<p>IMO, there are only two ways of REALLY getting in there.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Know someone from there, get recommendations and you must have $$$. There are "two" lineups, one for those who know people in there and one don't. If you got the required grades (doesn't have to be 100%, just enough so they can pull some strings), got recommendations and/or know someone in there, and have $$$$, you are on your way.</p></li>
<li><p>Path two. You must do something outrageous here, like maybe create a lightsabre in your Physics class. Conduct your own research, make yourself stand out to let them know that you can't be rejected. This method, most of us don't have. $$$ isn't really required in this case</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I am just letting everyone know this, because grades aren't everything.</p>
<p>So if you are short on $$$, but you got the grades, but you don't know anyone from a famous Univ, go for the other Ivy Leagues or just try private institution like Berkeley. I am sure Univ of Chicago is also worth a shot.</p>
<p>This is outrageously false and incredibly misleading.</p>
<p>You only need to spend a few minutes on this forum (or a few minutes AT Harvard) to realize that there are tons of accepted students every year who don’t have “$$$$” and haven’t done “something outrageous.”</p>
<p>I don’t like to be disrespectful of other posters, but I am deeply saddened by lemone’s ignorance. Anyone who goes to Harvard, knows students at Harvard, or even spends some time on this forum knows that this is incredibly far from the truth.</p>
<p>It’s been a long time since I read a post this misguided.</p>
<p>Method one and method two are both accurate but there exists a third method where one can distinguish themselves through a balance of leadership and academic achievement.</p>
<p>Regarding your most recent post: for your information, my sister got in without the $$$ (need based full ride) nor the elite status (Asian immigrant), and I think it’s safe to say that many others have experienced the same thing.</p>
<p>I think while paying the entire bill may contribute to getting in, you are surely not rejected because you can’t pay, these are not mutually exclusive. In these times, they may give candidates who pay an additional look, but that does not mean that for every “paying” candidate they accept, a “not-paying” candadidate is rejected. You are aware that 70% of Harvard students do require financial aid? Those 30%, which represent approx. 600 students, are likely the only 600 (perhaps 800 or let it be a thousand) of the entire application pool that can pay their way.Perhaps you ought to think your arguments through and be a bit more tolerant toward other viewpoints.</p>
<p>And, by the way… 25% of the Harvard Annual Income is obtained through the tuition (that includes the business, FAS, medical etc. school). That is considerable and without it, the lower income sutdents could not receive the education that Harvard promises to give them. Good day.</p>