Rumor Has It…
Posted on May 8th, 2008 in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
…that Harvard’s abandonment of early admission has been a disaster for the university and that Harvard is going to have take a huge number—possibly as many as 200—students off the waiting list to fill its incoming class….
7 Responses
5/8/2024 7:37 pm
or they could reconsider the “we don’t have room for transfer students this year” decision.
5/8/2024 9:42 pm
how do you know it’s not the economy? and also Harvard’s waiting lists have pretty exceptional candidates.
What’s up with applications and admissions in the graduate schools?
5/8/2024 9:59 pm
I haven’t heard any such rumor - on the contrary, Dean of Admissions Bill Fitzsimmons reported last weekend that he expected a yield of around 74%, which is substantially higher than any competitor university. Furthermore, Harvard was very conservative in its admissions this year because the mathematical models that predicted yield are no longer valid and will need to be recalibrated without early decision.
The target freshman class needs to be filled with applicants from the waiting list - there are no freshman transfers. The upperclass houses are currently too crowded, because the previous administration admitted too many freshman. That’s why there needed to be a moratorium on transfers.
5/9/2024 11:09 am
What’s so disastrous about going to the waitlist? That’s what the waitlist is for. Or are you implying that kids who are waitlisted become damaged good, and less qualified EXACTLY BECAUSE Harvard put them on the waitlist?
The waitlist exists for just this purpose, and this outcome is much preferable to having too many kids matriculate. If you have an argument to the contrary I’d like to hear it.
SE
5/9/2024 7:06 pm
Ben and SE are right, of course. The College accepted 110 fewer than usual, out of concern that the class would be too big. So it turned out not to be, and then they accepted 150 more.
This is “a disaster for the university”? I’m surprised at RB’s language, and his lack of perspective on this issue.
5/9/2024 9:06 pm
Richard (as per usual) is simply trying to stir the pot, and in this particular case, making a rather broad assumption. Unfortunately for him, both efforts in this instance are lacking.
5/9/2024 9:58 pm
That’s broad statement as well. Maybe Richard is just looking for something to write about. He’s just posting a rumor to get feedback clearly.