Insights into Harvard SEAS grad school application process

Graduate School
1

<p>Since my question is specific to that Harvard, I have already posted this in the Harvard forum. I thought I might post here for the likelihood of grad school specific knowledge and the possibility that my questions might actually be common to other schools.</p>

<p>Here it goes.......</p>

<p>Today, I am looking for a little different information than usual. S, a 2009 Tufts engineering graduate, is now getting ready to apply for grad school. Ironically, not for it’s name or prestige, Harvard is a top contender for him. Harvard is a contender because it is one of only four schools suggested to him by an advisor at the company he works for. These four schools have a strong program in his area of interest and meet the geographic requirements of a scholarship this company offers. Of these four, one does not offer a terminal masters. Harvard is also comparatively unique in that their master’s can be completed in one year.</p>

<p>So I am hoping that some of you have some knowledge of Harvard grad school admissions. S would be applying to SEAS for a terminal masters in computer science – specifically for information assurance/cryptography. When I look at the admissions data published by SEAS grad school applications, SM, ME and PhD are all blurred together. This is the info I have found:</p>

<p>Total grad engineering 358 (master’s full time – 30, PhD full time – 328)
Total applicants: master’s and PhD 1331, acceptances 199 for a rate of 15%</p>

<p>Then under their info on applying, it discusses how admitted PhD students receive full financial support w/ stipend and Master’s students are not eligible for any financial support. In fact, if one is applying as a master’s degree candidate, a “statement of financial resources” must be submitted along with the rest of the application.</p>

<p>So…… </p>

<p>Does anyone know the acceptance statistics for master’s degree applicants? I can’t figure out if there are only 30 students because they accept so few or because so few apply for a master’s given that a PhD is free and a master’s is not. </p>

<p>Is the profile for an admitted master’s degree candidate more, less, or equally stringent as the PhD students?
Average GPA: 3.8 (son was 3.67 overall with over a 3.8 in his major, gosh darn history of Italy taught in Italian)
Average GRE Verbal: 566 (son 620)
Average GRE Q: 782 (son 800)
Average GRE analytical: 4.3 (waiting for score)
He will have been working in industry for over a year and a half by the December application due date.</p>

<p>Will a strong “statement of financial resources” make any difference in his likelihood of being accepted? If he does not receive his company’s scholarship, he has saved enough to pay in full so his statement will show his ability to attend independent of obtaining scholarships or loans.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any insights you may have.</p>