<p>A student at my school claimed that she got accepted into Harvard last week. My best friend, who is also part of a minority [but of a different ethnic background] is also applying, and Harvard has been her dream school since like, forever… and she’s like one of the most hardworking individuals I know of, whose taken a bunch of college and AP courses (passing them with flying colors!), has a super long list of extracurriculars, and scored fantastically on her SATs and SAT IIs. However, all I ever see the girl that claims she got accepted do in class is text on her sidekick 24/7 or spacing out or talking back to the teacher. She is not even in the same level of courses as my best friend, nor has she scored the same type of grades, and I have yet to see any sort of the same level of commitment to extracurriculars from her. I also don’t think she scored as high on her standardized tests as well.
Right now, my friend is upset, and she thinks this may have to do with affirmative action, even though both of them are members of minority ethnicities. I, however, am skeptical.
Is this really affirmative action at work here? If so, why was one girl chosen over the other? Or is it possible that the girl claiming that she got into Harvard bluffing about it [she has shown, in the past, a tendency to brag alot] ?</p>
<p><em>update</em> and no, she’s not an athlete*</p>
<p>Your friend needs to worry about herself rather than hating on someone else who got accepted.The girl who’s on her sidekick “24/7” must be doing somehting right. AA is powerful, but it won’t get you in a school like Harvard just because you’re black/hispanic/etc. And how culd that girl have gotten accepted already? I woulnd’t trust anything she says…</p>
<p>Harvard DOES send out likely letters to a few students who are not recruited NCAA Division I athletes. But not a lot. Most admitted students first learn of their admission from an admission offer sent at the usual time at the end of March. </p>
<p>At this time of year, a lot of high school students like to mess with their classmates’ heads. If a student claims to have been admitted to a particular college, ask to see the letter. If the student doesn’t have a letter, you are under no obligation to believe the student. I find it very difficult to believe that a student who is conspicuously goofing off in class and who isn’t taking the high school’s most challenging curriculum would have a chance of being admitted to Harvard in this year of a record number of applications.</p>
<p>"A student at my school claimed that she got accepted into Harvard last week. "
I would be very surprised if that’s true. Given the fact that Harvard has had a record 27,000 applications, recently greatly expanded its financial aid, and has for years had the highest yield in the country, I’m betting that even fewer than usual got likely letters this year. The likelihood of an unexceptional student’s getting one is nil.</p>
<p>justpeachy,
On CC this year, I noticed a couple of posts that seemed highly unlikely
acceptances to some of the Ivys (Harvard included). It either implies there
was data not posted about their achievements (since it might have been
unique enough to identify them) or they were simply fictionalizing accounts.
I believe it is more of the former than the latter. *</p>
<p>Your friend may have
achievements he/she does not talk about at school. If someone got into
Harvard and they were not multi-millionaire donor family related, it is unlikely
they passed through a couple of dozen senior pair of adcom eyes at Harvard
on the basis of AA and then told they were a “likely” for fear of loosing them
to Yale? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Likelies sent out this year logically would have to be athletes?</p>
<p>The students who can claim URM status that I know are super achievers.
Considering I personally know at least 2, I am willing to speculate that at
a State level there are probably ~100 such candidates and probably
around 5000 at a national level. Given such a large pool, I sincerely
doubt AA is being used across pools (URM v others) and believe it is
used within pools (URM V URM) since schools like Harvard have a
wealth of superachieving URMs to choose from.</p>
<p>Sure, Harvard wants people – minorities included – to create a diverse, well rounded campus. That doesn’t mean, however, that a mediocre minority is going to get a likely letter or admission. </p>
<p>I know, for instance, African Americans who have been rejected despite being National Merit (the mainstream program, not the African American program) Scholars or being legacies plus having other credentials that would get them into most top colleges in the country. </p>
<p>Harvard isn’t desperate enough to take mediocre people of any race just to create a diverse class. Just take a look at threads from last year showing who on CC was rejected and accepted.</p>
<p>your friend should quit being jealous. this sort of thing happens ALL the time. and it’s NOT only because of AA. i have seen less qualified, less impressive Asians/Whites/Insert ANY ethnicity get in over more qualified, more impressive Asians/Whites/Insert ANY ethnicity. </p>
<p>judging from the tone of your post it sounds as if you are not all that fond of the girl who got into Harvard so i am a bit skeptical about your description of the girl. you don’t know all there is to know about the girl who got into Harvard. the best thing you can tell your upset friend is to chill out and to learn to care about HER own life. if your friend gets upset because a “less” qualified person got into Harvard “over” her/“took her spot” then your friend is highly immature and Harvard/any top school would be correct in rejecting such an immature individual.</p>
<p>just curious, what are the ethnicities of these individuals?</p>
<p>
due to various court decisions, AA is NOT all that powerful. it is NEVER the decisive factor in determing whether or not an applicant is admitted.</p>
<p>EDIT:
i agree. it seems as though colleges compare students of similar backgrounds/similar opportunities.</p>
<p>Well, isn’t that what a “mirage” is, something deceptive that tricks the eyes and in turn the mind into believing something that simply isn’t true?</p>
<p>Harvard is certainly “diverse,” if one’s using the word not simply to address the color of peoples’ skins.</p>