How does Harvard compare applicants?

<p>Does Harvard look and compare applicants from a certain school? How would they do this? does this meant that Harvard organizes application folders in order of School names?</p>

<p>This question has been answered time and time again, most notably in the Featured Thread in this forum. I have commented extensively on your question and a whole lot more.</p>

<p>Pwn3d. Maybe you should have done more research in high school. ROFLCOPTER</p>

<p>Short answer, IIRC: they don't really, and they're trained not to read all students from one school and directly compare them.</p>

<p>lingbo, are you sure about that?</p>

<p>so, i guess they don't organize the applications in terms of school?
anyone know for sure if the application folders are alphabetically in terms of last name? it would be kool to get a sure confirmation</p>

<p>and xjayz, i read all your past posts and responses, and they don't answer my question directly</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
and xjayz, i read all your past posts and responses, and they don't answer my question directly

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Yes, I did. It's on the first page of the thread in which I responded to A-san's question. As Northstarmom would say, you did not do your research on a question that has been answered time and time again (and on a featured thread, no less) and just asked your question. At least make your assertion after you are sure 100% that you are right and can back it up with hard evidence.</p>

<p>
[quote]
"First, you submit your application. Then, an officer, who is specifically in charge of your high school, reads the application."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>does this mean that they read it in the order of high schools? or just all the applicants in the high schools they are assigned to, but not in any specific order? it can still be alphabetically organized by last name, and not directly by the name of the school itself</p>

<p>xjayz did answer your question.</p>

<p>oh ok. ya, xjayz thx for bearing with me.</p>

<p>but xjayz mind me asking how you know so much about Harvard admissions? How you can be absolutely sure about such specific things, which id imagine only adcom officers to know for sure? and is this only the case at Harvard? or do all other schools operate the same way?</p>

<p>this is some stuff from the Brown forum that's throwing me off.

[quote]
"They look for your school in their archive and -if you're not the first of your HS applying to Brown- compare your grades,recs, etc. to the grades of your predecessors..
Especially if you had the same teacher writing your rec, they can easily see if you have something, the others hadn't."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
"Do they really directly compare application files from certain schools?"</p>

<p>Yes. Why do you think they have admission officers in charge of regions, who get to know specific high schools and read all the files from students applying from their regions and high schools?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Maybe Brown works differently, but I have my sources about Harvard. I am not an admissions officer, I'm just an undergraduate here. Besides, it's common sense. How would they sort 23,000 applicants by school by hand? Applications are completed at different times as all the materials roll in from different sources (teacher recommendations, guidance recommendations, your essay, etc.). Sorting it by school BEFORE admissions officers are handed the files is extremely inefficient, as again, admissions officers have to go through many applications, giving each person his/her full consideration, before they meet for committee meetings in March.</p>

<p>Strangely enough at my school (which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere) admits about 1 person per year to an Ivy League. The admittees aren't that spectacular, which causes me to think otherwise, xjayz, but then again that may simply be the luck of the draw. Any comment?</p>

<p>Last year's admit eventually chose Rice over Harvard though.</p>