<p>An email I received from the Admissions office:</p>
<p>I am sorry to have to report that Harvard College is unable to enroll any transfer students for the next two academic years, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. Following the most thorough examination of our residential housing in Harvards history, the Dean of Harvard College, Professor David Pilbeam, has concluded that our Houses cannot successfully accommodate any new transfer students. Instead, the College has embarked on a planning process for substantial capital investment to renovate and revitalize our residential spaces.</p>
<p>In important respects, undergraduate education at Harvard College is residential in character. Students learn a great deal from the residential experience and contact with one another, complementing the experience of our classrooms and laboratories. We do not admit transfer students to non-residential status.</p>
<p>Within the next few weeks, we will return your application fee. As you make your future plans, you might wish to consider our Visiting Undergraduate Program, which enables students to enroll in Harvard College for academic credit at their home institutions. Visiting Undergraduates are not ordinarily offered College housing, and they are not permitted subsequently to transfer to Harvard as degree candidates. For more information about the Visiting Undergraduate Program, please consult our website.</p>
<p>We very much regret the disappointment and inconvenience that this decision may cause you. We are honored by your interest in Harvard College and we wish you great success in your future academic endeavors.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Marlene Vergara Rotner
On behalf of the Transfer Admissions Committee</p>
<p>I can't say I am disappointed since I would probably be rejected, but I am sorry I spent all that time writing essays. I called them this morning to confirm they got my app and then I got the email! Didn't they know about this issue? It seems that I am not the only one who is not organized...</p>
<p>I know...they couldn't have done this last year? this is so ridiculous. how could they do this in the middle of the process. i thought harvard would be smart enough not to procrastinate.</p>
<p>wow this is going to crush a lot of people. The entire transfer process seems to get progressively more selective each year I wouldn't be surprised to see a record dip in acceptance rates at a lot of schools(many that I'm applying to like Uchicago) due to record amounts of freshman applicants.</p>
<p>I'm not totally surprised as this is Harvard, but I did spend all this time on the essays and sending the respective paperwork in. Add onto that I used up a good portion of my spring break to visit Harvard and fell in love with the place. I am pretty heartbroken at the moment but maybe it saved time for an incoming rejection letter, who knows?. It's life though and there are far worse things than this anyhow.</p>
<p>great post. I totally agree with you. Such is life ladies and gentlemen.. this will only make you stronger as you mature through life and realize that there are much harder heartbreaks and decisions to make. </p>
<p>I was thinking of applying this year (I'm from an Ivy already with decent stats) but thought perhaps some of you guys would benefit more. Guess Harvard thought otherwise. Good luck with the rest of the applications! Bad news can sometimes be good news at the end of the day. </p>
<p>Suck it up guys! tomorrow will be a new day.</p>
<p>They should have let us know even before the deadline. All that time I could have spent for Yale and Dartmouth! and let's not forget that 68 Swiss Francs I paid for courier!!!</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was thinking of applying this year (I'm from an Ivy already...) but thought perhaps some of you guys would benefit more
[/quote]
thanks, alwayshere06. :) at least someone who has that point of view exists.</p>
<p>I don't want to put the blame on anyone... but... oh those freshman applicants!!!!!!</p>
<p>Now I know the reason I <em>unconsciously</em> preferred Yale... </p>
<p>I somehow knew this was coming. At least we have a "legit" (and more socially acceptable) reason we're not going there this fall...</p>
<p>Oh well, it was raining anyway when I visited Harvard.</p>
<p>think about the time and effort that all the applicants put into their apps. And considering that its Harvard, people more than likely put more $/effort into their applications. How can Harvard suddenly pull the plug like this?</p>
<p>i think this is unbelievable, they sent out the paper applications and all, i wonder who makes these kinds of decisions and why so late.. what exactly are they saying, they dont have room for transfers for the next two years? just accept 5 lol...</p>
<p>They didn't review our applications more than likely. They wouldn't waste their time doing so. Usually what happens is housing is determined adn based on that they "tighten" or "loosen" admissions standards for transferring.</p>
<p>i.e. They didn't see any of what you wrote or your scores or anything that you spend time/money/effort on. All they did was go around and determine whats available for housing and based on the inadequacy they found, they decided to cancel transfer admissions for the next 2 years. </p>
<p>once more, i will reiterate. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.</p>
<p>This also takes away from Harvard's reputation.</p>
<p>This is downright unfair-
I think we should all email them to reconsider their decision and at least accept (as someone said above) 5--- we spent so much time and effort into creating an ideal application and now, they repay us with us---</p>
<p>Sadly, I had applied to transfer only to Harvard and now, Stanford's deadline has passed ( I wonder if they will allow late applications, in the light of this????)</p>