***** A warning to Harvard 2016 EA applicants, read this important message!!!!!*****

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
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<p>Hello aspiring Harvard 2016 applicants, I want to help you by giving you some info that might help you deserving seniors get into a good school like Harvard. So let me start by telling you the reason I want to warn you about applying early to Harvard, it actually increases your chances of rejection, though many people have long been mislead into thinking it increases your chances of admission. Historically Harvard only admits about 35-40% of their class through early admission, but this 35-40% is broken down as follows: 20% recruited athletes (Harvard already knows they’ll accept an offer of admission, since they were recruited at the beginning of their junior year and told to apply early, btw the Winklevoss twins took this route), 10% legacies (This has already been brought to light by some muckraking journalists, but Harvard has created a massive PR campaign to state otherwise, but they recruit legacies through the Harvard Alumni Association which mails letters that state they want them, not like the ones they send to people who take the SAT, but almost personalized letters that guarantee them a spot, hey their 36 Billion dollar endowment won’t stay that big on its own), finally 5-10% of students admitted early are those common brainiacs, who also happen to be in a pool with your average CC’ers who think they have a shot since its early, but since Harvard knows they will recieve more CC’er type applicants in the regular round, it only admits the ultimate brainiac CC’er types, and with luck defer some CC’er type applicants, though this is more in line with Yale’s character because Harvard knows they’ll get enough in the regular round, so usually they just reject them. This year after much study and insight from some Ivy admissions officers, I’ve been told the school expects 5,500-6,000 seniors to apply early, and like usual only accept 600-800, a friend of mine who used to be a Harvard admissions officer told me Harvard wanted to return to early admissions, not because minority and economically disadvantaged students were applying early, but because the classes they made during their last 4 years through just one regular round were threatening the future of the school since they couldn’t get enough super-qualified, rich, and talented applicants because more average joe’s were applying. He also told me the number of applicants might have increased when Harvard only did one round, but the actual quality of the applicants decreased. So expect 10-15% of applicants applying early to Harvard to be accepted this year, this is the 35-40% of the overall class. Also, Yale, and other Ivy league schools’ early admission applications will go down, and admission rates will go up, since the applicants they recieved would normally have applied early to Harvard. Harvard lost a lot of applicants to Yale and other Ivies by eliminating early action, but they take them back this year.SO IF YOU WANT TO APPLY EARLY TO A COLLEGE MAKE SURE ITS NOT HARVARD, THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT KINDS OF STUDENTS THEY’LL ADMIT, SO DONT WASTE YOUR TIME, SINCE THEY LOVE TO ADMIT YOUR KIND IN THE REGULAR ACTION ROUND OK! PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE SINCE I WANT YOU ALL TO GET IN, ALL YOU REGULAR CC’ERS I DO HOWEVER ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY TO YALE AND OTHER IVIES EARLY BECAUSE THEY TREAT YOUR APPLICATION BETTER SINCE THEY NEVER REALLY HAVE A SET IDEA OF WHAT KINDS OF APPLICANTS THEY’LL GET OR ADMIT EARLY. I wish you all the very best so if you have to apply early because it just bugs you, then do it at other schools, and take time to prepare your Harvard REGULAR ACTION application by taking more SAT II’s, gaining more awards, perfecting teachers recs, and having more time to show them who you are in your essays. Normally if you applied early you would feel your essay was rushed, your sat scores stinky, and your experience overall just the worst. Remember in the Regular round 90% of applicants are regular CC’er type applicants who you’ve seen post their stats, and the other 10% were defered athletes, braniacs, and international superstars! If you really want to get into Harvard do yourself a favor and apply regular (unless you’re a legacy, athlete, or super-genius that’s met with the President of the U.S.) Tehe…</p>

<p>Oh P.S. I went to Harvard from 2001-2005 (admitted regular action) and am so embarrassed by the lack of writing sophistication I portray in this post. LOL whatever, I proved enough</p>

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<p>Thank you for the caution, kind sir, but I don’t quite understand what you mean when you reference “your kind” in your warning.</p>

<p>JB</p>

<p>I did the math for the odds of an “average CCer” in EA, and using hypothetical stats within the OP’s ranges odds are like .6%. O_o</p>

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<p>When I say “your kind” it is in no insult (believe me I may have gone to Harvard, but I still remember my roots of going to public school in rural Pennsylvania), rather it’s just a reference to the typical Harvard applicant who roams the College Confidential forum on Harvard Admissions, or has been searching for an answer into finding a non-existing formula for admission. As for your calculations, you are correct, you see Harvard went back to early admissions because they wanted to build classes in the future in which about 40% are outstanding applicants who are internationally or nationally acclaimed in athletics, academics, arts, or sadly “connections” However, Harvard only does this in the early round, in the regular round, they admit the other 60% of the class, made of people who have faced adversity, come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, made significant use of their available resources, built impressive records of academia and research, or are simply passionate about a particular endeavor be it academic or extracurricular. Overall, the applicants in the said 60% are among the most competitive in the nation. When I studied the admissions process, I constantly saw a lack of transparency that would have eased the application process for many aspiring hopefuls who otherwise thought they “fit the bill,” and there is evidence of this lack of transparency, like Harvard’s refusal to release the income levels of the applicants admitted early, along with statistics that give applicants better ideas of what people it admits, instead they just like posting two statistics: their admissions rate, and total number of applications received. I do hope many qualified applicants research Harvard’s early admissions process in order to make a sound decisions as to were they want to apply early. My suggestions: Yale, Princeton, and Stanford who practice non binding early admissions, and give students better shots of admission by having less applications, and higher admissions rates than Harvard. Then in the regular round, OF COURSE I ENCOURAGE REGULAR JOE CC’ers TO APPLY TO MY ALMA MATER, I MEAN HEY I GOT IN THAT WAY! :)</p>

<p>P.S. .6% is only 10 times less than what Harvard will admit this year overall, so after some thought it almost does seems quite O_o I hope people on CC make that 6% or so</p>

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<ol>
<li>I am tired of the implication that legacies, the rich, and athletes are never, and cannot ever be, equally talented or valuable members of the Harvard community. That is not true. And you didn’t do this, OP, but a lot of posts about “desirable” admissions groups also single out blacks, hispanics, and the poor as sometimes getting in without “deserving” it. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to go to a school that disadvantaged in admissions the rich, the poor, the athletes, the African-Americans, and those of Latin American descent. What, I’d be left with a school composed of a whole lot of rather indoors-y whites and Asians whose parents make between $60k and $100k a year? Eh, no thanks.</li>
<li>The legacy acceptance rate is 30%, which is high on the whole, but they do tend to come from well-educated, achievement-emphasizing homes. I don’t like to imply that legacies aren’t worthy of being here without looking at the acceptance rate of, say, Princeton legacies at Harvard, and vice versa, which analysis I’ve never seen. I would think those rates would be pretty similar; if not, I’ll get on your get-rid-of-the-legacy-advantage boat.</li>
<li>If nobody who applied early ever had as good essays, scores, and recommendations as they would if they applied regular, this might be good advice.
A lot of people do take September and October tests; I don’t think very many candidates with a snowball’s chance in hell are still trying for significant improvements the November test, which is the first one that’s too late to submit early action. After October, most of the best candidates’ scores shouldn’t have all that much room to go up. Personally, I had all my scores locked down by the June of junior year.
I feel like most people write last minute essays no matter what deadline they’re applying under. Of course, nobody should apply early if their essays are bad. Agree with you on that one, but disagree on the prevalence of people doing so.
I believe most students have both of their recommendations come from junior year teachers who don’t usually (especially at public schools) see much/any more of them between November 1 and January 1.</li>
<li>Uh, Yale’s admissions policies are so very different and so very much more egalitarian from Harvard’s? What?</li>
<li>And most damningly, even if you are who you say you are, this is all pure speculation. Nobody’s seen how Harvard’s early action is going to play out this time around. Harvard adcoms have a plan. But even they don’t know if this admissions cycle will follow the plan, because a large part of it will depend on who applies when, over which they do not have control. Of particular concern to me are your speculative contentions that Harvard will have far more early applicants than Yale or Princeton or Stanford, that Harvard will reject applicants they might accept in the regular round, while YPS would defer them, and that YPS are less, somehow, binding. A lot of posters on CC have wanted to apply to Yale early now, since “it will be less competitive,” which suggests that it won’t actually be less competitive. Princeton’s also returning to early action, so it might also go crazily selective; there is no difference, in that regard, between it and Harvard.
The “Harvard rejects qualified candidates when YPS might defer them” thing is pure speculation, and makes no sense. Why on earth would they not just defer them? Where are you getting that idea? I don’t know of any facts within the past five-ish years on which you could be basing this!
And Harvard is equally non-binding as the other bunch, and lets candidates simultaneously apply to their state’s university early/rolling. So it wouldn’t hurt you, compared to YPSM, on that front.</li>
</ol>

<p>I’m not arguing that you should, in fact, apply early to Harvard, rather than regular. I’m arguing that if you want to apply regular rather than early, that this poster’s reasons for doing so are not good ones.</p>

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<p>No one will know how Harvard will run their EA program until they do it. As a rule, unless a school specifically puts in safeguards to over ride this, there will be more acceptances early than late even taking into account the special circumstances. This has borne out repeatedly. It is human nature to be more generous when there is a room to fill, and the purpose of admissions is to admit. As the room begins to fill up, it becomes more difficult to get a seat. This is the way things work in almost all cases. Also, most of the early crowd do tend to be from upper middle class on up type families who are savvy in admissions. So if you fall in that category, your app will not be as likely to be viewed with those who have the challenge card in their deck. If you are one who is first generation, or has had special circumstances, you will stand out more during EA due to the dearth of such applications. If you are the first applicant in that EA batch with an interest in classics and there is a call for classics majors, you might make the cut. If you are the umpteenth by the time RD applications are being screened, you lose that advantage, It just might be a banner year for classics majors. </p>

<p>Also, Harvard tends to defer, not reject EA candidates which does give you a second go at the process with higher grades, more achievements, etc, if you don’t make that first cut. Yes, the chances are slim, but they are there.</p>

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<p>Ivy admission is not a game. I would say that the admission office makes the decision based on who the applicant really is. The truly outstanding applicants will get in and the less competitive ones will always be less competitive eaither for the EA or RD. The applicants should concentrate on putting together the best application package together and stop wasting time on some admission “secrets”.</p>

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<p>I really did not want to start freaking out about applying early to Harvard, because its my first choice school and I’ve tried to do what I love throughout high school, and tell them about myself in the essays, but now I’m really wondering if I even have a shot based on the posts on this thread that admission into schools like Harvard in the early round is only possible for a person who is a nationally acclaimed academic, athlete or legacy:( I began to write my essays this past month and I’m almost done with them, plus I’m already getting recs ready, thinking I might be so lucky as to even have the slightest chance of getting in, now I’m left to wonder if I should just give it up because the process is tainted with back-room deals and PR stunts that state otherwise :frowning: Someone please shed some light on this–Should I apply early, or is it just me signing my own rejection?</p>

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<p>@silverturtle2: I’m not entirely sure on if you should apply early or not, im sure someone else can give you that answer. But I think you need to have hope that you can get into harvard. At this point, you’re going through the application process so theres not too much you can do. No matter what people say about legacies, or doing “superhuman” things…if its supposed to happen, it will. You, yourself, just have to believe in YOU. If you’ve lost all hope in yourself…well you’ve lost the game…or admission or whatever. Don’t let this information deter you from your goals and dreams ok? You can do it. Yeah theres a lot of underhanded things going on in the world to get ahead…or in this case, get into harvard (I personally dont think its true, but who knows) but you can still get in. You got this ok? I believe in you and I don’t even know you haha.</p>

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<p>@st2 PTripp is saying wise things. Also, “this information” is not even true information. If your application isn’t going to improve in the extra months, you should probably apply early (and, if an in-state college has non-binding early admissions, that, too).</p>

<p>As for the nontruthiness of the information, here are some of the ways. Nobody knows how Harvard’s EA this year is going to play out (so OP’s certainty is one form of a lie), but, to be precise, here’s a short list of the ways it violates common sense.
-Harvard is going to reject qualified candidates it might accept later. As HParent says, this ain’t a game. Any strategizing about whether to apply early or late is entirely about your peace of mind, and whether you need a couple extra months to do your application.
—If your application will be significantly better on January 1 (except the resume portion), hold off. If you anticipate major awards, send them a supplement to your resume saying so. It’s common practice and completely acceptable.
—As for your peace of mind, if you’d rather hear an acceptance from Georgia Tech (assuming that’s out of state for you) early than risk being deferred to the regular round to have the anxiety of dealing with two bouts of admissions decisions, you shouldn’t apply early. If you’d rather have some decision early, apply early and hope for the best.
—If you are rejected early, you would have been rejected regular.
—If you are accepted early, you would have been accepted regular.
—If they aren’t certain about your application, they will defer you.
------They are aware of the effect OP cites where they’re more interested in the first classics applicant than the twentieth, and take it into account, and so try very hard eliminate the psychological effect from having an effect on decisions.
-The “reserved” categories are these, according to OP: athletes, the rich/legacies, and very qualified applicants.
—You’re not an athlete. They’ll be competing in a separate pool from you no matter when you apply. You’re not going out for the spots they will get, and so they’ll have no effect on you. They will not increase your chances of rejection.
—The legacies/rich people etc. are often very qualified candidates, because they’ve had more opportunities to take advantage of. It is less political than “they take legacies at three times the rate of the average applicant!!!” sounds. Of course they do. The “average” candidate includes a lot of perfectly good but perfectly unexceptional candidates, forming that 93% rejection rate.
—“Very qualified candidates”: you may be one of these! Even if you don’t see it, you may have that spark they’re looking for. :slight_smile: If you don’t, it’s also not a comment on your acceptability for admissions to Yale or whatever other equally selective schools you’re applying to regular, given their admittance rate. If you get deferred, you may still be admitted, too, of course. But it’s not like they accept a lot of candidates who aren’t in this category in any round. (Also: it’s not just for superhuman candidates, just for very good ones.) And if you get rejected in the end, you and a bunch of other awesome students and awesome human beings also got rejected, so you’ll be in good company and go on to have just as good a life (and in all likelihood as good a college experience) as if you’d attended this school.</p>

<p>Good luck! Do what seems best, but don’t let the OP of this thread influence you.</p>

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<p>^ excellent post, exultationsy! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>(I have a feeling the OP is probably another student applying early who wants to increase his/her chances by discouraging others from applying. Just a gut feeling, though…)</p>

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<p>@collegeinfo1994 My thoughts exactly! :slight_smile: Trollolololol!</p>

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<p>@kimathi and collegeinfo, I agree that they probably aren’t who they say they are, but I can’t really imagine who’d pull this kind of stunt. Or be so dumb as to think it would actually increase their own chances. Also, it’s pretty telling that OP responded very quickly to the first responder, but has disappeared since I appeared with my (lengthy and be-numeraled) skepticism.</p>

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<p>

I lol’d at this.</p>

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<p>I was wait-listed at Harvard this year, and then rejected very, very late into the process.</p>

<p>I’m considering putting in a transfer application this fall. Can I do EA transfer? How does transferring work, exactly?</p>

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<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Transfer Program](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/transfer/index.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/transfer/index.html)</p>

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<p>If this kid’s ace in the hole is “convincing” prospective peer applicants on a message board not to apply early to Harvard, I don’t think he has very good chances…</p>

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<p>The poster of this thread disgusts me. Don’t listen to anything this guy said; he’s an obvious rising senior trying to gain an edge in college admissions, and judging from the poor quality of his writing and his lack of character, he won’t get in anyways.</p>

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<p>Anybody think it’d be the same way at Princeton?</p>

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<p>what a disgusting post.</p>

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<p>I won’t be so quick as to dismiss all of the parts of OP’s post, but the reader should definitely take it with a grain of salt (or two. or maybe a box of it). And I have doubts about those EA percentages as well…</p>