telling the adcom that harvard is your first choice

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Perhaps historically so, but I believe there are facts floating around to suggest that in recent years Yale has been winning the Harvard-Yale cross-admit battle?</p>

<p>Either way, neither you, nor I, (or many people but the actual Harvard/Yale admin) know the real figures, so I wouldn’t say that it is for “a fact”. </p>

<p>I know it’s gotten way offtopic - but essentially, while I recognise, and indeed consider personally Harvard to be one of my TOP schools, it isn’t necessarily my first choice. I really can’t say I have a first choice at the present time. </p>

<p>However I do disagree with anyone who makes blanket statements to the effect of: “Harvard is no 1 in the USNWR rankings, therefore it must be no 1 for everyone”, when in fact people have different needs and individual preferences. No1 for one student may not be No 1 for another. </p>

<p>But going back to the question: Nope, I don’t think telling Harvard adcoms that Harvard is your first choice is going to make a single bit of difference. It will neither help nor hurt, it will simply be irrelevant.</p>

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<p>You need to use the entire application to persuade the admissions officers why you should be their choice over the many other stellar applicants. Saying Harvard is your first choice won’t help with this.</p>

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<p>… I don’t think it would mean much to Harvard… Although I do not see how it can hurt you.</p>

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<p>There was a guy who wrote a love letter to UChicago after being deferred and was later admitted (I believe there’s a thread on CC about it).
But that was UChicago.</p>

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<p>The love letter to Chicago was an early admit applicant, and he was admitted, and the admissions dean liked his letter so much that the dean sent it to other applicants.</p>

<p>U Chicago, however, cares a great deal about demonstrated interest. Harvard doesn’t.</p>

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<p>I think Harvard just kind of assumes that it’s everyone’s first choice, a fairly accurate assumption given its high matriculation rate. You’ll note that it’s one of the only colleges without a “WHY HARVARD” section, unlike Yale/Stanford/etc.</p>