Please only answer if you know what you are talking about

<p>hmm, where would you indicate if like a grandparent went to harvard tho... id want to put that D:, for every advantage possible haha</p>

<p>Spoken like a true harvard applicant. Congratulations.</p>

<p>Okay good news people I just convinced my dad to become a Harvard ALum Interviewer so as soon as he starts up I'll be sure to give you tips on how to prepare for interviews. I hope this helps :) I doubt he will tell me anything he isn't supposed to though but anything he can tell I will share with you guys.</p>

<p>Wow, this is so helpful. And I believe this info also applies to other colleges more or less.
Thanks. kafka</p>

<p>I can vouge for that description of the selection to a fairly degree. It seems very similiar to what people who sit on the selection committee have told me in passing this year. Especially about the pool of people who can succeed at Harvard and only then looking at other factors like race, alumni, and sports team's needs.</p>

<p>What would be an acceptable class rank, then? Just curious.
Also, I'm concerned that if you take the January SAT the secretary will have already sorted it by SAT .... by then... how would that work?</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>I have also read an article: <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/keys_to_the_kingdom/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/keys_to_the_kingdom/&lt;/a> . it's old, but... yeah.</p>

<p>Also, information on the interview: <a href="http://images.581z.com/client_id_712/attachments/2008_IVer_form_PDF_version-Final.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://images.581z.com/client_id_712/attachments/2008_IVer_form_PDF_version-Final.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Good class rank is top 10%. Acceptable is top 20%.</p>

<p>I somehow doubt that. Where are you getting that information from?</p>

<p>Widely known statistics. Do some research before you 'doubt' another assessment.</p>

<p>From the college board profile on Harvard:</p>

<pre><code>* 95% in top 10th of graduating class
* 100% in top quarter of graduating class
* 100% in top half of graduating class
</code></pre>

<p>So that makes a good rank for Harvard top 10%, and an acceptable rank top 20-25%.</p>

<p>**<a href="http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=1251%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?collegeId=1251&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>My interviewer insisted that graduate school legacy counts, and he is the president of the harvard club for my state.</p>

<p>Okay, first of all, that information on how the admissions review process work is so helpful, even if kafka says it's outdated :) And one question: are there many admissions committees for particular regions? Or is there one huge admission committee up at Cambridge? Because according to my interviewer, the admissions committee made their decisions this week after the interviews for this region were done, and he said it like there was an admissions committee just for my region.</p>

<p>Just wondering, and if anyone could help, thanks!</p>

<p>So my mom works in admissions at Yale and she basically says that it looks better for a parent to have gone to Harvard (or whatever school is in question) as an undergrad than for graduate school... though if you went to a Harvard graduate school, you'll have a better chance of getting in than someone who has no previous relation in their family with Harvard altogether.</p>

<p>Basically, Harvard College legacy > Harvard graduate school legacy ... though (according to my mom) both are still considered 'legacy,' but on different levels. Now if your grandpa and your uncle and your dad went to Harvard, now THAT is a true, true legacy.</p>

<p>White Rabbit - just wondering if you're involved in admissions?</p>

<p>I think I lost at stage 2...or may be one :(</p>

<p>There are things I don't need to know in this world, and that happens to be one of them (the admissions process I mean)</p>

<p>I would prefer to think of the application process as this great big black hole that eats my application and vomits out a rejection letter</p>

<p>Kafka i loved your post,veryyyhelpful..I have a question though, how many students do regional adm reps cut down when forwarding some students to the comitee?For instance there are about 30 ppl from my cou ntry applying to h,how many will be cut and how many passed?thanks</p>

<p>SATs in the 80s correlated with IQs more so than they do today.</p>

<p>Hey, so does this mean after you are through the stage were they cut people for low SATs/GPA, they will not refer back to your scores (unless for a tie-breaker, etc)? I know I have low scores for Harvard, but they are within Harvard's range (at the 25% mark); My GPA is perfect (courseload is perfect) and my SAT II are average (at Harvard). So would that mean I cannot be rejected based on grades/SAT because I made it past that stage. I realize this information is outdated, but just wondering.</p>

<p>^I'm in a similar position except my SATI and SAT II are probably worse since they're just plain bad for Harvard, lol. I have a perfect GPA/courseload so I think that's what would get a person through the first round. I think if one's not in the top decile, have a not-so-tough course load, and a terrible SAT score, they wouldn't make it past the first round. But it would have to be all three, not just one or two of the three. Recommendations count as well.</p>

<p>".....And so-called legacy applicants—that is, students with a close relative who attended Harvard—continue to receive a small boost in the admissions process....."</p>

<p>Taken from:
The</a> Harvard Crimson :: Opinion :: End Legacy Preference</p>

<p>I wouldn't worry too much about legacy making a huge difference for you at merely a 'selective' school, much less Harvard.
There are literally thousands of people that have attended Harvard and produced children. (and it's not like everyone lives in the People's Republic with a one child law)</p>

<p>Legacy 'admissions' will probably only occur in ridiculous borderline cases.</p>

<p>chill.</p>

<p>Could someone answer my question, please? thanks! :) (not to sound rude or anything, I promise!)</p>