<p>this is terribly saddening. i spent a lot of time on that application, because I figured "better to apply and have a chance than just give up." whoops. </p>
<p>turns out that Harvard has no respect at all for its applicants.</p>
<p>I agree...I think that it's very very disrespectful to have them go thru so much trouble and then not even consider their apps.</p>
<p>Now Cornell deserves to beat Harvard in hockey! :) sry had to thro that in there lol</p>
<p>The least Harvard can do is to offer full scholarships to any students that it would have taken under normal circumstances to any school those individuals choose to go to next year. LOL! Harvard won't even feel a thing with its 30+ bil dollars endowment.</p>
<p>I agree with Figgy...Cornell should win now! Woo!</p>
<p>Also...wonder how a class action lawsuit would fly...just a thought.</p>
<p>Transfer deadline: March 15</p>
<p>Today: March 20</p>
<p>I for one am speechless.</p>
<p>someone with power and influence should pressure harvard into rescinding its announcement - at least for this year. i mean, even taking in 10 students is good enough. stanford only admits 20 transfers last year - i'm not complaining.</p>
<p>I agree to juenatics. Harvard would certainly be able to take 5 or so students. If they really really cannot take anyone, they'd have been able to figure that out before people sent in their applications. I'm very sorry for all of you who spent so much time and effort to complete your applications. But the whole thing has some other implications: whoever doesn't get in now has no chance to apply as a transfer applicant (unless people don't enroll anywhere and take a year off). That means it's now or never for the freshman applicants this year :| That just destroyed my plan B.</p>
<p>I remember how almost the same thing happened last year - they announced the decision to halve the number of admits just a few days after I submitted my application.</p>
<p>This is really improper on their behalf. I am sure they could have seen this coming well in advance of the deadline, and should have made this announcement several months, if not a year in advance of its implementation. It was dishonest on Harvard's part to spring this on you all of a sudden.</p>
<p>Imagine if last year on November 10th, just a week after early action applications were due Harvard announced that it was discontinuing its early decision program effective immediately, instead of giving a year's warning as actually happened. That would have caused an uproar. Here just because transfers are such a small group Harvard is taking advantage of the situation and not being proper.</p>
<p>Over 1200 people, many of you here on this board, worked very hard on these applications and spent a considerable amount of time because they assumed that the application would give them a chance at admission into Harvard. Even if Harvard refunds the ~$75 application fee, this would not be enough to compensate for the time spent by applicants, time that you could have put towards something else.</p>
<p>I hope that somebody sues Harvard. They deserve it. They should have given a years notice when making the decision to discontinue the transfer program - just because transfers are such a small group of people doesn't mean they can be effectively ignored.</p>
<p>That's really sad. Sorry to all of you, who tried your best and spent so much time and money.</p>
<p>I would check my legal options...i.e. sue Harvard for admission or half of the endowment.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that. They've underestimated the number of people who enrolled for class of 2011. They typically set aside many singles for rooming situations that don't work out. The empty single across the hall from me was one of the last ones to be filled. I guess the increases in financial aid has encouraged more people to choose Harvard.</p>
<p>yeah...that really sucks. I got that email as well. I think we should email their office expressing our concerns.
Well, at least it is march madness and my school earned a pretty good seed! haha...maybe we can reach the final four.</p>
<p>This is bogus and you know it.</p>
<p>We paid with our time and money. We need to be respected and considered.</p>
<p>If they underestimated the number of people who enrolled for 2011, and they figure out how many people were enrolled back, oh, sometime last year...then why did they take until NOW to make this announcement? Why do the transfers have to take the hit, rather than the class of 2012? It's not as though rejecting a few more people would make a difference :|</p>
<p>This really is ridiculous, and my heart goes out to all the transfer applicants affected by this. You'd think there would be some kind of ethics board that would have figured out that making an announcement like this, at this point in time, is tactless to say the least.</p>
<p>Ditto...i've already done it.</p>
<p>Interesting...</p>
<p>Dear ____,</p>
<p>I am sorry to have to report that Harvard College is unable to enroll any transfer students for the next two academic years, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. Following the most thorough examination of our residential housing in Harvards history, the Dean of Harvard College, Professor David Pilbeam, has concluded that our Houses cannot successfully accommodate any new transfer students. Instead, the College has embarked on a planning process for substantial capital investment to renovate and revitalize our residential spaces.</p>
<p>In important respects, undergraduate education at Harvard College is residential in character. Students learn a great deal from the residential experience and contact with one another, complementing the experience of our classrooms and laboratories. We do not admit transfer students to non-residential status.</p>
<p>Within the next few weeks, we will return your application fee. As you make your future plans, you might wish to consider our Visiting Undergraduate Program, which enables students to enroll in Harvard College for academic credit at their home institutions. Visiting Undergraduates are not ordinarily offered College housing, and they are not permitted subsequently to transfer to Harvard as degree candidates. For more information about the Visiting Undergraduate Program, please consult our website.</p>
<p>We very much regret the disappointment and inconvenience that this decision may cause you. We are honored by your interest in Harvard College and we wish you great success in your future academic endeavors.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Marlene Vergara Rotner
On behalf of the Transfer Admissions Committee</p>
<p>Why would I want to apply for there "Visiting Undergraduate Program." Maybe they'll just cancel that program too after all the applications are submitted.</p>
<p>Wow. That truly, utterly sucks. My heart goes out to transfer hopefuls.</p>
<p>I'm a (Canadian) transfer hopeful and while I did not apply to Harvard, I know how angry, and dejected I would feel if this came from Stanford or Columbia, the schools I applied to.</p>
<p>The research, energy, and effort put in by transfer hopefuls, most of who concurrently manage a full college courseload, is enormous. To have ALL that effort put in and then be told that your application will be recycling bin fodder and not even read....Devastating.</p>
<p>To have all that effort put in and then be told that your application will not be read AND that your money that went to taking and sending the SAT requirement, and mailing fees was basically just throw out the window?</p>
<p>Disgusting.</p>
<p>Harvard will lose many a fan through this.</p>
<p>All kidding aside, a collective recourse would very much be warranted here. I understand that most transfer applicants probably don't even want to hear the word 'Harvard' now but I would join the lawsuit just out of principal. Even if the return was 0.79$. Drag their name in the mud a bit.</p>