<p>SCEA Applicants to Harvard's Class of 2011 --</p>
<p>You have been waiting months, and years, for some, for the email you will receive in a matter of hours. You are so close to hearing whether or not are being offered an early spot at the school of your dreams. It's very exciting.</p>
<p>That being said, I know, and Hakima knows, and the Harvard undergrads on this forum know, and everyone that is involved with the Harvard College Admissions Office knows, that it is very possible that many of you on this forum will not be offered a spot early.</p>
<p>If your decision is postponed until early April, my advice to you is not to give up hope. Keep working hard during your senior year. Grades are THE most important thing to Harvard. Your grades and the rigor of your courseload are very big indicators for Harvard of how you will perform in the College if you are admitted. Also, keep doing amazing things. All of your ECs that I have read are outstanding, and you all have clearly had significant impacts on your school communities. Keep with those activities. You will appreciate it later, after the college process is over. Finally, if you still have other college applications to do, do not give up hope. Do them all. You want options in April, and even though you may be in pain, what you get done before January 1st may get you into a college that you will turn out to enjoy as much as or even more than Harvard if you attend. Your winter break could be very brutal, but you must remember that time moves constantly, and at some point, the RD deadlines will pass, and you will get to relax and have the pleasure of focusing on school again. If you have the courage and the achievements to apply early to Harvard, you can certainly write a few essays in a few weeks. Don't worry about it. It will get done.</p>
<p>Also, do not be afraid to wait for Harvard if you are convinced it's the right match. I received my final (admit) decision around 8 months after I applied to Harvard! Here I am right now, almost a year after my EA decision, and I still have around 9 months before I move up to Cambridge.</p>
<p>If you are not offered admission, it may feel really bad to you, but do not believe that you were not given a fair trial. All files are read several times, and the admissions officers must have thought that Harvard was not the right match for you. The admissions office is full of EXTREMELY nice, non-vindictive people. They really want to help you make your way to the right college. If they really believe that Harvard is not right for you, consider the final decision during the early round a gift to help you move on and find that amazing place where you will begin your undergraduate education in September. Also, if you are so adamantly opposed to Harvard's refusal of your admission, you may apply again, which will give you time to accrue a strong senior year record, and some time to relax during a year outside of the academic cycle. Believe it or not, there is a lot more to life than just Harvard. I happen to know several people who took gap years to re-apply to schools from which they were rejected early, and some have been admitted. Such a decision is slightly radical, though. Do not be afraid to give a college besides Harvard a chance.</p>
<p>With that said, I hope all of you have the chance to receive an early offer from Harvard. All of you seem like fantastic students, and I'm confident that all of you would take advantage of the myriad resources that Harvard has to offer. I did not offer advice to those who were admitted early, because a) I don't know what it feels like, and b) those alloted such a privilege should enjoy it in their own personal way. Regardless of your decision, though, finish up your senior year strongly, take AP exams, and continue to pursue your EC's with gusto.</p>
<p>Best of luck, and I hope to see some (or all) of you next year in the Class of 2011!</p>