<p>So I found out about this other kid in my school:
Male
High Income Bracket
Founder of Native American Club (You might see where this is going)
Some ECs, not too many
~2200 SATs
But he's 1/16 Native American, and has legacy to Harvard (holy crap wow how does this happen)
I also recently heard that some schools have a system of selecting applicants by first selecting 2-3 applicants from each school in a state to form a pool, then choosing out of that pool. Is this true?
And if not, does this other super-lobbyist kid affect my application chances? Especially since nobody from my school has gone to Harvard in 5 years.
Thanks</p>
<p>What will be will be. You can’t force him not to apply, can you?</p>
<p>At D’s school, over the past 11 years, it has averaged out to 0 students accepted by Harvard each year. That included one that first year and one the year before my daughter. Consequently, we all assumed that that either 0 or 1 student would be admitted my daughter’s year. D, Val, and her male friend, Sal, were both applying. D’s academics, scores were stronger. Friend was first gen, low income w/ great leadership. Otherwise both their ecs were on par. Both interviewed with a local alum, who raved to each other them about wanting them at Harvard and doing everything in her power to get them accepted. OK still the same. Feb comes, D gets call for 2nd interview at admissions. D shows up. Who else was called for 2nd interview? Her friend. Friend leaves after 2nd interview. D gets kept for a third. We all felt that a decision is being made between the two kids. April 1 comes around. BOTH were accepted. </p>
<p>This past year, Harvard accepted 0 again.</p>
<p>So… You never know. If Harvard wants you, they will accept you despite the number of applicants from your school.</p>
<p>Just looked at the stats for our high school. (suburban Boston) for the past 6 years Harvard has accepted 3-5 of our seniors each year. So it’s not true that they only accept one per school.</p>
<p>Not even close. Boston Latin has something insane like 24 matriculants this year.</p>
<p>I think it also depends in part on whether we’re talking about public or private high schools. I agree that, in the public school systems, there are probably no quotas. However, in prep schools, the GC frequently has a direct connection with an elite school like Harvard, and will advise some seniors to apply or not to apply (to meet their own quota? agenda?). It’s been rumored that schools like Harvard will tell the prep school GC’s to suggest a certain number of potential applicants each year. The GC’s reputation - at the prep school and with the college - depends on selection of those students. I have no inside knowledge myself - just an observation based on years of conversations with GC’s, adcoms, parents, and kids.</p>