<p>Regarding teacher recommendations, I was just wondering what the average Harvard student's recommendations are, for the standard parts (not the letter) such as with all the checkboxes and stuff.</p>
<p>Do the teachers for Harvard acceptees usually check "one of the few I have seen in my career" for all of them? Or is it really just fine if your teacher checks "top 5%" or "top 10%" or something? </p>
<p>Please let me know! Thanks in advance for any comments! =) Quick answers are fine =D</p>
<p>The boxes mean little and should simply be proved by the content of the letter. I had nearly every box with "one of the few I have seen in my career" with absolutely wonderous letters of recommendations. I was deferred EA and later rejected RD. I was, however, accepted to Yale, Princeton, Duke, and Cornell. It must have simply been my low test scores. Harvard is a bit more statistics-crazy than over ivies--they want to remain number 1 (in their own mind to say the MOST):)</p>
<p>yeah, only in their own mind...</p>
<p>I had a lot of "Top few in my career" but quite a few in "Top 5%" and one (Creativity ;)) in "Top 10%"...</p>
<p>The recommendations play a very significant role.</p>
<p>Based on what I've seen...</p>
<p>People who get in very often have teachers who LOVE them. It's not unusual for admittees' letters to say things like, "I go to work at 7:30 a.m. every mornming for forty grand a year because of students like yubi" or "I've been teaching Shakespeard for 13 years, and I learned quite a bit about 'Macbeth' from yubi."</p>
<p>No exaggeration. These letters matter.</p>
<p>lol thanx guys ;) that's cool. hmm.. i guess because it's to be expected that those that are in the running have a lot of "few in my career" ones. i'm somewhat worried.. should i be worried then if my teacher ends up putting only all top 5%? </p>
<p>oh! i just read something interesting on their website! apparently the likely, possible, unlikely letters and i quote (regarding the ivies, it's the joint ivy statement) "institutions may use such probablistic communications... such letters will have the effect of letters of admissions..." <-- wow! i didn't know that those letters would hold such weight. i wonder if it's true <em>ponder</em></p>
<p>The likely letters, yes. It's their little wink wink nudge nudge thing. They're totally true. The recommendation letters from successful applicants that I've read have been like <em>tear tear</em></p>
<p>what do these likely letters say exactly?</p>
<p>Yale's was just a little handwritten note that said..."Do you like me? Check Yes or No".</p>
<p>so should i start crying if i don't get a likely letter; do they send it to every applicant?</p>
<p>The likely letters are pretty rare, esp. at Harvard. No, you shouldn't count on it.</p>
<p>Virtually 100% of likely letters sent by Harvard are sent to athletic recruits. None, maybe only one or two every so often, are sent to non-athletic applicants.</p>
<p>ahhh i see i see! so they're only for the people who are pretty positively going to be admitted - "likely" as an understatement!</p>
<p>That's the idea. They can't tell you ahead of time that you'll be admitted, but they can give you a nudge and a wink.</p>
<p>thanx once again lovely divanny! =)</p>
<p>bump - would like one more opinion on the boxes about "best i've seen in my career" - yes/no for most of them? if not - hurt my chances?</p>
<p>okay i personally think that if the teacher doesnt check best ive seen in my career on a few boxes that that makes it more realistic but dont worry about it too much since you are not supposed to see what they put, you are supposed to give the teachers the paperwork with a stamped envelope and that's all</p>
<p>thanx! =) 10 char'</p>
<p>I also think that it greatly depends at the high school you're attend. At some schools, a student gets into Harvard only once a decade or so, while at some schools, it's normal to get ten or more accepted in one year. (My high school gets about 5 accepted each year.)</p>
<p>Some high schools are competitive enough that the students don't have to be the best in their school to be accepted. It all depends. Obviously it doesn't hurt to have "best in my career"- but there's no reason to worry about it. Just pick the two teachers you have the best relationship with.</p>
<p>Just to say, I got a likely from Harvard, and I am not an athlete- ok, I am/was, but not going to play for the Harvard team. So, you know.</p>