The Harvard Waitlist Waiting Room 2014 Thread

[passiongirl]

<p>Boggler
cicero<em>oratore (MA) - physics/math
Clamzoni</em>of_RI
DoleWhip
dx1992
fluffysheep (IN)- the blunt well-rounded type with a special thing for science
goyankees1219 ¶
gunther6456
HurtLocker (So. Cal)
ItchyTorso (Switzerland)
Macarenaps (Peru) well rounded
MorganSimone (NJ)
mrbopalop1 (WI)
MSauce
nickwasy
passiongirl
pappa1 (NYC Suburbs)
plumazul (Maryland)
raving(SC)
serendipityyy
SouthKP
tracyxxx
vikroz (MI) - cello, science
Zachboy</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>Some good advice about the waitlist in an old article:</p>

<p>[Class</a> Struggle - Five Ways to Survive the April College Crunch](<a href=“http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/03/five_ways_to_survive_the_april.html]Class”>http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/03/five_ways_to_survive_the_april.html)</p>

[gunther6456]

<p>Still not sure if this applies to Harvard. They know how much we want them, right?</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>Yeah. They do. You’re right :). But this wasn’t bad advice…</p>

<p>

Tell her three of your talents or interests that you think would add value to her campus, like experience in tutoring disadvantaged students, or a talent for flower arrangement, or a gift for organizing debates. Tell her three aspects of her campus that would add value to your life, such as the entrepreneurs club, the world famous chemistry department, the study abroad program. Throw in a self-deprecating joke, like: “All of the businesses I have started in high school, such as my Missing Sock Detective Agency, have been failures, so I think I could learn a great deal from your student start-up experts.” Then send it off and pray.

</p>

[gunther6456]

<p>Interesting. I may send a brief letter that includes updates including that little piece of advice.</p>

[ClamzoniofRI]

<p>Boggler
cicero<em>oratore (MA) - physics/math
Clamzoni</em>of_RI- Well-rounded w/ emphasis on Biochem. and Tenor Voice
DoleWhip
dx1992
fluffysheep (IN)- the blunt well-rounded type with a special thing for science
goyankees1219 ¶
gunther6456
HurtLocker (So. Cal)
ItchyTorso (Switzerland)
Macarenaps (Peru) well rounded
MorganSimone (NJ)
mrbopalop1 (WI)
MSauce
nickwasy
passiongirl
pappa1 (NYC Suburbs)
plumazul (Maryland)
raving(SC)
serendipityyy
SouthKP
tracyxxx
vikroz (MI) - cello, science
Zachboy</p>

[passiongirl]

<p>woops, let me re-alphabetize this:</p>

<p>Boggler
cicero<em>oratore (MA) - physics/math
Clamzoni</em>of_RI- Well-rounded w/ emphasis on Biochem. and Tenor Voice
DoleWhip
dx1992
fluffysheep (IN)- the blunt well-rounded type with a special thing for science
goyankees1219 ¶
gunther6456
HurtLocker (So. Cal)
ItchyTorso (Switzerland)
Macarenaps (Peru) well rounded
MorganSimone (NJ)
mrbopalop1 (WI)
MSauce
nickwasy
pappa1 (NYC Suburbs)
passiongirl
plumazul (Maryland)
raving(SC)
serendipityyy
SouthKP
tracyxxx
vikroz (MI) - cello, science
Zachboy</p>

<p>We’re currently at 24!!</p>

[beefinbj]

<p>beefinbj (US citizen abroad) - trilingual (reading, writing, speaking in all of them)
Boggler
cicero<em>oratore (MA) - physics/math
Clamzoni</em>of_RI- Well-rounded w/ emphasis on Biochem. and Tenor Voice
DoleWhip
dx1992
fluffysheep (IN)- the blunt well-rounded type with a special thing for science
goyankees1219 ¶
gunther6456
HurtLocker (So. Cal)
ItchyTorso (Switzerland)
Macarenaps (Peru) well rounded
MorganSimone (NJ)
mrbopalop1 (WI)
MSauce
nickwasy
pappa1 (NYC Suburbs)
passiongirl
plumazul (Maryland)
raving(SC)
serendipityyy
SouthKP
tracyxxx
vikroz (MI) - cello, science
Zachboy</p>

<p>in the mean time, mcgill or chicago…</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>Here’s another link I found with some good advice (from the U of Chicago website):</p>

<p><a href=“https://blogs.uchicago.edu/collegeadmissions/2010/03/some-advice-for-students-on-th.html[/url]”>https://blogs.uchicago.edu/collegeadmissions/2010/03/some-advice-for-students-on-th.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The most common question we get is “what can I do to improve my chances?” If we find in early May that we can make offers of admission from the waiting list, we’ll only consider students who officially replied to our offer of a place on the waiting list. So, if you haven’t already, please officially accept your space on the waiting list via the online form in your Chicago Account or via the paper form that came with your decision letter. Some students have asked if accepting a space on our waiting list is binding in any way, and the answer is no.</p>

<p>Many of you, though, are proactive and you’ll want to do more. Beyond sending the official reply form, you can also send us a note to tell us of your continued interest in UChicago. It doesn’t need to be long, but we’d like to know why, in light of other options, you’re still interested in UChicago. Once early May rolls around, the waitlist will probably be at the front of our minds, so it will be worth sending your admissions counselor another quick e-mail right around May 1 to let him/her know that you’re still out there and still interested. If you’d like to write a letter of interest sooner than May 1, by all means, do so. If you don’t know who your regional admissions counselor is, you can find out here.

</p>

<p>I can’t tell which is better: to be a pest or not to be pest. Every article or book has a different opinion.</p>

[plumazul]

<p>^ I have decided to “be a pest”. In a little over a month (I hope) we shall see how things work out …</p>

<p>good luck everyone …</p>

[dadwonders]

<p>If one were inclined to write an update letter, where would you send it? Just admissions, or can you find the name/address/email for the reader in your state?</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>I would send it to:</p>

<p>Harvard College
Undergraduate Admissions Office
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138</p>

<p>That’s the address for the postcard they sent. Of course, I am sure you could also email to: <a href=“mailto:fileroom@fas.harvard.edu”>fileroom@fas.harvard.edu</a></p>

<p>When you email, for identification purposes, include your full name, high school, college counselor’s name and 2 test score (subject and dates only, not scores). E-mails should be sent to with the subject clearly identified in the subject line (i.e. Subject: WAITING LIST UPDATE).</p>

<p>As for regional reps, I have tried to find out, but it seems that addressing everything to admissions will suffice and the correspondence will be forwarded to the regional person. I don’t know for sure, though. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

[NCDanceMom]

<p>Tough second semester. Began with broken jaw. Received acceptances from matches and safeties. First Waitlist - Wake (now accepted) First Rejection - Stanford. No e-mail from Harvard - assumed rejection. The highlight - left for 8 day cruise but… FedEx lost package with new passport and supporting ID. Stranded in Miami, FL. Just to finalize, called Harvard not accepted but waitlisted. D is excited but probably not staying on list. Wants to save her 529 funds for future grad/medical school. Will most likely choose UNC-CH.</p>

<p>Good Luck to all of you. Thank you Harvard for ending the applications on good note.</p>

[cicero_oratore]

<p>Wish I knew about what HurtLocker said about the emails before I sent emails to Harvard and MIT. Well, I sent my Harvard email to the regional admissions officer, and the MIT one went straight through admissions. I’m sending the real updates by snail mail anyways; these emails were just so that I could confirm that I would be sending in updates. My last name is very unique anyways and I am 100% positive that no one applied that has such a surname.</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>Yeah, I’m sure you’re fine cicero! </p>

<p>Like I said, I’m not even sure myself about email vs snail mail or regional rep vs general admissions. I am just relaying stuff that I <em>think</em> might help everyone.</p>

<p>I should have said “e.g. WAITING LIST UPDATE” (not “i.e”) because that’s just a suggestion. No one from admissions told me to use that in the subject line. The information I posted about emailing admissions came from the original “application received” email from Harvard admissions which stated that all emails should be sent to that address with all that information included for identity purposes.</p>

[cicero_oratore]

<p>Yeah all I did was put waitlist update with my name as the subject line. I wonder if I’ll get a response from admissions or if they’ll just keep my email to themselves…</p>

[CollegeMom08]

<p>D was waitlisted two years ago. She sent email updates and a snail mail letter to the Harvard Admissions Office. Also, the head of her high school guidance office called the regional rep and advocated for her. The very first thing that the regional rep asked was for her high school to fax Harvard her GRADES! So, do not let senioritis take over as grades still count! Keep up the good work that got you on the waitlist to begin with. </p>

<p>Good Luck to all.</p>

[serendipityyy]

<p>collegemom08-- just wondering, was your daughter ultimately admitted?</p>

[Boggler]

<p>What should one tell Harvard about the college to which one plans to commit by May 1? It can be avoided in a letter or email, but not in a phone call or if they want to know from your GC. Is it better to decline answering? And would it look bad if you’re going to another really good school (Ivy, Stanford, MIT, etc) or one that is much lower?</p>

[HurtLocker]

<p>My personal opinion? Whatever school you are willing to leave for Harvard is what they want to hear. If you are willing to leave Yale or Princeton or Stanford for H…even better. But I think the most important thing is that you definitively state that while you have been accepted <em>at whatever college</em> you will gladly give up your spot to go to Harvard.</p>

<p>And mean it.</p>