<p>Now, I am fully aware that Harvard claims to have no explicit quotas in its admission processes. But considering "regional admissions" is the team that first handles a candidate's application, what would/could be the quota? Any mathematical guesses?</p>
<p>(I live in the Midwest, so I assume I will have an easier competition, compared to East Coast applicants. Now the argument of whether a quota is fair is another argument.)</p>
<p>Thanks beforehand!</p>
<p>I think Harvard gets so many applications now they put the name of everyone who is qualified in a huge vat, slaughter a hog, chant for a while, and then pull names out.</p>
<p>I doubt they use quotas. Quotas for other college admissions programs (such as affirmative action) are very illegal, so I’d imagine regional ones would at least be frowned apon.</p>
<p>They explicitly say on their website that the admission of an applicant depends on what Harvard thinks is best for itself, and for the entering class or student body. How else can you admit an applicant in virtue of the already admitted applicants if you don’t use quotas? </p>
<p>Seeing that the admission committee is working under confidentiality agreements, I highly doubt that anyone will hear about the use of quotas even if they are using them. It can be illegal, legal, blue or black, it doesn’t really matter. If they want to use quotas, they’ll use quotas. Remember, in our legal system, it isn’t whether or not the act itself is bad that makes it illegal, it’s simply what the judge will say when (or if) he hears about it.</p>
<p>No quotas. The admissions committee sees itself as one body, so they aren’t competing to get the most number of kids accepted or rejected. There’s no need for slots to be doled out because the goal is to create a strong class.</p>
<p>That said, geographic diversity plays a role. If you’re one of 5 applicants from your state or country, you’re chances are slightly higher than average, statistically speaking, because (all) schools do want to say in their brochures something like “our students come from all 50 states and 192 countries”</p>
<p>You have basically said there that it doesn’t matter where you come from. Then you say that it does…</p>
<p>Your second paragraph is absolutely correct (imo) but that is effectively a type of quota system.</p>
<p>Just saying…</p>
<p>“IDIO” - No it’s not a quota. (2nd paragraph)</p>
<p>Also keep in mind “quota” is somewhat a dirty word in college admissions. They are illegal for race or affirmative action programs, defined in the Supreme Court case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In region they may or may not be used/used loosely. Draw your own conclusions.</p>
<p>It’s illegal to say “X% of accepted students have to be black” and controversial (though not illegal I think) to say that “X% of accepted students have to be from the deep south.” But if it’s easier for someone from West Virginia to get in than it is from Massachusetts, ask yourself: does it really matter what you call it?</p>
<p>So there is a loose quota?</p>
<p>However we phrase it and whatever court decisions we use to reference, everyones posts seem to come back to;</p>
<p>but, if you come from somewhere where there are lots of apps you are disadvantaged (and vice versa).</p>
<p>It’s easier for rich kids to get in over poor kids. Easier for legacies to get in. Plenty of inequities in the system. Some are direct, some are indirect. </p>
<p>Admissions is all about this: You are evaluated in comparison with your context. On nationwide tests, kids from states like Massachusetts do a hell of a lot better than kids from states like Kansas. Are Massachusetts residents inherently smarter? Perhaps, or maybe not, but the assumption is that the differential in inherent aptitude is minimal or nonexistent. Therefore, we say things like “city kids have more access to resources than rural kids”, or “Kansas schools are terrible”. Under that assumption, it seems fair that students who’ve had a leg up for 17 years be evaluated accordingly, in comparison with those who haven’t.</p>
<p>It’s in Harvard’s interest to make sure that as many states and countries as possible are represented. It’s not in their interest to weaken their class with ‘geographic affirmative action’. To achieve these goals, representation from certain areas is often minimal at best, but it still exists.</p>
<p>UC v. Bakke is pretty clear in that rigid quotas such as a points system are unconstitutional, but used Harvard College’s admissions policy as a demonstration of a constitutional admissions system that uses race to make an admissions decision; basically, it’s constitutional for Harvard to include race in its review of applicants, as long as race is part of a larger “holistic review”.</p>
<p>Grutter v. Bollinger upheld this standard in 2003, when race it was once affirmed that race (and other factors) may be used during admissions processes. On the other hand, Gratz v. Bollinger, which was argued with Grutter, also affirmed that strict quotas, such as Michigan Law School’s points based system, was unconstitutional.</p>
<p>Does Harvard use quotas and more “rigid” processes when dealing with race and gender? Perhaps. But even if they do, it is certain that we will never hear of it - the admissions committees are bound by confidentiality agreements and know better.</p>
<p>Acceptance letters are not mailed until the 30th. Are you yet another CC member with a likely? Or a ■■■■■ likely? ;)</p>
<p>He sounds like a likely to me. ■■■■■■ aren’t usually that eloquent or reasonable in their posts…</p>
<p>Or someone who took a gap year…</p>
<p>Also, re: UC v. Bakke and Grutter v. Bollinger- do remember Harvard is a private institution, and as such, is not bound by certain rules/laws etc. that apply to public universities.</p>
<p>^ Um, no, the funny thing about the Constitution is that it applies to everyone.</p>
<p>This thread is nothing but a steaming pile of speculation. I don’t think they have specific quotas unless they accept too many kids, since other schools do this. Either way, does it matter?</p>
<p>The precedent applies to private universities too.</p>
<p>Quotas?</p>
<p>It is very simple, to determine how many students Harvard wants enrolled from each area, just just follow this equation:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Take the second letter from the name of the region. For instance for “New England” you would use “e”.</p></li>
<li><p>Assign a numerical value to that letter based on its place in the alphabet. For instance “e” would be a “5”.</p></li>
<li><p>Multiphy the figure in #2 above by 15x. For instance (5 x 15) = 75</p></li>
<li><p>Subtract 2x the value for the last letter of the region from #3 above. For instance in this case subtract [2 x (“d” = 4) = 8] from 75 which would equal 67.</p></li>
<li><p>Divide #4 above by 4. For instance, in this case it would be 67/4 = 16.8.</p></li>
<li><p>The figure derived in #5 above is the percent enrolled from that region for the class. In this case it is 16.8% from the New England area:</p></li>
</ol>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Statistics](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/statistics.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/statistics.html)
New England 16.8%</p>
<p>try it for the other areas:</p>
<p>“Middle Atlantic”
“South”
“Mountain”
“West”
“Central”
“Middle West”
“Pacific”
and “International”</p>
<p>Quotas are not illegal; every college uses them to some degree. Take gender, for example. Harvard, and many other colleges, seek to enroll an equal number of men and women. What happens when more men apply than women? Or, vice-versa? Rather than enroll a freshman class that is lopsided, an admissions committee’s use quotas to attain the desired gender balance. That’s just the way the system works.</p>
<p>homer314: If you took the time to look at my past posts, I was z-listed to Harvard last year. I hope you’ll take some time to think about your tone before you carelessly throw accusations around.</p>
<p>gibby: I guess that makes sense and I did indeed think of that. But Harvard could always say that they don’t use strict quotas, which is why the class is rarely 50/50 males/females.</p>