Getting Into Harvard

Why You Should Go To An Elite School (Or Not)

2010-12-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

A recent cover article in the NYTimes covered the research being performed in the area of educational achievement. Specifically, researchers are interested in trying to see whether going to a "top tier" school actually correlates to better job opportunities, higher pay, or increased happiness / satisfaction. The article describes the results of this research:

December 17, 2010
Is Going to an Elite College Worth the Cost?
By JACQUES STEINBERG

AS hundreds of thousands of students rush to fill out college applications to meet end-of-the-year deadlines, it might be worth asking them: Is where you spend the next four years of your life that important?

The sluggish economy and rising costs of college have only intensified questions about whether expensive, prestigious colleges make any difference. Do their graduates make more money? Get into better professional programs? Make better connections? And are they more satisfied with their lives, or at least with their work?

Many college guidance counselors will say, find your own rainbow. But that can sound like pablum to even the most laid-back parent and student.

Answers to such questions cannot be found, typically, in the sort of data churned out annually in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, which tend to focus on inputs like average SAT scores or college rejection rates. Handicappers shy away from collating such information partly because it can be hard to measure something like alumni satisfaction 5 to 10 years out. Moreover, in taking a yardstick to someone’s success, or quality of life, how much can be attributed to one’s alma mater, versus someone’s aptitude, intelligence and doggedness?

But economists and sociologists have tried to tackle these questions. Their research, however hedged, does suggest that elite schools can make a difference in income and graduate school placement. But happiness in life? That’s a question for another day.

Among the most cited research on the subject — a paper by economists from the RAND Corporation and Brigham Young and Cornell Universities — found that “strong evidence emerges of a significant economic return to attending an elite private institution, and some evidence suggests this premium has increased over time.”

Grouping colleges by the same tiers of selectivity used in a popular college guidebook, Barron’s, the researchers found that alumni of the most selective colleges earned, on average, 40 percent more a year than those who graduated from the least selective public universities, as calculated 10 years after they graduated from high school.

Those same researchers found in a separate paper that “attendance at an elite private college significantly increases the probability of attending graduate school, and more specifically graduate school at a major research university.”

One major caveat: these studies, which tracked more than 5,000 college graduates, some for more than a decade, are themselves now more than a decade old. Over that period, of course, the full sticker price for elite private colleges has far outstripped the pace of inflation, to say nothing of the cost of many of their public school peers (even accounting for the soaring prices of some public universities, especially in California, suffering under state budget crises).

For example, full tuition and fees at Princeton this year is more than $50,000, while Rutgers, the state university just up the New Jersey Turnpike, costs state residents less than half that. The figures are similar for the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University. (For the sake of this exercise, set aside those students at elite colleges whose financial aid packages cover most, if not all, of their education.)

Despite the lingering gap in pricing between public and private schools, Eric R. Eide, one of the authors of that paper on the earnings of blue-chip college graduates, said he had seen no evidence that would persuade him to revise, in 2010, the conclusion he reached in 1998.

“Education is a long-run investment,” said Professor Eide, chairman of the economics department at Brigham Young, “It may be more painful to finance right now. People may be more hesitant to go into debt because of the recession. In my opinion, they should be looking over the long run of their child’s life.”

He added, “I don’t think the costs of college are going up faster than the returns on graduating from an elite private college.”

Still, one flaw in such research has always been that it can be hard to disentangle the impact of the institution from the inherent abilities and personal qualities of the individual graduate. In other words, if someone had been accepted at an elite college, but chose to go to a more pedestrian one, would his earnings over the long term be the same?

In 1999, economists from Princeton and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation looked at some of the same data Professor Eide and his colleagues had used, but crunched them in a different way: they compared students at more selective colleges to others of “seemingly comparable ability,” based on their SAT scores and class rank, who had attended less selective schools, either by choice or because a top college rejected them.

The earnings of graduates in the two groups were about the same — perhaps shifting the ledger in favor of the less expensive, less prestigious route. (The one exception was that children from “disadvantaged family backgrounds” appeared to earn more over time if they attended more selective colleges. The authors, Stacy Berg Dale and Alan B. Krueger, do not speculate why, but conclude, “These students appear to benefit most from attending a more elite college.”)

Earnings, of course, and even graduate school attendance, are but two of many measurements of graduates’ success post-college.

Earlier this year, two labor and education professors from Penn State, along with a sociologist from Claremont Graduate University in California, sought to examine whether graduates from elite colleges were, in general, more satisfied in their work than those who attended less prestigious institutions.

Writing in April in the Journal of Labor Research, the three researchers argued that “an exclusive focus on the economic outcomes of college graduation, and from prestigious colleges in particular, neglects a host of other employment features.”

Mining a sample of nearly 5,000 recipients of bachelor’s degrees in 1992 and 1993, who were then tracked for nearly a decade, the authors concluded that “job satisfaction decreases slightly as college selectivity moves up.” One hypothesis by the authors was that the expectations of elite college graduates — especially when it came to earnings — might have been higher, and thus more subject to disappointment, than the expectations of those who graduated from less competitive colleges.

Still, one of those authors, Scott L. Thomas, a sociologist who is a professor of educational studies at Claremont, said high school students and their parents should take any attempt to apply broad generalizations to such personal choices with a grain of salt.

“Prestige does pay,” Mr. Thomas said in an interview. “But prestige costs, too. The question is, is the cost less than the added return?”

His answer was one he said he knew families would find maddening: “It depends.”

For example, someone who knew he needed to earn a reliable salary immediately after graduation, and as a result chose to study something practical like business or engineering, might find the cost-benefit analysis tilted in favor of a state school, he said.

“Students from less affluent backgrounds are going to find themselves in situations where college is less about ‘finding themselves,’ and more about skills acquisition and making contacts that will lead straight into the labor market,” Mr. Thomas said. For such a student, he said, a state university, particularly a big one, may also have a large, passionate alumni body. It, in turn, may play a disproportionate role in deciding who gets which jobs in a state in a variety of fields — an old-boy (and increasingly old-girl) network that may be less impressed with a job applicant’s Ivy league pedigree.

“If you’ve attended a big state school with a tremendous football program,” Mr. Thomas said, “there’s tremendous affinity and good will — whether or not you had anything to do with the football program.”

In the end, some researchers echo that tried-and-perhaps-even-true wisdom of guidance counselors: the extent to which one takes advantage of the educational offerings of an institution may be more important, in the long run, than how prominently and proudly that institution’s name is being displayed on the back windows of cars in the nation’s wealthiest enclaves.

In this analysis, one’s major — and how it aligns with the departmental strengths of a university — may be more significant than the place in the academic pecking order awarded to that college by the statisticians at U.S. News.

“Everything we know from studying college student experiences and outcomes tells us that there is more variability within schools than between them,” said Alexander C. McCormick, a former admissions officer at his alma mater, Dartmouth College, and now an associate professor of education at Indiana University at Bloomington.

“This is the irony, given the dominance of the rankings mentality of who’s No. 5 or No. 50,” Professor McCormick added. “The quality of that biology major offered at School No. 50? It may exceed that at School No. 5.”

Clearly, beauty (or happiness) lies in the eyes of the beholder. One thing to consider though: psychologists have also shown that in the short run, you regret what you do, but in the long run, you regret that which you never even tried. Someone turning down Harvard for Hometown College is likely to always wonder "What if..." moreso than the one who chose Harvard over Home State U. As the article alludes, many prestigious institutions have fairly generous financial aid programs plus a plethora of work-study opportunities on campus. Financial considerations are real, but they should never pose an absolute barrier to academic achievement. As Joseph Campbell said, you must 'follow your bliss.' If that brings you to Harvard or HomeTown College (or eventually, both), so be it.

What Harvard Wants

2008-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

What Harvard wants in a college applicant is pretty simple really. They want what any good college would want in a student and in a student body. Harvard wants excellence:

Students arrive with a remarkable diversity of interests. They are scholars, community volunteers, journalists, artists, athletes, actors, musicians, and enthusiasts of many other kinds. What all Harvard students have in common is intellectual curiosity and energy. Harvard values excellence and diversity in the talents and aspirations of its students, and in the resources and opportunities the College offers them.

Ask yourself: How do you stand out? How would you contribute to the general wealth of knowledge and talent at such an institution? Having a good answer can only help guide your story as you apply.

Find College Scholarships

2008-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

College scholarships are an important way to help finance your college education, be it at Harvard or elsewhere. There are many places to look for scholarships:

Counselor's Office: A great place to start! Most guidance counselors will maintain filing cabinets with scholarship information. They will also typically be the exclusive location for information on school and local scholarships.
Local Community Groups: Are you involved in a community group? Are your parents? Such groups often award scholarships to deserving local high school students who are somehow affiliated with them.
Parents' Employers: Same idea as local groups.
The Internet: Many websites like FastWeb have college scholarship information. The downside to such sites though is that everyone sees the same information, so either you will not qualify for the scholarship, or the competition is fierce.

Getting Into Harvard Month-By-Month: November

2008-11-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Each month, I discuss the steps you should take that month to be successful in applying to colleges. For a discussion about last month, check out the October post.

Freshmen

The work has picked up, hasn't it?

Summers are a good time to show extra interest in a particular area. Start considering what you might do next year during the summer and look for opportunities to pursue. If you are unsure what is out there, ask teachers or sophomores you may know to see what other students have done in the past. Many colleges, including Harvard Summer School, also run summer school programs that you may be eligible for.
Be active in the extracurricular groups you joined. Try to spend one or two weekends a month either participating in tournaments or whatever activity it is that the group is involved with.
Study hard! Your grades this semester count as much as any other towards your GPA. Colleges will not discount your grade just because it was your first semester in school.

Sophomores

The pace has probably picked up a bit by this point. Here are a few pointers:

Congratulations on finishing the PSAT! Your score should arrive soon if it has not already. However, at this point, don't simply put those study materials aside. Keep studying a little bit each month to prepare for the NMSQT next year, which is what really counts for National Merit Scholarship consideration.
If you were in a summer program last year, think about pursuing it at a more advanced level. Or, look for new interests.
Study hard!

Juniors

Ah, juniors. This is the money year. This is the year in which a majority of your college application will be finalized. Good luck!

If you are taking the SAT last month, congratulations! However, if you were not satisfied with your score, that's okay. Take some time to focus on other activities, but consider signing up to take the test again. If you signed up for January or May, keep studying when you have free time.
Try to keep up with your extracurricular activities.
If you have teachers you liked and whose classes you did well in in previous years, go back and touch base with them. Tell them about interests and goals, with an eye towards perhaps asking them for a letter of recommendation down the road.

Seniors

This is crunch time for seniors. Applications are due soon, and colleges start sending out interview invitations.

Continue working on your application and following up on recommendation letters.
Contact your local admissions representative with any questions you have about Harvard College or the admissions process. They can be your best friends throughout this process!

The December post is coming soon. If you are concerned about what you should have done last month, look back at the October post.

Harvard Applicant Profile: Leadership Potential / Underserved Minority

2008-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Harvard Applicant Profile is the leadership potential / underserved minority. Harvard has in recent years placed an emphasis on creating a diverse student body. This post is not meant to be a critique of those policies, but rather a statement of the reality they create. Under such policies, students are actively recruited from underserved groups, primarily for their leadership potential. Please note that underserved groups range across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic spectrums. Furthermore, leadership potential extends beyond politics to mean leadership within communities, be they social communities or academic ones. In other words, a poor Caucasian male student from the Deep South who is an Eagle Scout fits this profile as well as a well-to-do Pacific Islander female student who is interested in botany.

Why lump these together? Basically, this profile is for students who are unique due to their backgrounds and experiences, and who can hopefully take away from Harvard a broad, world perspective to advocate for their interest groups. They will serve as a voice for their communities in the future is the hope.

Clearly, either you fit this profile or you don't, and there isn't much one can actively do to change that. However, for those of you who have "non-traditional" backgrounds, i.e. didn't go to prep schools, don't have connections, don't have any particular talent, don't think that Harvard is out of your reach. If you have performed well academically in an environment where the odds were against you, Harvard may very well be interested in having you join its student body.

Next time, I will discuss the applicant profile that probably fits most people visiting this blog: the academic.

Who Should Write Your College Recommendation Letters?

2008-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Recommendation letters are an important part of the application process, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. The letters may not 'make' your application (your standardized test scores, grades, and other accomplishments will), but they can break your application. A poor recommendation letter really stands out since most recommendation letters are written from someone who strongly supports the applicant and writes a strongly positive letter. Therefore, it is important to get letter writers who you are confident will write you a strong letter.

A few pointers on recommendation letters (including the usual advice, in case you have not already read it):

Get letter writers who know you personally. A personal anecdote detailing how you show leadership or how you are talented goes a lot further than someone simply regurgitating your resume in letter form.
Find letter writers who can speak to different strengths of yours, especially if your application is heavily tilted towards one field. For example, if you are strong in the sciences, you should definitely get one letter from a biology or chemistry teacher. However, your other letter should be from an English teacher or history teacher or track coach, showing another dimension of your personality and talents.
Ask EARLY. Popular letter writers often get swamped with requests, and may only be able to write a certain number of letters before the deadlines you have to meet.
Help them help you. Provide them with a resume detailing all your accomplishments as well as any other material necessary to complete the letter (this includes stamped and addressed envelopes if necessary).
In addition to providing background material, ask the letter writer if you could talk to them for a few minutes (or just do this when you hand them the materials). Tell them what you want said in the letter. Discuss what your plans and goals are. Trust me, it will help them write a more coherent narrative about who you are.
Seek out advice from the class above you about who good letter writers are. Good letter writers are enthusiastic, punctual, and willing to discuss your letter with you.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Harvard Applicant Profile: Artistic Talent

2008-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Harvard Applicant Profile is the artistic talent. If you are not a legacy or an athlete, perhaps you are a world-renowned artist. While the arts may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Harvard, the University actually has a strong presence in many artistic fields. The Office for the Arts at Harvard documents the many arts-related events occurring at Harvard. Students can participate in many art-related projects inside their courses and out. These projects are often presented at the annual ARTS FIRST festival, held each spring.

Many talented artists are Harvard alumni, including various authors, artists, musicians, directors, and actors. Famous alumni include:

Mira Nair

John Lithgow

Jack Lemmon

Yo-Yo Ma

Matt Damon

and

Natalie Portman

What does all this mean to you as an applicant? Well, if you are a world-class talent, congratulations! You're in! But, even if you are not, that's okay. If you are a superlative talent in a particular well-known field (ex. playing the violin) or if you have a unique artistic talent (ex. playing the tabla), you will certainly stand out from the crowd. However, you will still require good academic credentials. Furthermore, if your main 'argument' for why Harvard should accept you is your artistic talent, it had better be something very noteworthy. This is not meant as discouragement, but rather merely a statement of fact. Many students at Harvard are artistically talent; it is the rare few who are there primarily because of that talent.

Next time, I will discuss the Leadership Potential / Underserved Minority profile.

Harvard Applicant Profile: Athlete

2008-10-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

A recent post discussed the legacy applicant. Today, I will discuss the next type of Harvard applicant: the athlete. The purpose of describing these profiles is not to stereotype any member of the Harvard community. Rather, the purpose is to enlighten prospective students about what types of candidates Harvard is seeking. In fact, many undergraduates fall into several of the categories that I will describe.

When most people think of Harvard, athletics is far from their first thought. However, as the nation's oldest college, Harvard has a long tradition of athletics. As the GoCrimson site notes, Harvard has a strong presence in athletics:

Harvard's legacy of consistent success in intercollegiate athletics mirrors its reputation as the world's finest institution of higher learning.

Harvard fields 41 varsity teams, the most among the nation's NCAA Division I colleges and universities. Nearly 1,500 Harvard undergraduates - or 20 percent of the student body - participate in intercollegiate athletics.

Since its participation in the nation's first college athletic event - a two-mile crew race against Yale in 1852 - Harvard has been a consistent leader in the world of college sports.

Given this history, Harvard is keen on recruiting the best and brightest scholar athletes. While Harvard is no longer necessarily competitive with some athletic powerhouses in marquee college sports, Harvard still looks for students who excel in their own sport as well as in academics.

What this means for the potential applicant is that you must be quite talented in your sport and have reasonable academic credentials. I have often witnessed applicants (or, more commonly, their parents) talking to admissions officers with a misconception of the role athletics plays in admissions. The parents will note that their child has done well academically (top 15%, let's say) and has also participated in say, tennis, for all 4 years of high school, winning at the district level. Not to belittle their accomplishments, but this will likely not be enough to secure them admission.

Harvard wants students who compete at the state and national level in their sports AND have good academic credentials. Many Olympians and future professional athletes have attended Harvard, so being "athletic" is not enough. If you consider the quote above, the fact that 20% of students participate in athletics (a much higher percentage than most other schools) should emphasize how seriously Harvard takes its sports.

Another factor to consider is the diversity of sports played at Harvard. It is better for the applicant to be a premier squash player or fencer than to be an All-State wide receiver from a small state. Many high school students will have good grades and play traditional sports like basketball, football, tennis, or soccer. Relatively few will participate in Greco-Roman wrestling or crew.

If you want to go to Harvard based on your athletic ability, keep these factors in mind. Future posts will tackle the next applicant profile, the artistic talent.

Harvard Applicant Profile: Legacy

2008-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned previously, there are many kinds of Harvard applicants. The purpose of describing these profiles is not to stereotype any member of the Harvard community. Rather, the purpose is to enlighten prospective students about what types of candidates Harvard is seeking. In fact, many undergraduates fall into several of the categories that I will describe.

The legacy admission is the student who has strong family ties to Harvard. Usually, a direct relative is a Harvard graduate, such as a parent or sibling. Often, multiple generations have attended Harvard. For example, many generations of the Kennedy family have attended Harvard.

Legacy candidates are typically well-qualified on their own, but as one can imagine, having the connections does not hurt. As they say, it's not what you know, it's who you know, right? An applicant who knows someone who went to Harvard, especially recently, can ask them for advice regarding who to contact at the Admissions Office and how to structure their application.

There are various views on the issues of 'legacies' and what role that should play in admissions. As this article in the Harvard Crimson notes, there are several arguments for considering legacy status in admission:

Various proponents of legacy preference have offered several reasons for continuing to give legacies a boost. For example, a critical mass of legacies on campus might help to generate a larger sense of Harvard spirit and tradition on campus, through their own emotional connections to the University and their familial connections to alumni.

More importantly, proponents of legacy preference claim that the practice also helps to engage alumni with the University beyond their Harvard years; knowing that their sons and daughters stand a better chance of admission to their alma mater, alumni are more generous with their money, and possibly more significantly, their time.

The article goes on to argue against using legacy status as a criteria for admission. Still, if you are applying to Harvard and have a close relative who went there, it cannot hurt you and can only stand to help you. Even if you only know someone who went, I would suggest contacting them and asking them about their experiences. They can serve as a valuable advisor during the application process and beyond.

Future posts will discuss the other applicant profiles, such as the Harvard Athlete.

Scholarships

2008-10-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Scholarships are awards given for a variety reasons that usually reward the recipients with cash to go to college. Here are some reasons why you should apply for scholarships, and some things to be aware of:

Advantages

Scholarships help you practice your applying skills
Financial assistance
Prestige
Something more to list on your application as an award

Disadvantages

Applying takes time, time which could be used on other activities/pursuits
There is no guarantee of success, no matter how good your application is
Harvard, and many other schools, will deduct any money you win from scholarships from your financial aid award. Thus, the only direct benefit you can receive from scholarships is if you win enough to money to cover your tuition entirely (which is quite hard to do)
While particular groups will have scholarships targeted for them (Native Americans, for example), there are few general scholarships based solely on academic achievement
As a rule of thumb, you should expect to win one scholarship for every 10 you apply to, but this could vary widely for each particular individual

The list of disadvantages may look long. However, on the whole, I think it is worthwhile to try for scholarships, but do not do this in lieu of studying for your classes or the SATs. The skills you learn in applying for scholarships will serve you well in applying for college and beyond.

Getting Into Harvard Month-By-Month: October

2008-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Each month, I will discuss the steps you should take that month to be successful in applying to colleges. For a discussion about last month, check out the September post.

Freshmen

Hopefully you have gotten settled into your classes by now and found an activity or two to join.

Start looking into scholarship opportunities. You have relatively more time to do this now, and winning a few of these will not only look good on your application, you will also get some money to help pay for college.
Be active in the extracurricular groups you joined. Try to spend one or two weekends a month either participating in tournaments or whatever activity it is that the group is involved with.
Study hard! Your grades this semester count as much as any other towards your GPA. Colleges will not discount your grade just because it was your first semester in school.

Sophomores

The pace has probably picked up a bit by this point. Here are a few pointers:

Continue looking into what you need to do to take the PSAT exam this year. Start preparing for it by learning vocabulary, taking practice exams, or even signing up for a test prep course.
It is never too early to look into summer programs. Summers are nice way to have significant experiences outside of school that also look good on an application. Many colleges, including Harvard Summer School, also run summer school programs that you may be eligible for.
Good luck on the PSAT!
Study hard!

Juniors

Ah, juniors. This is the money year. This is the year in which a majority of your college application will be finalized. Good luck!

If you are taking the SAT this month, good luck! If you signed up for January or May, keep studying when you have free time.
Good luck on the NMSQT! Being a National Merit Scholar is definitely a big plus on your application.
Try to keep up with your extracurricular activities.
If you have teachers you liked and whose classes you did well in in previous years, go back and touch base with them. Tell them about interests and goals, with an eye towards perhaps asking them for a letter of recommendation down the road.

Seniors

Senior year can simultaneously be both very rewarding and very stressful. Just have a plan in mind, and things will be fine.

Start preparing the Common Application for Harvard if you have not already.
Start contacting teachers about recommendation letters. It is probably best to have teachers from diverse subjects, like an English teacher and a Biology teacher. Even better are teachers who can speak to your academic abilities as well as your extracurricular activities.
Keep working on your personal statement (or get started!). This will take much longer than you expect to write! If you need help, there are many services that offer professional help with writing personal statements.
Contact your local admissions representative with any questions you have about Harvard College or the admissions process. They can be your best friends throughout this process!

The November post is coming soon. If you are concerned about what you should have done last month, here is the September post.

Will You Get In Harvard?

2008-09-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

The question is tough to ask one's self, but it must be asked:

Will You Get In Harvard?

The answer is not always so easy. First, it depends on what type of applicant you are. Second, it depends on how hard you worked at achieving your full potential. Third, it depends on how much competition there is that year for your applicant type.

At the end of the day, it is a matter of odds. Whatever your odds are though, if you worked hard and have a good chance of admissions, things will work out for you. If you are accepted, congratulations! But even if you are not, most applicants rejected from Harvard will make excellent students at most other prestigious institutions. As long as you do not put all your eggs in one (Harvard) basket, you will do just fine.

And remember, there's always that waiting list... and transfers...

Getting Into Harvard Month-By-Month: September

2008-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Although the month is almost over, reviewing the steps a person should take at each grade level in order to prepare for applying is important. For each class, here are a few pointers for what to do in the month of September to help you get into Harvard University.

Freshmen

Welcome to high school! Although you are about to begin a wonderful journey of secondary education, it is beneficial to start considering what comes beyond high school. There are a few simple things you can do now to help your future college application:

Take all Honors classes in subjects you find interesting.
Join groups that you enjoy, will be willing to commit to, and look forward to taking a leadership role in the future. Try to join groups that are nationally recognized, like your school's debate team (as opposed to the Harry Potter Club, for example).
Study hard!

Sophomores

Welcome back! With one year under your belt, you probably feel much more comfortable with how high school works. However, this year is a good time to get ahead of the game as far as college applications go.

Continue taking challenging Honors classes, studying hard, and getting good grades.
Try to run for leadership positions in activities you are involved with if they did not have elections in the spring
If you have done well in a subject, look into whether you can take an AP class in it with the goal of taking a few AP exams at the end of the year.
Similarly, look into what you need to do to take the PSAT exam this year. Start preparing for it by learning vocabulary, taking practice exams, or even signing up for a test prep course.

Juniors

Ah, juniors. This is the money year. This is the year in which a majority of your college application will be finalized. Good luck!

Look into taking the SAT exam in October or January. Plan on taking a prep course and budgeting time to study for it.
Similarly, sign up for courses that will prepare you to take AP and SAT II exams at the end of the year.
Try to run for the top leadership positions in your activities, if elections have not been held already.
If you have teachers you liked and whose classes you did well in in previous years, go back and touch base with them. Tell them about interests and goals, with an eye towards perhaps asking them for a letter of recommendation down the road.

Seniors

Senior year can simultaneously be both very rewarding and very stressful. Just have a plan in mind, and things will be fine.

Start preparing the Common Application for Harvard if you have not already.
Find teachers to write you recommendation letters. It is probably best to have teachers from diverse subjects, like an English teacher and a Biology teacher. Even better are teachers who can speak to your academic abilities as well as your extracurricular activities.
Start working on your personal statement if you have not already. This will take much longer than you expect to write! If you need help, there are many services that offer professional help with writing personal statements.
Contact your local admissions representative with any questions you have about Harvard College or the admissions process. They can be your best friends throughout this process!

Best luck! See you in October!

What Harvard Wants in an Applicant

2008-09-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Harvard University prides itself on diversity in its admissions. Most people via this diversity in terms of racial, ethnic, and religious diversity. However, the real distinction occurs in a different way. In reality, the students can be broken down into several different groups for purposes of how they are considered by the Admissions Office.

These groups are as follows:

Legacy
Athletic Ability
Artistic Ability
Leadership Potential / Underserved Minority
Foreign Students
Academic Ability

There is no particular order above, and there is some overlap between groups, of course. Future posts will describe each group in detail, especially the 'Academic Ability.'

Getting Into Harvard Disclaimer

2008-09-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Content

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About the Author of Getting Into Harvard

2008-09-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

The author is a recent graduate of Harvard University, graduating in 4 years with a degree in economics, magna cum laude. He is now pursuing a degree in medicine. Additionally, the author has more than 10 years of experience in the test preparation industry.

Welcome to Getting Into Harvard

2008-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Getting Into Harvard! The aim of this blog is to provide simple advice on how to get into Harvard University for college. The blog will detail different types of applicants, what one needs to do through high school to prepare for college, and how the application process works.

Harvard Applicants

The blog will describe different types of applicants, and how each type can best prepare their applications.

Harvard Application

The University uses the Common Application, but there are still many ways to make yours stand out.

Harvard Experience

So you're interested in being an undergraduate at Harvard University? The posts will cover a little bit about what to expect once you get in.

Good luck!