<p>From an Ivy League hopeful-I'll be a junior this year and I would like to know, Harvard students/acceptances, what do you think got you in?</p>
<p>Bloody good question. This will be a fascinating thread to follow.</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> Admissions Dean Fitzsimmons Interview (On Harvard Time) - YouTube](<a href=“Harvard Admissions Dean Fitzsimmons Interview (On Harvard Time) - YouTube”>Harvard Admissions Dean Fitzsimmons Interview (On Harvard Time) - YouTube)</p>
<p>Go to 2:25. In this video, Fitzsimmons describes three ways to get in. The first: you can be what he calls “wicked smaht” (not just grades and test scores, but “best-in-career” recommendations and national/international recognition in academic competitions). The second: you can have “some type of distinguishing excellence” (national/international champion of anything, ranging from ballroom dancing to juggling to piano to debate). The third: you can be a “good all-arounder” who’s solid academically, extracurricularly and personally. Note: most good all-arounders don’t get in, as so many in the pool fit this description. </p>
<p>As you can see, different people get in for different reasons, and there’s no “formula” or set of activities which will guarantee admission. If you want to maximize your chances of getting in, you should not think about what got other people in. Trying to be like other people will reduce your chances of standing out, as you’ll lose your own individuality. You should simply identify and pursue your own passions, paying particular attention to how you can take the things you love to the next level.</p>
<p>Do you have any other advice for a future Harvard applicant?</p>
<p>So basically I have no chance due to my low gpa (because of health problems) despite a 2300 on the SAT?</p>
<p>Hi! Thanks for the reply. What is a “best in career” recommendation?</p>
<p>No offense but even admitted H students don’t know what got them in, specifically. They and the next 5,000 rejected students look exactly the same on paper. So the testimony of a few admitted students means practically nothing. </p>
<p>Even now, after years of recruiting for my alma mater, I can guess at what was unusual about my file when I applied to and was accepted other Ivies (didn’t apply to H) – but it’s only speculation.</p>
<p>The common theme you’ll see is “excellence”. A “best in career” rec is an assertion by a teacher in an eval form.</p>
<p>T26E4 is absolutely right, though admission officers at Harvard and many other selective universities now send admits letters with hand-written notes discussing what the committee liked about their applications. This is primarily to increase yield. But despite these letters, there is still a lot of uncertainty when it comes down to who makes the final cut and who doesn’t because–as T26E4 points out–admission officers at a school like Harvard could find things to like about many more applicants than the approximately 2,000 who will be admitted. A great example of this uncertainty is to consider decisions from multiple schools. I know people who received letters from Harvard praising their applications yet who were rejected at Princeton and wait-listed at Yale. Why? Who knows? Because there are so many good applicants, it’s not about whom they like but rather about whom they like more. </p>
<p>@23THEMAN: My advice is to stop thinking about getting into Harvard. Find what you love, and the rest will be easy. </p>
<p>@iSabrina: Everyone who applies has a “chance.” If you have extenuating circumstances, then the committee will certainly consider them when evaluating your GPA. You may want to have your counselor discuss your “health problems” in his/her recommendation. </p>
<p>@Hoping4Stanford: “Best in career” means that you’re the best student the teacher has ever taught in his/her career.</p>
<p>Wow-best in career? That certainly sounds impressive-I’m going have to work at it a crazy amount these next two years!</p>