<p>Without getting attached, anyone who dreams of it should apply.</p>
<p>Back in the day, a h.s. friend and top student, who was Black, applied from our public school to Harvard in defiance of G.C. wishes and was accepted. Actually she applied to Radcliffe because she was female, but it was a Harvard education. G.C. was busy steering her to Morgan State Teachers College, the historically Black school closest to us in Baltimore. </p>
<p>What if my classmate had listened to the odds? </p>
<p>I think poetgrl makes a very interesting point, however, for students choosing strategically between Harvard versus applying ED where there is a much better possibility of admission, which is pretty much everywhere.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, say this word every morning between filing the app and hearing back: Crapshoot, just to keep one’s sanity.</p>
<p>You have a slightly higher chance of acceptance if you do in fact apply. I still think there are plenty of students who really shouldn’t bother, but if you are outstanding (and not just because your mom says you are) sure, give it a shot… become a statistic :D.</p>
<p>How many of these applicants applied just to see if they could get in, though? I know many, many kids who applied knowing they probably wouldn’t (and might not even want to go, if they did), but said ‘What the heck?’ and decided to toss their hat in the ring on the off chance they could say they got into Harvard.</p>
<p>Exactly! However, I have heard of people who apply just for the heck of it and because they really think it is a lottery. (Obviously, they must have $$ to waste.) And the fact that students DO apply, gain acceptance, and then go elsewhere makes me think it that, for some people, it is an ego trip.</p>
<p>Don’t many students apply do multiple schools, get into more than one, and then choose one they think they like best (will be the best fit etc.)? </p>
<p>If you apply to Harvard, and get in, why must Harvard be the one that the student likes best?</p>
These numbers seem a bit off to me. They assume that the school will admit only 1100 for 1100 spots. Even though Harvard’s yield is high, it isn’t 100%. So they would have to offer more than 1100 admissions to fill those spots. It also assumes that 100% of the EA applicants will attend, which may also be unlikely. Both EA and yield will be high, but not 100%. So the admission chances for RD students will be small, but probably not 3%.</p>
<p>** Reading the article, it says the predicted 1100 offers would be for 900 spots. Thats why the above quote didnt make sense.</p>
<p>"How many of these applicants applied just to see if they could get in, though? I know many, many kids who applied knowing they probably wouldn’t (and might not even want to go, if they did), but said ‘What the heck?’ and decided to toss their hat in the ring on the off chance they could say they got into Harvard. "</p>
<p>Is this an east coast phenomenon? I don’t hear of tons of bright kids applying to Harvard just to “toss one in” on the off chance. The ones I know who applied there were, indeed, Harvard-level worthy (whether or not they got in), not just merely bright kids.</p>
<p>I think it’s an interesting question how many people apply to Harvard who have absolutely no hope of admittance. I would guess that more such people apply to Harvard than to (say) Brown, just because it’s more likely to be the longshot application.</p>
<p>A corollary question is how many of those no-hope applicants realize that they have no (or very little) hope of admission. I’m sure there are some who received mailings from Harvard, and who are the top students in their high schools, and are told by friends and teachers, “You’ll get in everywhere!”–but who really don’t have hope at the most selective schools because of scores. The tough fact is that you can have the highest SAT score ever at your high school, and it still may not be high enough for you to have a realistic shot at Harvard.</p>
<p>If I hadn’t found this site, I would have never even realized how intense this process has actually become. A college admitting only 3% RD seems almost unthinkable, and yet, I bet it turns out to be ballpark.</p>
<p>I think this is the admission version of the counselors who tell students, “Don’t worry about money! The money will be there.” And, lots of times, I’ve found out from being on CC, it isn’t actually there, at all.</p>
<p>Tex-- No, a lot of people apply to all sorts of expensive schools they can’t afford because the adults in their life fail to inform them of the cold hard financial facts and prefer to give them the fantasy of “everyone can afford…”</p>
<p>In the case of Harvard, the money actually WILL be there, which I’m sure has something to do with the number of applications they recieve. fwiw</p>
<p>Yes, definitely true at my house. If Harvard happens to decide they want D (statistically unlikely of course, but possible) then it appears COA would not be an obstacle. This makes applying to Harvard a more sensible choice (in our mind) than applying to some exciting and prestigious schools with much better odds of admission, but extremely low likelihood of being able to afford to attend.</p>
<p>This is one of the biggest myths about college admissions. Almost everyone who applies to Harvard or Stanford believes they possess something or a combination of things that make them suitable candidates for admission. It takes a lot of self confidence to even build up the courage to apply to these places. People don’t just “throw out” applications to these super elite schools. I agree completely with Pizzagirl.</p>
<p>Since you’re all parents, I’m sure you all know that the only people that care about elite universities are individuals who attended elite universities themselves or are connected with people that attended these schools. The vast cross-section of the country could give two hoots about Harvard.</p>
<p>It’s like playing the lottery, and winning the big ticket. Ivy financial aid is extremely generous, particularly HYP. With the Common App, anyone with an extra $75 can play the game. No fuss, no muss.</p>
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<p>Actually, yes they do, at least at our HS. Our Val is accepted at H every year (and only our Val besides an occasional recruited athlete). But yet our HS sends dozens of apps to Harvard, including from students who aren’t even in the top decile – students who are routinely rejected by some of the UCs. Granted, the GC should probably tell such students that they are wasting their money, but like the lottery says, ‘ya gotta play to win’… :)</p>
<p>There are all sorts of kids all over CC today who simply cannot believe they did not get into the top schools, and these are kids on CC who have actually heard it said that this is a lottery process.</p>
<p>I don’t think people actually understand this at all, even if the regular posters here do.</p>