<p>@ Polyglot, I completely agree with your post. I hope you don’t mean that my last post was baseless. You basically reiterated the points Idiosyncra3y and I made, and though I completely agree with them, there is also a regional preference that works in favor for MA applicants.</p>
<p>Here’s the source for my assertion that there is preference for MA applicants in Harvard admissions:</p>
<p>[5</a> questions for Harvard’s admissions dean - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/02/24/5_questions_for_harvards_admissions_dean/?page=2]5”>http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/02/24/5_questions_for_harvards_admissions_dean/?page=2)</p>
<p>Excerpt:</p>
<p>"First and foremost, Harvard will always be a Massachusetts and New England institution. We work extremely hard on our recruiting and outreach in Massachusetts and New England because we feel it is vital for Harvard to play an important role in educating the future leaders from the place that has done so much to shape its mission. We have always had a policy of admitting a Boston or Cambridge student over others when the credentials are approximately equal.</p>
<p>In the same way, we pay special attention to students from Massachusetts and the rest of New England. Students from our home area benefit enormously by living with and learning from classmates who come from all parts of the United States and abroad. We will continue to seek the best students from around the nation and throughout the world."</p>
<p>–Dean William Fitzsimmons</p>
<p>For anyone who is interested, here is a good thread to read before you post:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/715657-what-high-school-communities-does-harvard-favor.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/715657-what-high-school-communities-does-harvard-favor.html</a></p>