Could you post a brief description of your application like ACT/SAT score, GPA, and other stuff?
@Goldname: Welcome to College Confidential!
If you search the Harvard forum (or any college forum) for SCEA DECISION or RD DECISION, you will find the stats of accepted and rejected students. Here are some of Harvard’s most recent ones:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1714730-official-harvard-university-2019-scea-decisions-only-p1.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1627558-official-harvard-university-2018-rd-decisions-only-p1.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1428454-official-harvard-university-2017-scea-decisions-thread-p1.html
If you examine the stats closely, you will see that students are accepted and rejected with the exact same stats. Therefore, what made the difference between those accepted and rejected is what we cannot see: Teacher Recommendations, Guidance Counselor Recommendations, Essays, and Interview Reports.
To me, that implies that beyond a certain threshold – and that threshold is up for debate – GPA and ACT/SAT scores are not the deciding factor, but rather are just one factor in the admissions process. The other factor (in general terms) is strength of character – and that is based upon all those factors we can’t see. So, although looking through the decision threads will give you an idea of threshold, it will not give you a sense of a person’s character.
Thanks but I’ve seen those statistics and they are vague.
^^ I understand, but that’s all any applicant can really give you on a CC post, because the MOST IMPORTANT factors in admissions are those that only an Admissions Directors sees. Have you read this thread. It was written by an MIT Admissions Director, but it applies to Harvard as well: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/939227-reminder-no-one-not-even-me-can-give-you-an-accurate-chance-at-mit-p1.html
Vague? Beyond stating blood type and favorite color, they are about as specific as any self reported profiles can be.
^^ I agree!
Maybe specific extra-curriculars and courses???
You mean beyond what they already listed? It’s pointless, and will not help you evaluate your own application any better.
Well, I can tell you about my daughter. She applied and was accepted to Harvard five years ago. He main EC in high school was theatre, appearing in over 10 plays and musicals at her high school, as well as spending a summer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. In addition, she was the “flyer” on her cheerleading team. Her courses and grades are posted on the below thread, but that’s not going to tell you much, other than she was a top student with a passion for something beyond academics: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1619966-ivy-standards-for-rigor-of-highschool-curriculum-p1.html
If you cant draw info from those very detailed posts, then there is little can be said about your problem solving skills. Sheesh
The typical applicant who is accepted into Harvard will have SAT scores above 700 on every section and subject test, will have a GPA at or near the top of his or her high school class, will have an impressive set of extracurricular activities demonstrating leadership and true passion in one or more fields of endeavor, will have extremely strong teacher recommendations, and will have articulate and interesting essays.
Conversely, the typical applicant who is rejected from Harvard will have SAT scores above 700 on every section and subject test, will have a GPA at or near the top of his or her high school class, will have an impressive set of extracurricular activities demonstrating leadership and true passion in one or more fields of endeavor, will have extremely strong teacher recommendations, and will have articulate and interesting essays.
As skieurope says, no anecdotes from accepted Harvard applicants will help you evaluate your own application any better.
I agree with others that this is pointless but I’ll play along. My son was recruited by Harvard but chose Princeton instead. He was ranked #1 in his class of 330, had ST scores of 800/790/780 and a 35 ACT. He was a National AP Scholar junior year and eventually a State AP Scholar, which is actually the harder award to achieve. He spent a lot of time and effort on community service, for which he was our state’s honoree for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award. He’s also passionate about classical acoustic guitar. Truthfully, it’s hard to know if these attributes would have been enough for admission to Harvard or Princeton, but being a recruited athlete sealed the deal.
I hope that helped.
I assert you could put the names of the applicants above a certain statistical threshold in a hat, pick the admitted students randomly out of that hat, and you couldn’t tell the difference between that group and one picked with intensive deliberation.
Those threads have exactly what you asked for in your original post, gpa, sat, EC and a whole very comprehensive set of “other stuff” are you obvlious?
A common element for most students admitted to Harvard is extremely high GPA / class rank and passion for something outside school, I mean passion. Look at the difference in admit rates between students with 3.8, 3.9 and 4.0 unweighted GPAs. Not a ton of ECs but competing at State orNationsl level in something and extensive summer academic research or community college classes. Intellectual curiosity and passion
I was accepted last year. I had a 4.0 UW GPA. SAT 2390 and I had been working at a research laboratory since summer of 9th grade. My class rank was 1 out of 417
OP, I don’t think you can generalize or create patterns here. I agree with one of the above posters that the one thing that all harvard students have is passion.
nice