amb3r

She's not close to being valedictorian with a 3.9, and Harvard sees a lot of 2400s. Her extracurriculars are good but piano and community service are not unique. She is a pretty good applicant but overall I don't think she would stand out, so I'm not completely surprised that she didn't get in.

By the way, if she is really an international applicant it was much, much harder for her to get in (unless she's from some impoverished country in South America) and her chances were really reduced.

ivychan

Thank you everyone!

She's Asian and international, so that made it harder? TT^TT

Well, I'm concluding that she's too general.
But the thing is, everytime she does something, she focuses on it for a short time until she achieves what she planned to, and once she does, she drops it and moves onto something else. Hence the resume, I think.

spideyunlimited

Well, that doesn't show real passion, does it?

emily c hudson

Is there a major at Harvard that is much less popular, and applicants tend to be accepted into easier than other majors? I couldn't tell if "concentration" (yes I just got back from the tour/visit :-)) made a difference when applying, as far as acceptance rate. Thanks so much!! I am only an incoming high school junior, and have just started this process.
Thanks so much for your feedback!!!! :-)

kryptonsa36

^ No.

And I hate to say it, but applying to all the Ivies is about the worst thing you can do, unless you know yourself to truly be one in a billion or something. What comes across is the apparent criterion is that all you want to do is go somewhere "good" and not consider what schools are actually a good fit, and that is not something you want adcoms thinking.

You should be content with your friend's acceptances (as should she, if she isn't yet), as I've seen people nearly as deserving (stats-wise anyway) be in much worse situations regarding acceptances, most likely from their irrational decision to apply to every Ivy (and more).

olgita

"By the way, if she is really an international applicant it was much, much harder for her to get in (unless she's from some impoverished country in South America) and her chances were really reduced."

It is at schools like the University of Chicago, Northwestern, etc. (if you want financial aid), but not Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and a few other select liberal arts colleges. Keep in mind that she has been living here for a while, so her language skills and EC opportunities are greater than they are for many international applicants, which means that she had an advantage over them while still bringing diversity to the campus. If anything, being international yet domestic is a plus in admissions. Being Asian, however, is not.


"But the thing is, everytime she does something, she focuses on it for a short time until she achieves what she planned to, and once she does, she drops it and moves onto something else."

Ouch. Well, there's your problem - you need to focus on something you truly love and grow in that area (and hopefully get shiny medals in the process).

Plus, if she was international and has not been in the US for a long time, I am not certain how well-written her essay could have been. I don't mean to insult her at all, as I am basically in the same boat, but I think it was likely the essay/interview that lessened her chances, since her ECs are still amazing, despite showing a lack of passion for a single area.

limitedvocab

I'm not in any way qualified to say anything, and I'm not a Harvard student (didn't even try to apply), so this is just my own $0.02.

What if.. Harvard just didn't need a perfect-SAT-scoring, piano+violin playing, AIME-qualifying, tennis-varsity-captain environmentalist international student from Asia?

My point is that Harvard has all the freedom in the world to reject or accept any applicants they wish to. They could choose to admit the best well-rounded students from all over the world, and your friend certainly is one of them, but that's not what Harvard wants. To those of us who don't know what goes on in the admissions office, there may seem to be a certain element of arbitrariness (is that the correct word? Can't be bothered to look it up heh heh) to the whole process, but really, there's always a good reason behind any acceptance or rejection. I don't think anyone can say for certain if all the decisions made are clearly right or wrong, but adcoms try to make the best out of all the limitations/criteria/whatever they have to work with. (Hypothetical situation: "Man, it's so hard letting him go, he'd fit in so well at Harvard, but we just. don't. need. any more. basketball-playing poets from Connecticut!")

The bottomline is, I don't suppose your friend did anything wrong. (Except maybe for that whole not-being-focused thing, but then again who really knows for sure?) According to what the adcoms wanted to admit to the school, your friend just got edged out by the competition (which could exist in every possible aspect), that's all. Anyway, she got into excellent schools, any of which could be a better fit for her than Harvard! Dude, seriously, there's no need to sweat it. If you really want to go to Harvard, go ahead and apply, do your best in your application and hopefully they realize the school needs someone like you in the next freshman class.

olgita

Well said, limitedvocab. You are right - just as they say in their decision letter, they are looking not only for well-rounded students, but for a well-rounded class.

fauve

Harvard reps have said they are looking for "well lop-sided" students.

If students pursue their passion in a deep, sincere manner with stellar results, that is one way to be really noticed.

hookem168

Narcissa, I'm on Franglish's side.
From everything I just read about this girl, she sounds completely and utterly fake....no offense.
The fact that she applied to ALL the ivies only strengthens that presupposition! Obviously, she had no real passion for Harvard specifically, and I bet it showed.
I plan on applying to Harvard this year, and have talked frequently with their reps. From everything I've heard they want PEOPLE first, not application, EC-crazed individuals who don't want an education, just PRESTIGE.

I agree with whoever mentioned the "just being a kid" thing. Your friend probably couldn't sit on the side of the road and chat with a homeless man for more than 5 seconds. That bubble needs to be popped.

piccolojunior

Lop-sided in many ways. For me, it was the intellectual department. =O

potentenum

Oh my...time to be unique... XD haha

Sam Lee

Impressive but also too typical (not in the sense that it's average, but in the sense that there are others that look like her). harvard does admit many like her, just not her. harvard does have many with 2400...etc and can fill its class with *everyone* like that but it chooses not to. harvard wants some diversity and it's not gonna admit everybody with such credentials. after admitting certain numbers of people like her, a girl running a who*e house would have a better chance (i kid but u get the point).

rayaz23

the same thing happened with my brothers friend. His GPA was a 3.9 he had thousands and thousands of curriculum and glowing stuff like your friend and he got rejected from Harvard and it turns out that the reason of his rejection was becoz he didnt have a social life. Harvard and the other ivies take good look on someones social life and personaltiy they dont want a student with no life and shy personlaity thats not what there looking for. So I think that was her problem maybe.
But Good Luck to u

basketballbabe13

I agree with the above posts.. However to the person who said that you don't want adcoms thinking that you applied to all ivies, it's confidential and they don't know.