<p>So I am applying to colleges, and I am nowhere capable of being accepted to harvard, yet they sent me an application saying to apply. By nowhere capable I mean nada, I don't have any subject tests, and my ACT is only in the high twenties. So basically I know that I was to be one of those rejected applicants who was to be used to bolster their rankings, prestige, etc. How sad is this? Why would colleges do this?</p>
<p>Everyone has a chance. By sending out the application rather indiscriminately, Harvard might catch some future acceptees who wouldn’t have otherwise thought that they had a chance. But for most, it is indeed deceptive. It helps to lower the acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Exactly, I mean it is one hell of a school, but this just shows, to me anyway, how caught up colleges really are in the business world. College really is a business, and they have to support themself in some way, sadly this way is deceiving people into applying knowing that they will not accept the applicant.</p>
<p>You still could keep it and tell all your friends that Harvard wants you to apply. I mean, it is true they want you to apply.</p>
<p>haha, Yeah, but I doubt I was the only one to get one of these, besides my top choice is carleton college, the proclaimed “harvard of the midwest”.</p>
<p>I’ve never gotten an application from Harvard and I have a 4.0 and 2100 SATs (still not Harvard worthy but still reasonably high).</p>
<p>Well, you should have.
and rreally it doesnt even mean anything. It’s just them doing business. WOuld you have liked to been fooled into applying to a place where you wouldnt get in and wasting $75 dollars? I don’t think so…</p>
<p>Well, they sent me the packet last year, so I suppose they fooled me into applying. Worked out fine for me though :)</p>
<p>But I bet you had some pretty snazzy stats going for ya?:)</p>
<p>do the other ivy league schools do this?</p>
<p>@sstewart. At least you are very informed that these things do occur. I agree with Silver that this approach may reach others who wouldnt have otherwise thought of having a chance. With that said, its up to each person to decide whether they want to apply or not. There is one thing that is sure, If one doesnt apply they will NOT have a chance of getting in.</p>
<p>BTW, Like Crimson, I know of someone who also got that package, who applied (not because of the package) and was accepted. However, that person has martriculated elsewhere.</p>
<p>Go with your gut with your decision!</p>
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<p>This was also my situation. However, I will be matriculating there this fall. :)</p>
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<p>Essentially, that’s the purpose of that application. And raising the number of applicants so they can boast about their “record numbers” doesn’t hurt, either. :)</p>
<p>hahah, I would love to apply but I don’t have time for subject tests, so I don’t think so. That’s why I was shocked when they sent me it because my ACTs were not in there range and I have no subject tests, also my PSAT was ok to say the least, so I found it rather offensive that they would tease me like that. lol Harvard is an amazing school, no if or and about that, however, I find it rather deceptive to be doing this, yes they can reach students who they once would never had before, but the fact of the matter is that they still trick other students into applying to boost their credentials.</p>
<p>Harvard doesn’t send such invites randomly. The college board doesn’t release students’ exact scores or gpas. Harvard can request lists with names/addresses about students with certain score ranges, gpas, zip codes, proposed majors, races/ethnicities, etc.</p>
<p>The bottom gpa for Harvard admits is a 3.0, though to get in with such a low gpa one would probably have to be a recruited athlete, multimillionaire donors’ kid or to have overcome major challenges such as homelessness or being a first gen college, living in the inner city, and having an imprisoned parent.</p>
<p>By casting a wide net, places like Harvard are able to recruit the strongest classes they can, classes that include capable students who may not have otherwise applied without getting an invitation in the mail.</p>
<p>If, however, one is, for instance an ordinary URM with a 3.0-3.4 unweighted and a 1900 SAT, one would be foolish to think that one had real chances of getting into Harvard just because one got an application in the mail.</p>
<p>My own URM sons had SAT scores 98-99th percentile, rigorous curricula and were legacies, and got letters and phone calls from Harvard, but knew better than to apply to Harvard because their unweighted gpas were 2.8-2.9. If they had had multimillionaire donor parents or were recruited athletes or had crack addicted, imprisoned parents, they may have been accepted.</p>
<p>Well, you can consider your application fee a friendly donation then ;D</p>
<p>I’m fairly unconvinced that Harvard’s scheme of sending apps has any good affect. I know a slew of kids who got them - all of them had very high PSATs ,lived in middle to high income areas and had nothing else that Harvard knew about. None of them were interested in Harvard, and all of them already knew about Harvard. I think if Harvard had targeted high PSAT scorers in low income areas, there might be some reason to think it brought in new kids, but such does not seem to be the case.
And, I’m thinking that if Harvard sent this package to all the high PSAT scorers, they probably spent a lot of cash (just postage for that size adds up) - they would have done better saving that cash for more scholarships.</p>
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<p>Doubtful. Surely at least one future acceptee was persuaded into applying who wouldn’t have otherwise.</p>
<p>TO the poster that said " Harvard regularly sends out invites" I would like to say that I am one hundred percent positive that many other students around the country got this same letter that I did. Don’t get me wrong, I am not doubting my credentials, but instead confronting the truth. Harvard is a great school and like any other great school it wants to stay great, doing things like this ensures its greatness.</p>
<p>^ I got one too. The fact that you havent taken any subject tests doesnt matter b/c i havent taken mine yet (I will in October). They know some people dont take them until senior year and thats perfectly okay. My PSAT score was also ok to say the least. My ACT score was better than yours though. If I were you, I would just retake the ACT and take 2 subject tests. It’s not like there’s a rush. Harvard allows you to take the January SAT tests and the February ACT test even after you send out your application which is due Jan 1. So if you can see yourself at Harvard, I say go for it… You never know, especially if you are a URM or have low income or some other hook.</p>
<p>I appreciate your advice, and I would love to join you at harvard if I could get accepted, but I don’t think so. Anyway, I know harvard isn’t the only school to do this. This girl I knew got a letter from yale stating that they want her to apply, yes she did score a 234 on her PSAT and got a 32 on her ACT,but it still shows that many colleges are apart of this business that we call college admissions.</p>