Mechanical engineering does not allow joint concentrations. Regardless, Harvard has no undergraduate business program.
@nijusohc No, I really wish I did debate. I did robotics instead which was also super fun and amazing. Are you interesting in doing something with debate?
@skieurope Oh, yikes. Sorry, I meant to say mathematics. I know they don’t do both, but I would be happy with either… I just know that I really like physics, math, and thinking on my feet on the job. I don’t know what job that would lead to, so that’s why I’m trying to keep my options open. Harvard is great for that!
@leahgriffith123 I’ve done debate for four years, both LD and PF. LD has a heavy foundation of philosophy & is essentially a philosophical values debate. unfortunately, universities don’t have LD debates - only policy, one of the few debate styles I’ve never tried haha
@nijusohc Oh, that’s so cool you are so dedicated to it! I hope we both get in and you can teach me all about LD. Good luck on the 13th!
Just in case Dec. 13 doesn’t bode well for me, I can still get on with my life bc that’s also Taylor Swift’s birthday & I mean I can rock out to some iconic bops 'cause Harvard & I will probably never, ever get back together.
Like, ever.
('til medical school. Or graduate school.) 
But I think we can all SHAKE IT OFF because we know ALL TOO WELL how DELICATE of a situation EAing to Harvard is. Even if we don’t get accepted, we just won’t go BACK TO DECEMBER and instead be FEARLESS and think about THE LUCKY ONE college that you will grace with your presence next fall. No matter where you are, it’ll feel like EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED and you’ll get to BEGIN AGAIN regardless of whether or not you’re wearing RED – er, Crimson. As for our current STATE OF GRACE, our current idea of “College Life” won’t last FOREVER AND ALWAYS; we must be open to CHANGE.
I can’t help but feel like I DID SOMETHING BAD here. :))
Thought this video might be appropriate for all those waiting until Thursday to find out their fate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pBjopDymts
No matter the outcome on Thursday all of you are going to be okay!!
@DadofBoys Great song! Honestly I thought I was going to be rickrolled
@leahgriffith123 definitely!!
@salamandereyes that would certainly lighten the mood as well 
@worldwide1 United States
Honestly, I’ve been thinking about the personal significance of applying to Harvard.
I remember learning about Harvard in the 6th grade; I immediately knew that’s where I wanted to go because little ambitious me wanted to be the best of the best - surrounded by the best of the best.
I knew from that young age that if I were to have a chance at Harvard, I’d have to make myself stand out in ways that didn’t pertain to academics. I remember taking a civics and economics course in 8th grade and really liking it and being interested. Since then, I’ve really grown around the areas of politics, government, and civic engagement. I’ve built myself up pretty well: City boards, state-wide boards, youth council, internships, clubs, and more. But when I ask myself would I still have done all these things and taken all these roles and spent all this time if it weren’t for this abstract, superficial (at the time) goal of Harvard that seemed so distant in the future? I don’t know the answer.
I think that I have a passion for the aforementioned areas and have certainly done a lot that would give me glimpses into what they’re really like, but have I gone in predisposed and with blinders on? Are those things really what I care about, what I have enthusiasms for, what I want to do with the rest of my life? Or is it something I was good at and could get involved with the way I thought Harvard would want it?
Maybe I’m just being cynical, there are many many aspects of Harvard that I like and want to be a part of. But if that’s the product of me being brainwashed and drinking my own cool-aid, I’m not sure that’s what I want. Honestly, idk what I want because I have doubt in what I think I want, doubt in why I’ve always wanted what I think I want…
I had this burning question during polo practice and had to take a Perrier break to ask the thread. My father only donated $10 million to the school this year instead of the usual 15% of his annual hedge fund profits, will this affect my chances of admission? @skieurope
@greenwichlax19 You’re walking a dangerous path, my friend. Chairman skieurope rules this forum with an iron fist.
@oRcHiD4 I’ve been checking out these posts for a while but I had to sign up just to say that was the best post I have ever seen. LONG LIVE queen taylor!!! (in reference to 1453)
@YvonneL I do see that Harvard is not the #1 engineering school, but I’m also not looking for the number 1 in tech. Because of my experience in the IB, I realized that I love having I diverse environment of learners which means that going to a technology-only school is basically out of the question. I love love listening to people talk about art history or things I don’t necessarily have a burning interest in because you can pick up things so quickly from people who don’t share your exact interest.
I do understand that Harvard is not engineering focused, but I’m also not bound to engineering. I’m open to exploring things that aren’t necessarily STEM, which is harder to do at a technology school. So if I do decide to switch to something pre-business like mathematics or something pre-law (I know they don’t have those concentrations but still), my options would be very open to exploring.
I also really enjoy the East Coast and the educated environment around Harvard. I don’t know how to explain it. I really vibed with the campus and the students. I spoke with several professors, and they were all so passionate about what they do. I know its an unpopular opinion, but I would be so happy to do engineering at Harvard. To me, it’s the best. It’s so important for me to get a well-rounded worldview rather than just be fully invested in one area.
@greenwichlax19 we drink Badoit at Harvard, not Perrier.
Did you guys like writing your personal statement more or the optional essay (if you did write it)?
@DancinChicken I would probably say the optional essay because it was more personal and easier to write as a result. There was so much pressure on the personal statement to be perfect!
@DancinChicken I chose the book list as my optional essay (did anyone else on the forum?) so I feel like my personal statement had more value, but the optional essay was more fun to write cause I got to just remember all the great books I read this past year, far less stressful.