<p>The Crimson story online is only a web update…there will be a much longer and fuller story tomorrow. </p>
<p>Plus the transfer students here are planning to write an op-ed expressing our views. It probably won’t be up until after our spring break unfortunately, since The Crimson won’t be publishing regular issues this coming week.</p>
<p>Yes, I hope it does receive more attention, it was completely wrong of the college to do this after you all applied.</p>
<p>If transferring is to be phased out, it should be done so a year in advance, just as early action was.</p>
<p>that’s crazy… sorry to all who applied… i’d be sooo ****ed!</p>
<p>The Ivy leagues, beacuse they feel they are of greater importance they think they can get away with crap like this…matter fact they know they can get away with crap like this- because they’ll always have ppl buying for THEIR attention. I’m just as mad as the transfers because this is truely BS.</p>
<p>You’ll all make it regardless of this.</p>
<p>My comforts.</p>
<p>“Shafted” is the word that comes to mind.</p>
<p>If any of you know Harvard alumni, you might ask them to drop a line to Dean Pilbeam, who doesn’t seem to be able to count … very quickly, at least.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry for all of those who applied to transfer to Harvard this upcoming school year!!! As a student who just finished up her own transfer applications, I completely empathize and I’m so ticked at Harvard, despite not applying to transfer there. It just goes to show how big headed Harvard has become in thinking that they can get away with saying they aren’t accepting transfers, after the transfer deadline… Just because transfer applicants are a small part of the applicant pool does not mean we are insignificant!!!</p>
<p>i’m an international transfer applicant… and i only applied to 3 schools since that’s all i could afford. i could have invested that money/time/energy elsewhere. </p>
<p>about the app fee refund… with the exchange rate going down, i’m still going to lose money ): </p>
<p>hope i can get over this soon. and i say we should definitely bring more attention to this outrage. even if we can’t get any other sort of compensation, the least we can do is let people know what really went on.</p>
<p>I would encourage everybody who applied to submit to the admissions office a detailed bill of all of the expenses associated with your application and demand reimbursement for all expenses. In my opinion, what harvard did is appalling and probably actionable. If this had happened to me last year I can’t even imagine how I would have felt.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I sympathize with those who applied as transfers only to be told that no transfers will be admitted. While transfer applications to Harvard are always a long shot, and most would have been rejected anyway, it obviously would have been better if Harvard could have figured out earlier that they couldn’t admit any transfers. (And I agree that they should offer refunds on the application fee, though I understand that can’t compensate for the time and effort spent on the application.)</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t agree with those who have suggested that Harvard should have just admitted one or two or three transfers and not been honest about the situation. As much as it stinks, I do think it’s better to be honest.</p></li>
<li><p>While this is anecdotal, I think the core of the problem is that they admitted classes over the last couple of years with the notion that more students would be taking a semester abroad (freeing up rooms in the Houses) - this was a major Summers initiative, but seems to have died after Summers was forced out. Instead, students are staying put in Cambridge, and they’re now experiencing overcrowding in the Houses - see this article about no longer guaranteeing senior singles in Winthrop House, which was announced a week before the housing lottery - much hue and cry about that too: [The</a> Harvard Crimson :: News :: Winthrop To Lose Many Senior Singles](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=522644]The”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=522644)</p></li>
<li><p>The article about eliminating transfers for the next two years also notes that they’re cutting back on admissions for the class of 2012 - for the same reason - despite a 5,000 application jump to a record 27,000 applications. Clearly, everyone is feeling the pain. It doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow for transfer applicants, but transfers are not the only ones bearing the burden of the overcrowding problem.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>" I would encourage everybody who applied to submit to the admissions office a detailed bill of all of the expenses associated with your application and demand reimbursement for all expenses. "</p>
<p>Nice suggestion, but it is all uncountable. How can you actually calculate it and do you think they would pay you back ? No…</p>
<p>whatever reason they may have, it is just ridiculous and immature for a school like harvard… intolerable.</p>
<p>Harvard should never be the only option. Will cause emotional instability.</p>
<p>No, they won’t pay you back of their own accord - but they should be liable.</p>
<p>When you submitted the admissions application you entered into a contract with them - it was an exchange of goods. You provided them with your application, along with the application fee in exchange for a judgment of your admissions potential.</p>
<p>By soliciting applications, Harvard was signifying that it would admit applicants this year - evidence of a trend over the past few years to admit transfer applicants is proof of this - even though it says on their website that the number varies.</p>
<p>Thus, Harvard has reneged on their side of the contract. They therefore owe you a full refund of everything you put in. This should include full reimbursement for the goods you provided them (i.e. monetary compensation for your application fee, as well as an equivalent amount for the work product of your application itself.) In addition, since they have breached contract, they should also be liable for any incidental or consequential costs that have occurred to you. The fact of the matter is, Harvard cannot just cancel this without any prior warning or indication. When you applied you became dependent upon them to provide a service to you, and they in turn assumed a responsibility. They should be held liable for their failure.</p>
<p>I dunno, but maybe we should try writing to (I Just Did)</p>
<p>David Pilbeam</p>
<p>Harvard, FAS Dept of Anthropology
Peabody Museum
11 Divinity Ave
Cambridge MA 02138
Email: <a href=“mailto:pilbeam@fas.harvard.edu”>pilbeam@fas.harvard.edu</a></p>
<p>Man, this unjust event makes Harvard look so bad, dumb and arrogant at the same time. LET IT BE KNOWN!!</p>
<p>Absolutely to post of transfer app 07!!! THIS IS SO UNFAIR!!!</p>
<p>You can and should write to:</p>
<p>David Pilbeam - Dean of the College
Drew Faust - President
William Fitzsimmons - Dean of Admissions
Mike Smith - Dean of FAS
Marlene Rotner - Head of Transfer Admissions Committee</p>
<p>And probably more people whose names I can’t think of at the moment.</p>
<p>it is notable, however, that some of the most reasonable and intelligent responses are coming from Harvard students.</p>
<p>well said, transferapp07…
by the way, i thought you were already in harvard.</p>
<p>yes, I transferred here this September.</p>
<p>I think it says something that I am encouraging you to take legal action against the school I go to. :-)</p>