushing for you to be one of the dozen students admitted as transfer applicants each year. Well, I bet the nineteen other Admissions Officers on staff have also interviewed other transfer applicants and have traded emails with them and will be pushing for their own favorites when the full committee meets to consider transfer applicants. However, with so few transfer slots available, and so many highly qualified applicants, I would think that the faculty members on the full committee help to break the log-jam when competing AO’s are presenting their own personal favorites. And given the unpredictability of what each faculty member wants and needs, you shouldn’t hold your breath over your communications with ONE individual Admissions Officer who only has ONE VOTE in the full committee.

FWIW: The Harvard Gazette used to publish a list of faculty members sitting on the Admissions Committee every year, but hasn’t done that in a while. The most recent one I found is from the Class of 2018 (4 years ago), but this will give you an idea of which faculty members were sitting on the committee back then. If those same faculty members were sitting on the Admissions Committee today, could you have captured half the vote in the room? Google them and see what departments they are in and what you think they look for in a transfer applicant. Best of luck to you!
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/03/college-admits-class-of-18/

Members of the teaching faculty serving on the admissions committee are Ann M. Blair, Peter J. Burgard, Diana L. Eck, Edward L. Glaeser, Benedict H. Gross, Guido Guidotti, Jay M. Harris, Joseph D. Harris, Robert D. Howe, Thomas Jehn, Nancy E. Kleckner, Harry R. Lewis, Richard M. Losick, James J. McCarthy, Louis Menand, Michael D. Mitzenmacher, Cherry Murray, Donald H. Pfister, Alison Simmons, Frans Spaepen, Christopher Stubbs, Richard F. Thomas, James H. Waldo, Robert M. Woollacott, and Amir Yacoby.

104

@gibby thank you!!! that makes a lot of sense, and that’s so awesome that they are able to do 100% need blind… I was looking into all the schools about their policies b/c I’m a non-trad who qualifies for full pell and must’ve conflated them.
Logistic-wise it would seem v difficult to pull off but i’m unsurpised that Havard does :smile:

105

People have been exchanging emails with admissions officers? I emailed Harvard admissions 3 times before I got a response for a simple question lol.

106

same here, I ended up having to call them regarding my transcripts because they wouldn’t answer my emails

107

Is there a day we can be 100% sure that is not “before June 1st?”. I’m trying to make myself focus on tonight’s game of thrones than worry about the date but I can’t help being curious. I’ve watched the movie “acceptance” far too many times in anticipation.

108

I mean I’m wondering if it’ll be tomorrow since the CSS Profile says award date 5/6, I’m wondering if it’ll be Wednesday because that’s when Columbia’s doing it, and I’m wondering if it’ll be next Friday because they usually do it on Fridays and anything after 5/10 would be EXTRAORDINARILY late. So regardless, we should find out next week.

109

At this point I’m not even excited too find out anymore. There are people who have had alumni/on campus interviews as well as emailing officers directly. I’m pretty sure if we haven’t had any of these we’re rejected at this point.

110

I think if Gibby’s post is correct then I agree with his conclusion that interviews and emails don’t matter very much. Even if one or two or five admissions officers are championing for you there are twenty (forty?) total and you need 51% to like you. At that point, it really is your paper trail and essays that decide what happens.

111

My gut says tomorrow or this Friday.

112

Hey guys. Let’s all chin up. The fact that we even considered applying means that we are already some of the best and brightest out there and you should all pat yourselves on the back. We might not all make it, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t fight the good fight or that we didn’t give it our all. As transfers, we are all great students and we deserve the recognition of having the guts to even consider applying, and even if we do not make it, that is what counts.

Rather than focus on the “will they say yes, will they say no?” let’s focus on the plus side of admission season. Where did you guys get into that is not Harvard?

113

Well I’m a moron and applied only to Harvard and Columbia so it’s not looking too hot out here for ya boy LOL

114

Are you at least at a good college already?

115

@Skipper18542 Good attitude, so far I’ve gotten into BU, waiting on BC, NE and Harvard. Also @Mas1350 I feel like if you’re already at a 4 year school its not moronic at all. I’m at a community college, so it would be moronic if i did that lmao.

116

@zs2019transfer That is amazing. I am really glad to hear that. Boston University is a great school and in a great city. I am really glad that you got in and hope and wish for you all the best. I, too, am transferring from a community college, so yes, it is smart to apply to more than just to Harvard. Hahahaha.

117

@Skipper18542 Where else did you apply too? And thank you for the kind words :smile:

118

@zs2019transfer I applied to quite a few schools. I applied to four UC schools (I live in California) as well as Rice, and UPenn, Cornell, Columbia, and, obviously, Harvard. I got into Davis, San Diego, LA, and Berkeley so far, but got rejected from Rice. So I am very happy!

119

Awesome! I hear LA and Berkeley are really good, I don’t know much about the other two. In terms of getting a job it really comes down to how competent we are, not what university we have on our resume. Regardless of what happens with Harvard I’m happy too, life’s good and summer is right around the corner.

120

Gotten into BU and Brandeis, waiting on BC, Tufts, and Harvard. I wholeheartedly agree that getting into Harvard won’t make of break any of us.

I can tell you guys right now: my husband graduated from the Cornell University School of Engineering last May. He swapped majors halfway through and now all his experience is in one thing and his degree is in another. He’s working in low level IT at the moment while he keeps job searching. Trust me, as someone who has had to deal with job searching quite a lot recently, they care far more about what you’ve done than where the piece of paper is from. He’s actually realized he’s better off finding a job as a Mech E (what he switched out of) than what his degree is in. Do your internships and keep the project work you’ve done and you’ll be fine.