<p>Harvard doesn’t want to admit that there are, in fact, certain factors not related to academics that can put you at an advantage or disadvantage in the admissions process. They probably aren’t lying when they say that they don’t have quotas, but they, like other colleges, give priority to Americans. Things like being an amazing student from a rural area where few people go to college may help you, but Harvard wouldn’t actually say that if it did.</p>