<p>Mensa, looks like instead of building up your brain, you should have been bellying-up to the training table and bulking up to be a lineman for the Crimson.</p>
<p>Jack: No, I don't think so. </p>
<p>I think it's more fair to expect someone with an affluent background, who can afford the test prep books and the test prep classes, and whose english teachers and math teachers can work SAT prep into their curriculum, to do well on the SAT than it is for someone to expect a guy who comes from a school where disciplinary action takes precedence over learning, and where less than a quarter of the class even has college on their radar, to succeed at the same level. </p>
<p>I mean, speaking from experience, I know that coming from a school with an SAT avg. of 900-something and a low number of graduates going to college made my modest (by "Harvard standards") 1440 and 3.8 look that much better. </p>
<p>Like I said, these things are all taken into consideration. Had I gone to a great private school or lived in an upper-middle class town, things would've been different, I'm sure. That's what school profiles and maybe even counselor recs are for. So maybe it isn't so fair to criticize the acceptance of that 1250 recruited athlete--whether they're that inner-city basketball player or that affluent fencer--without knowing the extent of his/her situation. It's not a matter of stereotypes so much as its a matter of fact.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Who gets into Harvard EA? </p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>How about us socioeconomically disadvantaged folks.</p>
<p>it wouldn't help socioeconomically disadvantaged asians as much.</p>
<p>Well that sucks because I'm both.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that, necessarily.</p>
<p>kids of faculty members would definitely get an edge in the admissions process. the following is from the ny times.</p>
<p>''If all else were equal in terms of excellence, we would certainly tip, we would certainly give the advantage to the faculty child,'' says Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard College. ''It's like what we do with alumni. It might even be a bigger tip.''</p>
<p>Now this I know is DEFINITELY true. </p>
<p>But why do we torture ourselves with these useless bits of information?</p>
<p>There was an interesting article in the local rag (Atlanta Georgia Journal and Constitution) a few weeks back that highlighted 4 local male high school students, all admitted EA to Harvard for next year's freshman class. The average SAT was probably high 1300's (can't remember exactly). Only one of the students went to what might be considered a nationally recognized top prep school. All seemed like very nice young men - and in fact the article highlighted what nice young men these were as opposed to a strong focus on grades, SATs, and community service. What was the hook? They are all going to play on the Harvard football team! Quotes in the article from a Harvard representative made you realize that sports recruiting is a big deal (I believe that Harvard has recently enjoyed great football success in the Ivy League). Two points of rebuttal regarding previous posts: You don't have to be an olympic athlete to get recruited. In fact, none of these boys were truly "great, great" athletes, they were very good athletes, and in some instances, physically undersized for a football player. The Harvard recruiter made it clear that they are looking at good students who are just below the radar screen of Division-I football programs. Second, being a good or great athlete means very little to Harvard if they don't plan on you playing a sport for which they have a need. That is, they are specifically filling sports teams, not giving priority in general to athletes. So, if you look at the significant Harvard sports teams, divide the number of team players by about 4, then you'll probably have the rough number of EAs offered to promising athletes this year (my simple minded estimate). Quite frankly, that leaves few EA spots for the folks with outstanding SATs, grades, etc. One question that arose in my mind: What happens if a 1350 SAT student who is a football player signs up to play Harvard football and gets admitted, then a week after enrolling decides not to play football? Have they beat the Harvard application system?</p>
<p>Football players contribute so much to mankind...</p>
<p>What about study a rare major, like Chinese architecture, is that a hook?</p>
<p>No, because you can easily transfer to another major. This idea of applying under an "easy" or "unknown" major has been brought up in many forums, and the answer has been the same: colleges know, and frankly don't care, because students can change majors anytime they want for the most part.</p>
<p>I am serious, I won't change my major. My aspiration to be an architecture historian was rooted since I was 11. The problem here is that they don't know how passionate I am, and how desperate I am. (Harvard is the only college offers this special major in the US for undergraduates, I won't have a shot since I am not an academic star :()</p>
<p>that's definitely true mediterranean, however, if you've started a club on that rare major or went to an international conference on it or showed some EC dedication to it, then they would probably consider the interesting major as part of the interesting "hook"</p>
<p>I will take two architecture history courses at Harvard this summer, and spend next summer in China to finish my paper, which is about the foreign characteristics appeared on Chinese architecture, and how Chinese architecture influenced other Asian countries..... Hoping it will be helpful.</p>
<p>There was a Chinese girl at my school who got into Harvard several years ago, she got nothing special, just because she took four years of auto class. While I am taking architecture and construction classes, and I am the only girl who's doing this.My teacher even thinks I am insane, however, I am enjoy everything I did in that class. Is that a hook?</p>
<p>OMG, stop stressing out about whether you have a hook! There's a difference between thinking about the future and being obsessed with getting into college during high school! Go enjoy high school! Trust me. :)</p>
<p>harvard is no doubt harvardd obviously..but normal people do get in...you guys talk about "hooks" and such..and while its true to a certain extent its getting a little bit ridiculous. harvards not a school for gods..so calm down, normal people have a chance =) two acquintances i know of that got in EA last yr had 1400s sats and normal ec's. i didnt really know them so i don't know about their life story but they seem relatively normal and were def shocked when they got in. from this yr EA, someone from my school got in.. she had 1500s sats and 700s on sat lls. she was captain of a team (she won a lot of awards in this sport but not recruited or anything) and she held a student gov't position. she is asian and we attend a selective but public school in NY. lotta you seem to have similar stats so dont be so cynical. bye ya</p>
<p>who gets in?</p>
<p>well... if you really want to know...</p>
<p>me.</p>
<p>hopefully</p>
<p>EA harvard is really competitive, i think the well rounded student is more for the regular pool, because if all the well rounded was in EA then whats regular? </p>
<p>A well rounded overall and a talent that will improve harvard's class will get in.
be just as good as the regular pool and have something more not being picasso and sucking at school. My friend got accepted at H EA he was presidential scholar, Intel finalist, state and international science compititions, 3 time USAMO,Westinghouse,RSI, Varsity Debate. This is along with the excellent school work and tests.</p>