How They Got into Harvard
By Staff of the Harvard Crimson
St. Martins Press (New York, NY) 2005
186 Pages, soft cover
Reviewed by Anh Minh Q. Do, Harvard Applicant
Written in concert with his counselor, David Stoffer
US and Canadian College Counselor
Auckland International College, New Zealand
The title of the book is tantalizing to the Ivy League hopeful: How They Got into Harvard. In an era when brand name education or simply the pride of getting into the nation’s elite colleges has become so fashionable, the staff of the Harvard Crimson has selected 50 admitted students of Harvard’s class of 2009, reviewed their credentials, leadership positions, family background (including legacy links), and finally, their essay to the college. The applications were organized around eight key strategies, supposedly conceived by the writers, to craft “one’s own” winning application.
The authors claim that the students featured in the book have employed at least one of the strategies or a combination of them, which is supported by the student profiles. Some students believe they were admitted because of their stellar academic performance, others because they “lead the pack,” and yet others felt it was their interesting, thought-provoking essays. Evidently, any one of these eight strategies can be successful when applying to an Ivy League school.
The inspiration that the book elicits is revealed quite slowly. Only after reading a number of student profiles does the reader realize not everyone who gets into Harvard is an academic genius. Certainly, the majority has near-perfect SATs and 3.5+ GPAs, but more than anything else, the book reveals that Harvard admits an array of interesting people: hardcore academics, athletics, musicians, and others with diverse and unique talents. They all share passion and excellence in their chosen fields.
I have to admit when I first glanced through the book, the impression it gave wasn’t inspirational. Rather, it was one of awe and trepidation. The book features some students with perfect 1600 SAT, 4.0 GPAs, and the overwhelming majority has 2250+ SAT and 3.5+ GPA. It is said that if Harvard implemented a computer system to select freshmen with two criteria, that being a perfect SAT/ACT score and 4.0+ weighted GPA, they could fill their class every year; and I am sure that would apply to every Ivy League school. Thus, a 2250 new SAT (1500 previous SAT) score no longer feels secure.
To the typical reader, the summer activities section perpetuates the myth that Harvard and other elite schools only admit academically qualified students who are involved in many clubs, preferably serving as club officers, with a full compliment of sports and other activities.
Although the book was insightful, it would have been helpful if a comprehensive summary of specific suggestions had been included at the end of the book, which an applicant could have used when applying.
“Fortunately, cloning is still only for sheep,” states the MIT admissions office. Everyone is different, and even the admitted students to the class of 2009 did not know what really got them in.
I did everything requested of me on the Common Application and Harvard supplement to the best of my ability. I listed my test scores, which were good but not spectacular; listed my summer activities, which showed significant commitment in the context of an IB student living in a boarding school away from his native country; I wrote a Common Application essay and a Harvard supplement essay, and made use of the Supplemental Information and Materials section. Like some 22,000 other students around the world, I am vying for a spot in the Harvard class of 2010. Whatever my fate, I will never know what got me into Harvard or what eliminated me from the competition. But I know I will have done all that I could, using the book only as a guideline and not as a “sure-fire” blueprint for admission.
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