<p>Is it bad essays/poor recs/poor interview?? What is it? I was looking at the stats forum and the what it takes to get into Harvard EA forum and so many awesome ppl got rejected...any way to rationalize this??</p>
<p>There's not enough space to take everybody. Even if you are strong in every part of the application process, there are no guarantees at HYPSM.</p>
<p>"any way to rationalize this??"</p>
<p>Luck.</p>
<p>"Luck." </p>
<p>There's nothing more formidable than total uncertainty :(
But that's what we must all come to expect with so many great applicants and so few spots...</p>
<p>Well I'll get em test scores up....going to go study now...they need improvement....</p>
<p>I feel like singing a totally random song:</p>
<p>Mia-hiii
Mia-huuuuu
Mia-haaaaa
Mia-haahaa!!!</p>
<p>One (perhaps harsh but true) reason might be that a few people with amazing stats and ECs might in real life be total (for want of a better wrod) jerks. That certainly only applies to a very small minority though - many highly qualified candidates with extremely strong grades and ECs have to be rejected because there simply aren't enough places - over 3000 on so valedictorians apply for 2000 places, for example.</p>
<p>You know what, I think I'll just make myself happy with Harvard Summer School Program...and not set myself up for a possible big disappointment this fall...of course I'll still apply...but RD....I'll apply EA for a state school where my chances are higher...Reality of the admissions process compels me to do so....</p>
<p>Shahein- You got it! You're Romanian is pretty good!</p>
<p>Actually, the rationalization is incredibly simple:</p>
<p>Competitive Applicants >>>> Space in Harvard's Freshman Class</p>
<p>Indeed. Many, many applicants have "killer stats and ECs."</p>
<p>Even though many don't have a real "hook" (something that inpacts your life and you have no control over), everyone, including myself, can think of a "unique" thing to put on their application to show their dedication to something that they love.</p>
<p>Here's a way to rationalize- some of these people probably lie about their stats...</p>
<p>Sometimes the applicant has all the good stuff, but it's not what a college is looking for that particular year.
Like someone may be so involved with the violin, but there are already so many others who applied who are also involved with the violin.
And then you have few very involved tuba players, so . . even though the violin and tuba player share the same stats and 1 common interest, one of them is in more need than the other.
So it all comes down to luck, basically.</p>
<p><<even though="" many="" don't="" have="" a="" real="" "hook"="" (something="" that="" inpacts="" your="" life="" and="" you="" no="" control="" over)="">></even></p>
<p>A hook is not always something out of the applicant's control.</p>
<p>Agreed. The best hooks are in one's control (IMO).</p>
<p>"Hooks" can be very controversial. ;) But yes, I guess they can be in or out of one's control. I'm just saying that a black person from a low income family from South Dakota shouldn't and won't be expected to achieve as much as a person from a middle/upper class family in MA who's asian. It's not to be racist, but it's true. People in SD, for a start, don't have anything. Most schools don't even have AP classes or academic competetions. Anyway. Here's my list that I made up:
Low Income, From a state in the middle of nowhere where no one rarely applies (south/north dakota, montana, wyoming, ect...), or a URM - black, native american indian.
1.) 1 of the 3 listed above--- probably a good chance of acceptance 50+% chance. Depending on which of the 3 it is, it could be higher or lower.
2.) two of the three listed above-- Probably get in, 75+ percent, if not higher. Again, the app has a good gpa, good sat scores, and ecs that he or she is involved in
3.) all three items above--- I'd bet money on their acceptance (as long as grades, SAT/ACT scores are up there, and they have decent ecs. </p>
<p>I know you people think I'm nuts. However, you must realize that (believe it or not) most people on this board are from populated areas, upper class familys (this doesn't mean a fortune 500 family, it means your parents combined make like 100,000 grand a year), and have plenty of opportunities. </p>
<p>Ok, now everyone can give me crap. ;)</p>
<p>Interesting. I just found out one of my roommates is Native American from South Dakota. It's Yale though, not Harvard, but same basic admission policies.</p>
<p>Are you serious?!?! Was she poor, too? Because that's really rare to have all three of those items that I listed above. However, Native American Indians in SD is common....</p>
<p>conwoman, does your roomate have a last name of the initials T.T.G?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Here's my list that I made up:
Low Income, From a state in the middle of nowhere where no one rarely applies (south/north dakota, montana, wyoming, ect...), or a URM - black, native american indian.
1.) 1 of the 3 listed above--- probably a good chance of acceptance 50+% chance. Depending on which of the 3 it is, it could be higher or lower.
2.) two of the three listed above-- Probably get in, 75+ percent, if not higher. Again, the app has a good gpa, good sat scores, and ecs that he or she is involved in
3.) all three items above--- I'd bet money on their acceptance (as long as grades, SAT/ACT scores are up there, and they have decent ecs.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hmmm this list is a good start, but its simply not the case. As a student recruiter in the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program last year, I interacted with many American Indian applicants who would have made excellent students, whose resumes were seemingly just as good as mine, and who were also low income, from isolated rural areas, etc. The majority of them did not get in. Some of them, however, are attending Yale, Dartmouth, Stanford, and Cornell (I kept in touch with some of them). I asked the Director of Admissions once why this was the case. Some of these students had even participated in a Native American summer program at the Med School that is designed to allow kids from several specific reservations to have summer biomedical research opportunities. Why did they get into other schools and not Harvard, even if they'd been good enough for this Harvard summer program? She replied- Harvard has a smaller admit rate than these other Ivy Leagues. Even with the smallest group of applicants, Indians, this reality still applies. So I wouldn't bet too much money :P</p>
<p>I think you're full of crap, EAS. I dout you've ever come across an applicant from South Dakota, and if so, no matter what the skin color, I'm sure his/her parents had money. </p>
<p>Do you know how much motivation it takes for a poor person from SD to have the same gpa/sat score/ecs/recs/etc as a wealthy person like you from the NE? Most parents of poor families don't motivate their kids at all and expect them to turn out just like they did. Plus, here we don't have ANY Ap's, no stores but K-mart (really), no academic competitions, etc... You have no clue what-so-ever.</p>