<p>I wanted to just copy and paste my Stanford roommate essay because I thought it was my best essay out of the 10+ schools to which I applied, but I just ended up writing about myself about how I was unique given my circumstances and how I would fit in at Harvard.</p>
<p>I don’t think that a long essay would hurt you unless it was poorly written. I don’t mind reading long essays so long as they are not boring or riddled with grammatical errors.</p>
<p>~Conscience13:</p>
<p>1) I submitted my application the day before it was due (RD) and I just received a call from my interviewer today. Don’t despair if you haven’t been contacted yet; the admissions counselors know what they’re doing. :)</p>
<p>2) I agree with huehuehue32 - if you need all 900 words for it to be the same level of awesome, then by all means, use that many words. However, if you end up repeating yourself for half of the essay, then you should stick with 450 words rather than 900, obviously. Make sure that every word has a purpose for being in your essay.</p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>Can someone please chance me for regular decision?!?!?</p>
<p>Class Rank: 1/503</p>
<p>Weighted GPA: 4.90</p>
<p>SAT (critical reading and math) = 1360</p>
<p>SAT II MATH = 760 </p>
<p>SAT II Chemistry = 720 </p>
<p>Will have 93 college credit hours by end of high school (Have 60 so far)
These are the college classes I have taken: </p>
<p>CF: College of Central Florida
UF: University of Florida
FIU: Florida International University
HU: Harvard University Extension</p>
<p>Precalculus/Trig (CF) - A
Calculus I w/Analytical Geometry (CF)- A
General Biology I w/lab (CF) - A
General Biology II w/lab (CF)- A
English Composition I (CF) - A
English Composition II (CF) - A
Intro to Chemistry (CF) - A
General Chemistry I w/lab (CF) - A
General Psychology (CF) - A
Sociology (UF) - A
American History Until 1877 (CF) - A
American History Since 1877 (CF) - A
Statistics I (UF) - A
Spanish I (CF) - A
Microcomputer Applications (CF) - A
Music Theory (UF) - A
Music Appreciation (CF) - A
General Chemistry I w/lab (CF) - A
General Physics I w/lab (CF)- A
General Chemistry II w/lab (CF)- Pending
General Physics II w/lab (UF) - Pending
Principles of Finance (HU) - Pending
Human Physiology (FIU) - Pending
Human Biology (CF) - Pending</p>
<p>AP Classes:
AP Microeconomics - A
AP U.S. Government - A
AP European History - A
AP Calculus BC - Pending </p>
<p>Full time dual enrollment between University of Florida and College of Central Florida. Some classes at FIU and Harvard Extension. Participant in Philosophy club (Vice President), Academic Team (Captain) National Honors Society, Science National Honors Society, MU Alpha Theta Math Honors Society, Phi Theta Kappa (College Honors Society), National Society of High School Scholars.</p>
<p>Played four varsity sports: Baseball, football, wrestling, and competitive weightlifting (Team Captain 2012)</p>
<p>Attended the National Student Leadership Conference (Georgia Tech) in Medicine and Health</p>
<p>Volunteer heavily at Hospital and Hospice </p>
<p>Heavy medical Shadowing in Neurosurgery, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Gastroenterology </p>
<p>Teacher recommendation letters: Great</p>
<p>Personal Essays: Solid</p>
<p>Am I legit the only one here who isn’t freaking out? As a lot of these colleges say, it ultimately comes down to sheer numbers and chance, “feelings” about an applicant.</p>
<p>The way I see it, a perfect application would put you at the highest chance of getting accepted (obviously) but given that there may be at LEAST 1000 ‘perfect’ applications, something “special” has to come through, an X factor I guess, to push you to the acceptance file. </p>
<p>At the end of the day I don’t think I could live with myself if I got into a school by not being myself, and writing “what they want to hear” even if it’s not me.</p>
<p>Relax guys, calm down, it will be over soon, and life goes on with or without Harvard :)</p>
<p>-Intl Applicant to RD2018. My chances are even smaller than that 3% ;)</p>
<p>Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk</p>
<p>You guys were allowed to write more than 500 words? It never stated a word limit anywhere but as soon as I entered the 501. word, commonapp told me to not exceed the limit of 500 words. </p>
<p>@DRS2442 well said. I totally agree!</p>
<p>@book05 thank you 
</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, my essay went over that. But not by much (about 550 [EDIT: 714] or so). The common app seems to have a glitch for these prompts without a word limit. I just continued typing and it went away.</p>
<p>Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk</p>
<p>Oh I see. I cut it from around 750 to 500 because I thought I had to. 
oh well.</p>
<p>That’s not necessarily a bad thing 
Precise, I know for a fact that I was superfluous in mine. Heck, I even wrote that I would be in my first draft. That essay was just a long drawn out mess 
Its always easier to say things more concisely but effectively.</p>
<p>Good Luck!!</p>
<p>Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk</p>
<p>I had my interview today! I think it went well, it was right after my Princeton interview so I was a little nervous about mixing things up but it seemed to go smoothly. We talked a lot about why I was interested in what I am interested in, my ECs, and my interviewers life/time at Harvard. The whole thing lasted about 1 hour so I think that’s a good sign, I hope so anyways lol. This was way better than my Georgetown interview so I’m happy. Now I have to try and put Harvard out of my mind for 2 months. I don’t think that will happen though…</p>
<p>Hey guys! 
Fellow RD applicant here~Best of luck to you all! c: Hope you don’t mind me jumping in, by the way. Haha.</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t get any interview request from Harvard although she already completed Yale/Princeton/Duke interviews. I think it’s easy for Harvard to find an almuni intervewer nearby my area. Is this good or bad sign ? Or, nothing to worry about ?</p>
<p>I am a fellow Harvard RD applicant as well. </p>
<p>I have an interview with Harvard tomorrow! Very nervous. </p>
<p>What happens to your financial aid chances if you submit a late CSS profile? </p>
<p>@romeonachoes
A lot of colleges (to my knowledge anyways) have deadlines to ensure that the financial aid package arrives in time with an acceptance letter. You should call and let them know your situation obviously but my early-on insight is that it just means that if you do get in, your financial aid package will come late (basically not the same time as the decisions like it is for most people). But you should contact them because it could mean something else for Harvard.</p>
<p>@Dad2013</p>
<p>Nothing to worry about. She may end up scheduling one this month. I just scheduled a Stanford interview this week and I applied RD there (and to Harvard as well-had an interview for Harvard around a month ago) as well. I think that sometimes they are just slow to contact the applicant right away.</p>
<p>Hey everyone, I was wondering how much weight the alumni interview actually carries? Do the recommendations that the interviewers write actually influence the admissions decision? Also, should I have even applied here with a 2020 SAT? </p>
<p>From what I’ve read, the interview doesn’t carry too much weight. I mean, if you do really awful, then it can hurt you, but for the most part it won’t really affect you either way. Someone correct me if I’m wrong though. I think it’s okay that you applied with a 2020 SAT. </p>
<p>I know this has probably been discussed ad infinitum but…</p>
<p>If we have two people already accepted from my high school (one athletic recruit, and one Early Action girl) would that significantly decrease the chances of people being accepted regular decision?</p>
<p>@PursuitToExcel, don’t worry about your SAT. As so many other users have said on this very forum, it is really impossible to predict who will get in, even looking at ECs, grades, and recommendations in addition to standardized tests. They need to “fill gaps.” If you have meh stats but you play trombone, and their orchestra really needs a trombone, you may be accepted over someone with better stats who doesn’t play that instrument. Obviously that’s just one example.</p>
<p>As real life confirmation of this, two years ago my school had two students apply to Harvard. One student had ~1800 SAT and an average GPA, and one had 2400 SAT and perfect GPA. The former student was accepted and the latter student was waitlisted and eventually took himself off the waitlist to attend Stanford. It all depends, and you have no control over it. Stressing out isn’t going to help you.</p>