<p>I just got the call yesterday. I’m from southern Cal. Its been quite a waitlist year for me - waitlisted at a bunch of schools, got in at Duke a few weeks ago, and now Harvard. So waitlists are still active - take heart everyone!</p>
<p>My AO said that we would for sure have our decisions by the end of next week. I can tell its a rejection for me. I’m really angry about how Harvard handled the waitlist and kept us all in the dark about everything. I would have been fine with it had I been accepted, but now I just feel so stupid for trying so hard to get off the list.</p>
<p>Don’t feel stupid. Nobody should feel stupid for staying on the waitlist for Harvard. I can understand your frustration, but I can say with certainty that you are fantastic applicant to have made it this far and that you will do many fabulous things in your life. I hope you deposited at one of the great places I’m sure you were accepted and that you really understand how incredibly difficult this year was for you guys–just really competitive and overpopulated. You’ll do great and perseverence is one of the qualities in life which really does lead to success. As a very wise person says, “If you’re not disappointed a few times a week, you’re really not trying very hard.” I’m sure the disappointment is a challenge, but I’m guessing this time next year you will just be very happy you went where you went. You are young and you have so many more opportunities ahead of you. Harvard grad school is a fantastic goal!</p>
<p>While I am still officially on the wait list at Harvard, I decided two weeks ago that no matter what would have happened, I would not attend Harvard.</p>
<p>My college process was interesting. At the start of my senior year I told myself I NEEDED an Ivy League school and that I would never settle for a large public school. Yet, as time went on, I have come to realize that perhaps there are perks to being at the top at a public school rather than just being “one of many smart kids” at an Ivy.</p>
<p>I received a full-ride + living expenses to The Ohio State University, and in the beginning I thought that not even that scholarship would be enough to take my away from Cornell or, if the wait list had turned out differently than I expect it will next week, from Harvard. When I got into Cornell I thought for sure that I would be attending said university (I never really counted on Harvard).</p>
<p>I am not angry that I didn’t get into Harvard, in fact, I am now more relieved than anything. I am relieved because I realize I am wanted at Ohio State. I have gotten emails addressed specifically to me about research from several professors at Ohio State, I have spoken with the dean of my school, and soon I will go for my orientation and take advantage of my invitation to have lunch with the head of the Honors Collegium. I have, as some of my friends have put it, already experienced the love at my college and I haven’t even started there yet.</p>
<p>My friends truly put it best when they said that while I could have gone to Cornell and felt cool telling people that I was off to an Ivy, I was not getting free food, free tuition, and most importantly free love. This wait list process at Harvard has made me realize just how important that last component really is. For me, I like to feel wanted. I like to be thought of as promising. I like to have the best opportunities reserved for me because I have a proven track record. Harvard admissions didn’t even have the decency to return any of my 12 emails sent throughout my application process (which I actually find quite disrespectful). I have received 4 calls from students at Ohio State and countless emails from advisors and others who hope that I will succeed and bring the university glory. </p>
<p>I am not saying that Ohio State is for everybody, and I’m not saying that Harvard isn’t a great place. If you want to study economics, then yea, I would have gone to Harvard too. However, this process made me realize that as an aspiring doctor, as a scientist-in-training, it is time to look past a name and look for the opportunities. It is time to look for a place where I can succeed, not a place where I can feed my ego. </p>
<p>So I urge everybody who will read this, and I especially urge next years applicants to look into a university that is right, a university that wants YOU (keep in mind that for some of you, that may be an Ivy League school - I am not trying to put down some great universities). The name Harvard may get a few "ooo"s and "ahh"s, but the success that one can achieve when they have the backing of an entire university because he or she is truly considered a prized student, well that is the stuff that creates leaders and legends.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to type out that long and heartfelt post, HappyAnyWay! I’m in the same sort of boat, and though at one point I had felt like Cali12345, I do agree very much with poetgirl’s principle that one mustn’t be afraid of disappointment in the pursuit of a goal. Nevertheless, happiness and success is far from being contingent on attending Harvard, and while it would be a life-changing opportunity, one could be had at another institution all the same.</p>
<p>At this point, at least for me, all signs point to a rejection letter receipt in the next week or so. I’ve come to terms with that.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, good luck to all, and keep your heads up!</p>
<p>I agree, HappyAnyWay! & i’m glad you posted so I could really see that it doesn’t matter if I dont go to an Ivy league school. I’m going to the #1 public university & i get to stay close to home 
im not sure i could have stayed away from my family for 3-4 months at a time. & going to Berkeley means i could possibly hold onto my boyfriend of about 6 years now…</p>
<p>I just finished my CalSo orientation & completely fell in love with Berkeley The beautiful campus & the California weather i grew up in. The only thing bothering me was Harvard’s faint echo at the back of my head. </p>
<p>Before i felt afraid of settling for “less” but now i understand that when i do receive my letter I dont have to be scared of attending the second best school!! bc that school is really amazing too!</p>
<p>For anyway else, I hope that all your plans go well & that you find your place Thanks for all the support & information & just these 3ish months of waitlist hell. I needed you guys to help me through it & i really appreciate it. </p>
<p>You guys are all so amazing & im sure we will all be successful See you guys at the TOP!</p>
<p>I just came back from my CalSO orientation and I absolutely fell in love with the school. The people, the campus, and the diversity really made me realize how I’ve been so ignorant. I had my heart on Harvard and everything else seemed “below” it. At this point, I’m really excited to go to Cal and hope everyone the best in the remaining few days of your waitlisting experience!</p>
<p>I’m with all of you in that we didn’t get into H but we’re still awesome people, so let’s not turn into a bunch of sentimental little bit*hes</p>
<p>I agree with u guys too about there being other opportunities out there
but damn being rejected from my top three schools and settling for a university
u didnt really want to go for is still a big bummer</p>
<p>but at least i got this summer to relax and alleviate my concerns
theres always grad school!</p>
<p>Just got the rejection letter; I’m shipping off to Cornell!</p>
<p>Here’s some info that I received before: When dealing with schools that multiple waitlisters, they (Harvard) would prefer not to give any info about admissions status to any of the waitlisters (both acceptance/rejection) unless they can give it to everybody at the school. Its a twistedly nice consideration from them, but explains some of their behavior for keeping people in the dark.</p>
<p>Wait, asong
you got the letter today?
Oh man… so I guess all the process really over huh</p>
<p>Wait… How did you get a letter on Sunday?</p>
<p>i just called the admissions office, the woman said that they are almost ready to give decisions to everyone still on the waitlist. she thinks most decisions will be out by the end of the week, and that we could get “letters, calls, or emails”. but she said that we will all know for sure by july 1</p>
<p>after i got accepted to stanford, i decided, just for fun, to stay on Harvard’s wait-list. After about two months of agony (and a month of extended wait-listing), i finally got the rejection letter today.</p>
<p>good luck to the rest of you! i am confident that all of us will succeed wherever you go</p>
<p>Good luck at Stanford skyraptor…enjoy!</p>
<p>^ fauve, thanks. where are you going for college?</p>
<p>After 2 months, I finally received my rejection letter todayy!! </p>
<p>Although, on march 31st it would have hurt more, now it’s just a chapter i can put behind me. Im heading to Berkeleyyyy!! </p>
<p>& once again, im honored to have moved to the extended waitlist & i think we should all be proud of what we have accomplished GOOOODLUCK everyone!</p>
<p>about an hour after i called the admissions office today, i got my rejection letter in the mail. off to wellesley!</p>
<p>just got the official rejection today…and i’m surprisingly okay! haha i knew it was unreasonable to hope for anyway, it just kind of pains me that we got sooo close. i mean i used to assume i’d get an automatic rejection right away but when i didn’t, it kind of gave me this wild, irrational hope, know what i mean? like one little thing over the past four years might have put me over the edge…like maybe i shouldn’t have quit that club or maybe i should have joined the sport or maybe i should have taken up that internship offer or maybe if only i’d sent my waitlist follow up stuff earlier…but i suppose all things happen for a reason and this is what was fated to be.</p>
<p>haha whatever though, i’m kind of relieved it’s over and that i can finally wholeheartedly commit to becoming a yalie next year without any second thoughts!!</p>
<p>good luck to everyone, congrats to those who made it in, and thanks for all the support guys!=)</p>
<p>Just got the thin one. Off to Penn!!! Godspeed ya’ll.</p>