Harvard waitlist FAQ

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Some people have PMed me with the following questions. I'm answering them here because I really don't have to answer PMs in general.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>How many are on Harvard's waitlist?
I have never seen figures, but my best guess is that a couple of thousand people are put on the waitlist.</p></li>
<li><p>Will adding recommendations or letting Harvard know how desperately I want to go to Harvard help me get in?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Probably not. Harvard knows that its the dream school of the overwhelming majority of its applicants. That's even more true of students choosing to be on the waitlist. Consequently, Harvard isn't interested in why students want Harvard, but why Harvard should want to accept the applicants.</p>

<p>Unless the additional recommendation would contain important info not included in the app already, don't bother sending more.</p>

<ol>
<li>Should I send an update?</li>
</ol>

<p>Yes, if it contains important information. Don't bother sending a trivial update.</p>

<ol>
<li>How does Harvard take students off the waitlist?</li>
</ol>

<p>It takes students who'll fill holes in the class. What those holes are depends on who accepts Harvard's admission.</p>

<ol>
<li>How many students will be taken off the waitlist?</li>
</ol>

<p>I have no idea, but in recent years, it has ranged from 30-200. My advice is to get on the waitlist if you want a chance at that lottery, but fall in love with a school that already has accepted you because that's probably where you'll end up going. If Harvard ends up accepting you off the waitlist, you always can fall in love with Harvard again.</p>

<ol>
<li>Another student at my school was accepted by Harvard and plans to go there. Does that affect my chances of getting off the waitlist? </li>
</ol>

<p>I don't know, but I doubt that student's decision will affect you. After all, Harvard takes as many as 20 students from some high schools.</p>

2

<p>Thanks this is sure helpful!
I agree with what you said about Harvard knows that people want to go there, so should I still bother with getting in contact with an admissions officer like recommended by some “how to get off the wait-list” articles?</p>

3

<p>Is it a good idea to ask your regional admissions officer about any possible deficiencies in your application, that may have caused you to be waitlisted?</p>

4

<p>I believe that you’d be wasting your time to ask your regional admission officer such a question. There’s no indication that there was something wrong with your application, just that there wasn’t room to admit you.</p>

<p>I personally think that when it comes to Harvard, it’s also a waste of time for waitlisters to contact their regional admissions officer to say how much the student wants to attend Harvard. That probably works for less competitive schools, but I’ve seen no indication that demonstrated interest is considered with Harvard waitlisters. You’ve demonstrated interest by staying on the waitlist.</p>

5

<p>I second the unverifiable opinion that a couple of thousand people are on the waitlist. This year, my city’s Harvard Club told interviewers not only the names of the admittees, but the names on the waitlist. The lists are about the same length. I don’t have any reason to think that my region is not representative.</p>

6

<p>Wow 2000 people on the waitlist and all we can do for Harvard is wait? It’s a little frustrating (that we have so little control over increasing our chances) but does save me millions of brain cells pondering over what I should say to the admissions office</p>

7

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<p>I agree with Northstar Mom that the odds of getting off the wait list are not high, but if you still absolutely want Harvard, I think it is absolutely worth contacting the admissions officer to tell them that. No one yet knows how many people may be pulled from the waitlist, but that list evaporates fairly rapidly as people on it commit elsewhere. Admissions officers don’t want to have to call 10 people to find one, and they’re more likely to call people who have stayed in touch and reinforced the message that they still really want Harvard. A good time to do that is later in the month, closer to the time that they’ll start to take waitlisters (which will likely be around the 2d week of May). If you have any good news that’s come in since you applied, send that along.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the info, Northstarmom and everyone else.
I’ve heard that Harvard “likes” it when people defer for a year. I’ve been planning on doing that for quite some time now (I’m a year younger than my grade). Being waitlisted, do you think it would be in my favor to state that in my “update” at all?</p>

9

<p>^^maybe they will put you on the Z-list? If youre good enough to be wait-listed, it seems like that would be a viable option for you. It’d basically be like youre literally ASKING for them to “Z-list” you</p>

10

<p>The z-list is for legacies and rich people. It is Harvard’s sneaky tool of letting these less qualified, better-connected applicants enter the college.</p>

11

<p>Would cancelling my request for financial aid increase my chance of getting off the Harvard waitlist?</p>

12

<p>Harvard is need blind. Canceling your financial aid request won’t help you.</p>

13

<p>Should I send 3rd quarter grades? If I don’t send them will admissions assume that they aren’t good?</p>

14

<p>Yes, you should send a final HS transcript.</p>

15

<p>I meant should I send my 3rd quarter grades before May 1st if I am on the waiting list?</p>

16

<p>^ Yes, send the 3rd Q grades. Final grades will be too late …</p>

17

<p>Similar question about asking to be Z-listed. I plan on deferring anyways, but does it make sense to state you’d like to be Z-listed in your update? Also, if you are regularly taken off the waitlist, can you still defer? I am not sure if anyone has been in a similar situation since most people do not take a gap year.</p>

18

<p>^ It seems I’m in exactly the same situation.
Any definite answers?</p>

19

<p>I am in the same situation as the above posters.</p>

<p>I would be more than happy to accept an offer of admission to the class of 2014 or to the class of 2015. I’m planning on writing a letter to the admissions committee - do you think I should make it clear that I’m willing to take a spot in next year’s class instead? Is there any other way to hint that I would be “happy” on the z-list?</p>

<p>Matt</p>

20

<p>How strange to see your kid here, already asking the questions I wanted to ask!</p>