<p>Hello! Thanks for clicking. I am applying SCEA to Harvard this fall/winter, and I have my common app essay topic basically decided like the title says.</p>
<p>I'm applying to Harvard early because I truly have a desire to go there since my EC's revolve around and in one case directly involve a certain foundation that was started there.</p>
<p>My Common App essay doesn't spell out why I think I'll flourish at Harvard specifically (obviously since it's the one I'm sending to every school).</p>
<p>Would it be foolish/would it detract from my app if my Harvard supplement was about why I want to go there specifically since I'll basically be spelling out that I want to go there only rather than "showing them another side through my writing". Is it too brown-nosy?</p>
<p>(PM me for exact details about my involvement with the foundation/why I want to go there so badly if you desire)</p>
<p>So, while you could write an essay on the topic of your interest in attending Harvard, you would be wasting the opportunity to tell the Admissions Office something else about YOURSELF that they could not glean from the rest of your application. You could express your interest to your Alumni interviewer and bring up your reasons for wanting to attend in that discussion, which would get written up and passed on to the Admissions office.</p>
<p>I would approach it more so as an essay just about your involvement/interest in the topic of the foundation. Then maybe just close it (with a sentence or two max) about how Harvard happens to be the place that it was founded, which was what made you realize Harvard was the school for you. I put it in a cheesy way, but that can be re-worded. Basically just focus on YOU and what you’ve done with this cause and connect it back to Harvard briefly…because as Gibby stated, Harvard really doesn’t care. With an 80% yield (not to mention without ED), they know everyone wants to go there lol.</p>
<p>Why ask for more opinions when you don’t know yet what Harvard’s Supplemental Application will look like this year? </p>
<p>Harvard may completely do away with their old supplemental essay and instead require students to write about an extracurricular activity, as the Common Application scrapped that essay. It’s probably best to wait until August 1st to see if you even have that option this year. </p>
<p>FWIW: Many students have been accepted to Harvard without submitting the supplemental essay. Many students in years past have used that supplemental essay to tell Harvard why they really want to attend. I don’t know of one student who wrote that kind of essay who was accepted. </p>
<p>Here’s what you have to remember: Harvard doesn’t need you; you need Harvard. Admissions takes who they want to take (they accepted Ted Kaczynski, the unabomber, and rejected Warren Buffett). No amount of brown-nosing will make one iota of difference – if fact, it’s probably a turn-off for them. </p>
<p>If you’re hell-bent on writing that kind of essay though, it would be best to phrase it in terms of what you will bring to their campus, why their school would be a better place by having you there. After all, everyone will probably flourish at Harvard. Why they should take you over another student, that is the more salient question.</p>