<p>As an experienced Harv alum interviewer [c. 225 since 1988] I can tell you than an overall rank of 1+ is very unusual. Applicants are evaluated in academic, extra-curricular, and personal categories, in addition to receiving the overall.</p>
<p>A 1+ is unusual even in a category … I’ve probably given 2 or 3 … and should be read as unique in the applicant pool [maybe a dozen out of the 34,000+]. I’ve had one app who received an overall of 1 [and was accepted], never given a 1+.</p>
<p>As a former state chair I saw a lot of grade inflation from interviewers giving overall 2s [clear admit] when a 3 [strong candidate] was more accurate. I can only imagine that the AdCom must do a lot of re-ranking when receiving the alum interview reports, and that many of the 1+ marks get shifted downward.</p>