<p>The housing issue is clearly a good, practical reason to shut down transfer admissions. I understand that Harvard did not have all the numbers from Housing until March, but Harvard could have pushed the deadline! Most other schools of Harvard’s caliber have deadines in mid-March. If Harvard extended the deadline to late-March/early-April, it could have heard from Housing before accepting applications. Every institution works differently but I think it’s reasonable to presume that if a comparable school like Stanford accepts applications until March 15th, it is probably not essential that Harvard receives its applications an entire month earlier. Additionally if Harvard did need extra time for reviewing applications thoroughly, it could have delayed the date–a couple of weeks–that applicants hear back. </p>
<p>If that wasn’t a possibility, it could have be upfront with applicants that 0 applicants may be accepted; by pointing to last year’s numbers, without actually lying, it misled applicants to beleive that around 40, or at least a handful, would be taken. If prospectives had this udnerstanding, some would have invested their time, energery, and other resources into another application. You could argue that most of us would have been rejected–I would have been shocked if I were accepted. Nonethless, it is one thing to be rejected from Harvard and another to be not considered. There is definately a clear distinction. All of us were restricted–whether it be time, money, heart–to a limited number of transfer applications that grant us a small chance of acceptance. It is indeed untimely for Harvard to get back to us after deadlines for most other schools have passed. The point is, if Harvard had reason to believe that it may be accepting 0 applicants, it should have proceeded accordingly, and we would have proceeded acoordingly. Many transfer applicants, like freshman applicants, make the “Reach/Match/Safety” consideration and selected to apply to Harvard after much thinking, and sacrificed another school’s application. </p>
<p>Obviously Harvard meant no harm and I’m sure admissions feels bad enough without applicants making threatening phone calls. Anyone who is furious or bitter at Harvard for behaving “cruelly” is being silly. But I do believe that Harvard procrastinated and made a careless mistake. I guess what we can learn from this is that even an institution like Harvard, which the world looks to as an example, is not perfect and makes mistakes. With the recent trend of overenrollment Harvard and similar institutions were bound to run into this housing conflict. Yeah it sucks that we happen to be the ones suffering on account of it but at least it seems that Harvard will probably never repeat this mistake, and thanks to your voices, other schools will likely be careful to learn from this as well.</p>
<p>yeah, you can kinda dream on about that happening.</p>
<p>i emailed them. they emailed me back. same old stuff about how there isn’t any housing available to accomodate transfers. i thought maybe they would be like 'we appreciate your thought and we’ll definitely reconsider". guess not.</p>
<p>I emailed like 5-10 people, got a couple of responses that were the same in nature. </p>
<p>It’s sad but this game is officially “over”
nothing can be done at this point in time.</p>
<p>It really was not right for Harvard to do this the way they did it. You all have every right to be upset and frustrated. But, make sure that you cool down before sending emails and calling the university. It is easy to get heated and and send hate mail when you are upset but, it is better to be professional and you will better communicate your thoughts to harvard.</p>
<p>Quote:
Originally Posted by Northstarmom
In 2003, Harvard accepted no transfers.</p>
<p>That’s an important data point to consider."</p>
<p>Actually, the big issue is not that Harvard is not taking transfers–they reserve the right to do that. The issue is 1) they failed to account for the space issue BEFORE transfer applications were made available when space problems have been well documented for multiple years and 2) even if they were so blatantly ignorant for the effects of the cramped housing and did not account for the effects of incoming transfer students earlier, the least they could have done was to admit something like 10 or 20 students. By not admitting anyone this late in the game, they look like they’re completely incompetent. </p>
<p>Granted, I think several issues factor into this mini-fiasco. First of all, the university and especially the College is getting a lot of new leadership who may not have learned all the ropes yet. (A new president, new dean of FAS and new dean of the College) Of course, that doesn’t excuse anything. These are the top thinkers and intellectuals, and they’ve clearly failed to competently deal with a problematic situation here.</p>
<p>I really think it would have been much better for them to have accepted 10 or 20 transfer students this year. Much better than just saying no, no-one, after all of these students applied. It just doesn’t seem fair.</p>
Then why did they accept 30 wait list students last year? I think the problem is mostly the lack of students going abroad. Bring back someone like Summers.</p>
<p>i think you people should shut up and let these transfer applicants do whatever the hell they want. you saying “cool down, this isn’t the right way to go about it” isn’t going to make this situation any less painless for them. if they need to vent by sending harsh mail and calling admissions to voice their frustration, then more power to them. thats their decision, NOT YOURS. </p>
<p>Harvard deserves every single negative email they receive and every nasty phone call. these people are selfish lowlifes that have no respect for these applicants. why should anyone show them respect and professionalism back?</p>
<p>1) Many kids off the waitlist are Z-listers.
2) I recognize that the idea of appealing an ‘unfair’ decision is a fundamental American principle. Keep in mind, however, that it is by no means a right.
3) In that vein, try to learn something from this experience, even if the only lesson is learning how you react when something fundamentally unjust happens to you. I guarantee you if you wait two or three weeks, you’ll be able to view the situation much more objectively and avoid embarrassing yourself or acting in a rash fashion. Be the bigger person here - you got screwed, but there’s nothing you can do about it, no point throwing a tantrum (even though it feels good).
4) Along the lines of embarrassing actions, keep in mind that angry/bitter letters to the admissions office about how “you rejected me but I’m going to be fine for x,y,and z reasons” usually get hung up in the office for all to see and laugh at. It just makes you seem bitter.
5) I forget who said it, but a quote I keep in mind is “if you can’t change something, it’s not a problem, it’s a fact.” Harvard ended transfer apps for the next few years and nothing’s going to change that. It’s a fact, not a problem with a solution.</p>
<p>I’m truly sorry for all the transfer applicants, and I feel like this matter was handled pretty horribly. I also recognize that venting can feel good in the short-term. That being said I feel like this thread is turning into an exercise in redundancy and is only prolonging people’s unhappiness. Maybe it’s time to let this one go…</p>
<p>Are you kidding!!! We cannot just sit back and accept this injustice. Keep fighting guys, this injustice like all injustices must be worked tirelessly to defeat but it is definitely worth continuing on this fight!!!</p>
<p>i’m not encouraging people to throw tantrums. i want a university that thinks its above the moral standard, brought to justice. if emails and phone calls help these applicants feel like these lowlifes are brought to justice, then thats what should happen.</p>
<p>If Harvard did shut down it’s Transfer Admissions process for 2 years, it must’ve had it’s reasons; that goes without saying. But what it lacked was a correct sense of judgement to inform Transfer applicants atleast a year beforehand. I never expected Harvard of all colleges to be such an inconsiderate decision maker; it’s really putting off.</p>
<p>what’s a z-lister? also, to people who keep saying that Harvard didn’t take transfers in 2003, that is a COMPLETELY different situation than this mess we’re in now.</p>
<p>The NY Times has lots of Harvard grads, so I’m sure it knows already.</p>
<p>I imagine the NY times will end up doing a story about what happened. Still, don’t expect that story to cause Harvard to revise its decision not to accept transfers this year.</p>
<p>One thing to wonder about – will other colleges be decreasing or eliminating their transfers this year. If H’s reason was that fewer students are studying abroad, perhaps other colleges are experiencing the same phenomenon especially if students’ decisions are linked to the weak dollar.</p>
<p>“Then why did they accept 30 wait list students last year? I think the problem is mostly the lack of students going abroad. Bring back someone like Summers.”</p>
<p>Bring him back where-- the Cabinet.?</p>
<p>Perhaps fewer students are studying abroad because of the weak dollar. If so, it will probably we worse next year, and probably all colleges are affected, so other colleges at which residential space is important may end up reducing or eliminating transfers for next year.</p>
<p>It’s highly unlikely that Harvard is the only place where students are studying abroad less.</p>
<p>I agree that this is the real issue. I can’t believe that Harvard had no idea that this was coming up long before they made this announcement. Certainly they are trying to handle it the best way they can. Their timing is just unbelievable. I would bet that it’s a terrible case of “woops, we forgot about a whole constituency!” It all adds up to a mistake: dropping ED led to increased RD applicants, which led to different numbers of acceptances than they were used to, which led to a housing crunch already in the pipeline. They may have focused on this, and no one thought of the transfers. I feel very bad for them, and I think they are totally justified in their anger. I don’t know about lawsuits, but they do need to express their upset. I hope they understand that the CC world seems to agree, for the most part, with them, and they have a lot of emotional support.</p>