i always hear statistics saying “at harvard, even though 25% (or 60, or 80, or 15, idk) of students are qualified, we only accept 5%”
so what does qualified mean? am i qualified if i have a certain gpa, act, etc?
from there, how are applicants distinguished? thanks!
If you want to go to Harvard or any school for that matter there isn’t really usually a cut off of scores. What happens is that there are so many people with high scores applying that you would need to be in that rank or above it to stand out. (schools below harvard in the rankings that mean of scores is lower, usually.) That makes a defacto minimum score. really though, think of this from the point of view of an ad comm. To use made-up numbers, you have 10,000 people for 1000 slots. 2000 of them have perfect SAT scores. Would you look at the ones without a perfect score? After all, you have more than enough with perfect scores to fill your class. The answer is maybe. You might need a pitcher for the baseball team and you may find one who is in the 99th percentile, rather than the 100th percentile. Well then that person gets a place. Or the Chemistry teacher has expanded a research project and is looking for people who are experts in organic chemistry. You might find someone who spent a year working in a college lab working on original research in organic chemistry and her grades are a tinge below perfect. That person would also bet a slot. But if you are much below that range and don’t fit a niche, predictable or unpredictable, then it gets that much harder to be accepted.
In other words, if you have a top GPA and top test scores, and you can distinguish yourself in a way that’s meaningful from the school’s perspective, then you have a chance.
“Qualified” for harvard means means submitting all the application materials and not being a violent felon.
Millions of people are qualified (over 18) to buy a Powerball lottery ticket. There just aren’t enough winning prizes to go around.
Harvard Admissions has stated that 80% of applicants could do the work on their campus. That would mean about 28,000 applicants (out of 35,000) are qualified to buy a lottery ticket.
Beyond that, it’s anyone guess as to how many of those 28,000 applicants have that je ne sais quoi. This article, while dated, will give you an idea of what happens after a student presses the submit button: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/keys-to-the-kingdom/
If you’re looking for something a bit more concrete, my guess – based upon Harvard’s Common Data Set and recent Freshman surveys – a qualified applicant would be a straight ‘A’ student taking a rigorous course load, who also has 2200+ SAT or 33+ ACT+ and is someone of exceptional character. Realistically, that probably about 14,000 students.
Harvard CDS: http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2014-15.pdf
Freshman Survey: http://features.thecrimson.com/2016/freshman-survey/makeup/
It could be as simple as being a good boxer and euphonium player in a year in which they need both. A problem is that you can’t know that in advance.
Harvard has not had varsity boxing for nearly a century. Back then it was route to a Harvard degree for Irish immigrants.
H Boxing Club exists to this day; a good friend of mine was a standout. In any case I hope you understand my random examples of what a school might look for in a given year as they build the freshman class.
It helps to understand that it is more about how you might add to the mix in the class, than about you, the individual.
You have to be smart, not just have the stats and activities. Smart enough to go looking for what H wants (what H says, not CC or some kid in your hs or what your neighbor thinks) and smart enough to process that, in matching yourself. And then smart enough to show it in your record and app/supp. It’s not this club or that ACT score, it’s how you think, act and show.
Gibby’s paragraph seems to reflect 2003. Since then, apps have about doubled. Look at this for Princeton https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/admission-statistics.
If 12.8% of 23-2400 scorers were accepted, it means 87 percent were not. There will be some factors beyond your control. But you need to be the sort who can take this further than assuming it’s gpa, act, etc.
Try to google “linkedin”+“harvard”+ a major of your interest.
You will be amazed by what some of these kids have done, at least to my DD in the first month there.