<p>OP: you want to be a little careful about comparing your stats and background to someone else’s (whether accepted or rejected). If you have stats and background very similar to an accepted student, then Harvard probably doesn’t need another clone of that person and is likely to reject you. On the other hand, if you look a lot like someone already deferred or rejected, that should tell you not that you are likely to similarly deferred or rejected, but that your “twist” should be different. I think the worst case is if you look a lot like those accepted – Harvard is looking for a different look at this point than what it already has.</p>