<p>How difficult is a tranfer to Harvard really? What kind of grades will someone need? Also, does URM status help in transfer admissions? Thanks.</p>
<p>4.0 GPA
2400 SAT
Need to be president of at least 5 credible clubs + President of Student Govt.
40+ hrs/week of job
500+ hours of volunteer
Internship
Write a superb essay that truly stands out
Rec. Letters from the President of your college, Head of your major’s department, director of Student Affairs Service, Head of transfer center, plus 3 professors you know well.</p>
<p>Then you’ll get into harvard for sure.</p>
<p>no because the excess recommendation letters will annoy the admissions officers, so rejection =P</p>
<p>Just cure cancer and you’ll get in. They might even name a building after you.</p>
<p>Are all of the EC’s really neccesary or would top grades and a few EC’s be enough?</p>
<p>No, the 5 clubs and 500 hours of volunteering are actually optional, but the curing cancer part is mandatory. Most students who would succeed at Harvard though would have the drive to do the 5 clubs and volunteer hours by day to satisfy their own ambitions, even though they aren’t required, and then save the curing cancer part to work on during their nights.</p>
<p>Ok…well…lots of sarcastic people here.</p>
<p>Anyway…a serious reply:</p>
<p>
This year…apparently over 1000 apps. were received and 75 were accepted (plus a few more off the waitlist) for entrance in the fall and spring. So, it’s around 7%.</p>
<p>
Most colleges (good ones at least) ask for at least a 3.5. It seems it would be very difficult to be a successful transfer if one has a lower GPA. To be really competitive, I would recommend at least a 3.65 (if not 3.7…some may even say 3.8) with a challenging course load, including calculus, an English course and some solid academic courses like Econ or Poly Sci. Certainly do not take courses specially designed for football players. </p>
<p>
Maybe, maybe not. I’m not sure. What I am certain is that it probably matters less than freshman admissions. Remember, in freshman admissions, they are looking to build a class that is somewhat artificially engineered to be “diverse.” That is not a concern for transfer admissions as it is a much smaller sample size of students.</p>
<p>Good to know about the URM stuff…that played a role in some of my college rejections last year. URM students from my high school with lesser stats than myself (and either similar to less ECs) were accepted to schools where I was rejected. Wasn’t very happy about that…</p>
<p>what’s URM stand for?</p>
<p>URM= un represented minority… which is not that case for asians in the UC system I HATE URM GRR</p>
<p>under-represented minority. =)</p>
<p>Affirmative action AndreaMSkate?</p>
<p>perhaps they had the better essay or the better recommendations. there are more factors than just numbers andreamskate, urm might have had some influence, but you can’t just blame your rejections totally on the fact that they’re minorities. there could be other reasons.</p>
<p>“Affirmative action AndreaMSkate?”</p>
<p>Yes, I know. I do not support it.</p>
<p>Well…I do not support it to the degree that its reached. I’m all for colleges trying to assemble a diverse class, but not at the price of accepting students purposely with lower stats over better qualified candidates.</p>
<p>edit: And my recommendations were nothng short of spectacular. Essay was highly commendable and insightful as well.</p>
<p>yeah the whole URM thing is painful to some…including me</p>
<p>hmmm… well word to the wise… don’t tell harvard you hate AA unless you have a very well worked out societal structure theory to back it up. and the thing about harvard, is they can afford to take people with a 3.7 if a 4.0 if they like the 3.7 better, think the 3.7 has better ideas and will do more at harvard and after harvard. in your essays, in all your correspondence with them, in your conversations with professors who will be writing you letters (and you better be having those conversations) and in your interview (if you get one) you better have opinions, you better have passions and you better have dreams. this is harvard, and what makes it harvard are the students who go there who create a stimulating, inspiring enviornment that makes you believe the world’s problems can be solved and new beauty can be created, not a Yard full of passive people with perfect grades and SAT scores.
believe me, harvard transfer is not about grades. once you have a 3.5 or better and i don’t know… maybe a 2000 or better on the SAT, I think they sort people out by the criteria I listed above. I got in with a 3.7 and a 2090, but I work pretty hard to make my life pretty interesting and to think about things and to make a difference in the world, and imparting all of that to an admissions committee, what you hope for and dream for the rest of the world and how you are going to do that, is the real challenge of gaining admission. work hard on that ‘why harvard’ essay…</p>
<p>I am going to Harvard in the fall, so I will weigh in here. I agree and disagree with For Shag: grades are not the final word in transfer admissions, as they are in frosh admissions, but they definitely, definitely matter. It’s true, however, that the transfer process is a much more comprehensive, personal one. Harvard has no shortage of students who are perfect on paper (in terms of grades and scores), so they are looking for transfers who are unique in some way, and will truly add to the dynamic community. Also, they are looking for self-starters, people who will be able to come into a transfer situation–without the fanfare and infrastructure one has as an incoming frosh–and figure out how to succeed. </p>
<p>Also, I never took a math class, let alone calculus, so no worries for the math-challenged out there!</p>
<p>Thanks much to both of you!</p>