<p>I was reevaluating some stuff, and I noticed that a lot of the people who get into Harvard College were ones who are active - in the extrovert way.</p>
<p>The people who were admitted from my school were either into theater performance, or very outgoing athletes. I also know two people who had approximately the same stats, but one was WL and the other accepted -- the accepted one had performed at Carnegie Hall, and the other one was more of a bookworm.</p>
<p>I have also been to campus and met the people there- quite a lot of them are very outgoing. Meanwhile, at other similarly ranked institutions (top liberal arts colleges or MIT), the students are much more reserved.</p>
<p>Of course, I am not clumping everyone into a single perception. But I'm curious, would having some sort of activity that showed the person is particularly outgoing and have excellent people skills increase one's chances?</p>
<p>That might be true. However, you could also make another case. Google “Why Are 80% of Harvard Students First-Borns?” and read the first entry. </p>
<p>You can also go on youtube and search “Michael Sandel Justice lecture.” One of the lectures (I cannot remember which one – there are about 10) includes the question “How many of you are first-borns?” and see the results yourself. Almost 80% of the class (about 1,000 students) raised their hands. See: <a href=“http://www.justiceharvard.org/[/url]”>http://www.justiceharvard.org/</a></p>
<p>I would definitely call myself more of an introvert than an extrovert, but I am here.</p>
<p>I would guess the reason why extroverts might fare better is that it is not too much of a struggle for them to pursue leadership positions, get involved in activities, and generally step out of their comfort zones to discover and pursue their interests. These are objectively good things to do in human society and Harvard values them. Introverts can still do these things but by definition it doesn’t come as naturally to them.</p>
<p>There are plenty of people at Harvard who seem like introverts, i.e. they’re not social butterflies and maybe they value solitary time more than the average person. But if you get them doing something they’re passionate about, they’ll shine as much as anyone. That’s what Harvard looks for.</p>
<p>I do know a bunch of quiet bookworm types, but they’re not painfully shy. (I myself am an introvert, but I am a loud introvert.) Painfully shy makes it difficult to succeed in the ways Harvard is looking for; the quiet students here had something in their application that shone–essay, extracurriculars, whatever–even if their interview really didn’t.</p>
<p>Another reason being shy can really, really hurt, beyond extracurricular leadership, is that the shy kids in high school may not get to know any of their teachers or counselor very well. No matter how smart you are, two teacher letters to the effect “oh this kid seemed smart but I don’t really know because she never spoke up much in class, nor asked me questions after class. She did well on her exams.” is pretty much a death knell for an application. I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong; I value having students in my classes who will contribute to the intellectual life, rather than really smart students who just sit and absorb and never say anything either in class or trying to discuss it with them after.</p>
<p>“There are plenty of people at Harvard who seem like introverts, i.e. they’re not social butterflies and maybe they value solitary time more than the average person. But if you get them doing something they’re passionate about, they’ll shine as much as anyone. That’s what Harvard looks for.”</p>
<p>@IkeEisenhower I really hope you’re right, because I think that is my personality to a tee. I’m a bit reserved in school, but once you get me on a stage, I REALLY open up!</p>
<p>Realize that extravert and introvert are basic orientations, but they’re not reasons for avoiding activities and connection. I have two Ds who’ve gone to Harvard - one’s a flaming E, the other is an I. But both were equally involved in HS in theatre, music, etc. Most of us have a dominant hand and prefer to use that one for skilled dexterity. But the fact is that our other hand is perfectly useful, and we could probably develop similar skill with it if we were so inclined.</p>
<p>Harvard doesn’t necessarily look for, or reward, extroverts. It DOES look for and reward those who are assertive. We may associate assertiveness with extroversion, but they are quite different. An introvert with a firm sense of self can get in and can thrive.</p>