I already submitted my application and a professional quality arts supplement for REA at Harvard. Because I am applying for the dual degree program with Berklee College of Music, I will be in Boston for an audition on Dec 8-9 (Friday and Saturday). Since I will be in Boston, should I reach out to Music (or other) professors at Harvard to improve my chances? I am a jazz pianist by the way. Two well-known jazz musicians who are very familiar of with my playing made personal phone calls to Professor Vijay Iyer and were very complimentary of me to him. Would it be helpful for me to reach out personally to Iyer or any other music professors? Also, since I am involved in my schools well-regarded humanities program (which Harvard knows and often accepts students from), would it be helpful if I reached out to any English, philosophy, or history professors to show them my research?
If it would help with my chances, how should I reach out?
To improve your chances? Let’s be clear. If you do happen to meet with a professor, and s/he does send an email to Admissions (which is not likely), the email will say something along the lines of “S/he’s seems like a nice kid.” Not really meaningful.
Talking to someone for an hour will not improve your chances. Good luck.
Decisions come out within a week of your visit. Even if a visit could be helpful, which is doubtful, there’s no way it could be integrated in time - most likely, your decision will have been made by then.
Can you imagine if every candidate reached out to professors? Sorry, but I think it is wiser to just respect the process that is set up and trust the application and music resume already sent in. I know it is an anxious time.
Did the well-known jazz musicians who contacted Prof. Iyer also write you recommendation letters for the supplement that went to admissions? I hope so. Not sure a personal contact by those musicians to the prof. will make its way to admissions. Possible, but not sure.
Music schools are a little different in this but even then, I think a sample lesson can happen later, for instance, around audition time. You can go on the music major forum to ask about this.
By all means head on over to Harvard for a tour and info sessions with everyone else.
Once accepted, you can sit in on classes and communicate with professors. At that point, Harvard would be the suitor.