Getting Into Harvard
What does it take these days?
Will graduating at the top of the class from a good Twin Cities private school get your child into Harvard? No, but it won’t necessarily hurt. According to the U.S. News and World Report compilation of college admissions information for 2001, 34 percent of the students admitted to Harvard College came from private high schools. “We don’t hold private schools against anybody,” says Marlyn McGrath Lewis, Director of Admissions of Harvard College, with a touch of irony. “We don’t admit high schools. We admit students.” By the U.S. News measurement, Harvard is the toughest college to get into in the country. When you look beyond the fact that Harvard admitted only 10 percent of its applicants last year to some of the details behind the numbers, the task of getting into Harvard is even more daunting.
Lewis says that, of the more than 19,000 applicants for the 1,650 places in the freshman class, 87 percent were “qualified to do [Harvard] work with a measure of grace.” Of those, 347 applicants had perfect 1600 SAT scores. Fewer than half of those were admitted. Nearly 3,000 of the applicants had ranked first in their high school class. Only 20 percent of those were admitted.
So, what does get you into Harvard?
It’s not all academic.
About 300 students were admitted on the basis of their scholarship as reviewed by Harvard faculty in their field. But, for most applicants, the high school record serves only as a guideline. The objective tests, such as the SAT exams, provide some means of comparison of applicants, and some means of gauging “what the grades at the school mean.” But again, Lewis doesn’t put much weight on high school preparation. “We try not to reward over-preparation. For example, we can teach people to write, so we’re not necessarily disinclined to take someone from a school where the literary education isn’t as good.” Lewis said they look for the “DE”—the distinguishing excellence. “We look for something that will let us choose them over someone else. Are they a musician, a hockey player, or did they work 40 hours a week to help support their family?”
Does that have anything to do with the applicant’s high school? No and yes. “We ask what they have done with the opportunities they have had. If the school has minimal academics, we ask where the student spent his time. We don’t necessarily value a school that determines what you do 18 hours a day,” she said.
“There is no sure route to the best colleges, but as a general rule, put [your student] in a school where he is comfortable enough to develop his talent. Try to send your kid to a place that has intellectual values that you value. If a high school has the right culture, it will encourage the student to read thoughtfully. Choose an environment like that—that knows and loves every kid, if you have a choice. If you can choose a school where talents are honored and developed, do it. Most aren’t that lucky.”
At schools like Harvard, she added, “It is never just the point of admissions to have students who can get As here. We will take some with more visible flaws. For us it’s a game of futures. We place bets on people who will make a significant contribution to society after graduation.”
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