<p>Champion debater, admitted last year, had English as a second language</p>
<p>What is the point of all these posts?</p>
<p>I can imagine several reasons that you might have. First, you may want to further pump up Harvard's reputation on this board. However, your method of doing so is fundamentally irrational. </p>
<p>In order to boost prospective applicants' impressions of Harvard, you cite examples of students who are choosing to go there. But their choices only reflect their impressions of Harvard, which are probably related (at least to some degree) to Harvard's existing reputation. In other words, you are using Harvard's existing prestige in an attempt to further inflate its prestige.</p>
<p>In fact, articles about Harvard are the most likely variety - newspapers are more likely to jingoistically trumpet a star student's coronation as Harvard material than, say, another student's choice to go to Caltech. The fact that articles touting Harvard come in higher quantities than those for other colleges doesn't indicate that Harvard is inarguably superior. These articles, when taken from the perspective of a student wishing to learn more about Harvard, are essentially meaningless.</p>
<p>Perhaps you claim that these articles give students on this board an impression of the "Harvard student". Most likely, you want to illustrate that Harvard students are passionate, committed individuals who are very successful in their activities of choice. Other universities have these types of students too. Don't you need to make a point about the quality of the education students receive at Harvard, not simply the students who go there?</p>
<p>I would like to mention something that I find ironic. Harvard, like its Ivy League breathren, is an institution of "higher education". I'm not precisely sure what "higher education" is supposed to mean, but I imagine that it involves making logical, considerate arguments, and understanding that different people may have different situations. You only offer jingoism and mindless devotion to your school of choice. Did Harvard do a good job of teaching you to think?</p>
<p>Maybe this is only "school pride", of the kind found at a football game or basketball tournament. If this is the case, you need to move somewhere else to have your fun. Real people go to this board, and they come seeking real advice. You're not providing it.</p>
<p>Hard as it may be for you to believe, many people do not share your assessment!</p>
<p>Hope things work out at MIT or wherever.</p>
<p>i share his assessment, and so does the majority of CCers. Sorry Byerly, its true...</p>
<p>That's not what the typical responses seem to reflect, both in on site posts and PM reactions.</p>
<p>Such articles are important and revealing, and will continue to be posted with great regularity in "season."</p>
<p>Obviously, you are not the target audience! Your tastes seem to run to insulting comments about President Bush.</p>
<p>The posts are relevant to those seeking admission. They are easily filtered from the titles if you aren't interested.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm part of the silent majority who like to see links to newspaper articles about Harvard admittees. Keep 'em coming.</p>
<p>It said it was he was one of the 14 valedictorians?</p>
<p>What? 14 valedictorians? That was funny....</p>
<p>Oh yeah, it doesn't really matter if Byerly posts or not...you come to view his posts at your own discretion...If you don't want to---don't.</p>
<p>A lot of schools have now adopted that stance to keep down court battles over thousandths of a point and what should count and what shouldn't. Many schools now count everyone at 4.0 and above. Others have abandoned it all together.</p>
<p>I like Byerly's articles. They seem to show the type of student that gains admission to Harvard - one with wicked EC's.</p>
<p>Sure, there are plentry of academic superstars with stratospheric SAT scores, but there are just as many people who seem to have made an "impact" on their school or community, either through standard ECs or through other activities or through sheer energy.</p>
<p>
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Maybe this is only "school pride", of the kind found at a football game or basketball tournament. If this is the case, you need to move somewhere else to have your fun.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow randomperson, what a silly comment....this is the HARVARD board. What better place to have school pride? Where would you suggest news articles about HARVARD be posted if not in the HARVARD forum? geez...if you don't wanna read a thread, don't click on it.</p>