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Should I tell Harvard...


kbui

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... that I got accepted into Yale? Do you think this will boost my chances of getting in because they'll be thinking, "Oh, damn, we have to accept him too because if Yale wants him then we want him too!" OR do you think they're going to think, "Well, if he got accepted into Yale then we don't have to waste a spot for him here."

 

Either way, should I tell Harvard? What are the pros and cons?

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It could go either way, you're better off not contacting them.

 

Why? I've been seriously considering the pros and cons... I want Harvard to accept me really, really badly, so I want to show them that I'm a competitive applicant. :\

Edited by kbui
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An admissions dean at one of the school's I applied to has a blog. On said blog, he wrote that we shouldn't, under any circumstance, bring up acceptance at another school. Apparently they really don't appreciate hearing about it. To us, it makes sense in terms of competitiveness, but I see his point, too. You don't want to sound ungrateful and/or desperate, you know? I'd keep it to yourself for now. If you're meant to be at Harvard, you'll get there.

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I also  vote DONT TELL. Maybe you were a better fit to Yale. Maybe your application POI wont match well to Harvard. 

 

But this makes me revisit my thoughts on whether I should have inferred I would be a cash paying student and thus provide maximum revenue? Nah, I can see discussions within the conclaves of the adcom becoming political but not financial.....

 

I would hope they would accept us on our individual merits - but then again i can be a naive idealist......

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I got into Yale but rejected from Harvard for undergrad, so it happens. They're not interchangeable just because both are highly ranked, and are actually sensitive to those types of comparisons. I think you will come off in a really negative light if you go out of your way to email Harvard at this point about your acceptance into Yale. At best, they'll tell you what I just did above. At worst you'll annoy someone in the decision making process and actually hurt your chances because they'll think you're a braggart with an ego. Just my two cents.

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I don't think that Yale wanting you will have any effect at all on harvard's decision. Grad acceptance has to do with research fit so It is completely likely that Yale would want you while equally or lower ranked schools would have no interest.

If I were on the committee, then I would probably automatically regect any applicant who tried to manipulate their way into a program. I know you probably don't mean it in that way but I think that it could easily be perceived as you trying to create competition between programs instead of attending the school that would be the best research fit.

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Guest Gnome Chomsky

Dear Harvard,

I'm still waiting to hear back from you guys. Would really be wicked if I got in. But FYI I did get into Yale and they're pretty wicked too. I'd definitely accept your offer but I don't "need" you guys. But it would be pretty wicked if you did say yes.

Truly,

Some guy

Edited by Gnome Chomsky
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Dear Harvard,

I'm still waiting to hear back from you guys. Would really be wicked if I got in. But FYI I did get into Yale and they're pretty wicked too. I'd definitely accept your offer but I don't "need" you guys. But it would be pretty wicked if you did say yes.

Truly,

Some guy

 

This is basically what I want to say, lol.

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I'd rather go to Yale, so, can can you ask your POI to shift that funding my way please? If I get into Harvard, I'll return the favor.

 

If we could switch, I'd be up for it 100%!

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...Though Harvard and Yale are very prestigious, still when it comes to Public Health, Harvard is wayyyyyyyyyyy better than Yale. So they would not mind whether you get in Yale or not.

If I remember correctly, Harvard is ranked number 3 and Yale number 13.  Last time I saw a list, there were something around 100 schools on it that had a public health school/program.  Sorry, but 3 is not wayyyyyyyyyyy better than 13 unless there are only 13 programs to begin with.  

 

Also, Harvard University contains seven colleges, one of which is Harvard College.  Another is Harvard School of Public Health.  While still a part of Harvard University, it has nothing to do with Harvard College.  Not sure if it is the same with Yale, but around Boston if someone says they go to Harvard it is always meant they go to Harvard College. 

 

I did undergrad in Boston.  Boston is not as cracked up as most think, and many choose Boston-area schools simply because they want to go to school in Boston...then end up miserable because they realize Boston is not as cool as they had hoped. 

Edited by Crucial BBQ
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If I remember correctly, Harvard is ranked number 3 and Yale number 13.  Last time I saw a list, there were something around 100 schools on it that had a public health school/program.  Sorry, but 3 is not wayyyyyyyyyyy better than 13 unless there are only 13 programs to begin with.  

 

Also, Harvard University contains seven colleges, one of which is Harvard College.  Another is Harvard School of Public Health.  While still a part of Harvard University, it has nothing to do with Harvard College.  Not sure if it is the same with Yale, but around Boston if someone says they go to Harvard it is always meant they go to Harvard College. 

 

I did undergrad in Boston.  Boston is not as cracked up as most think, and many choose Boston-area schools simply because they want to go to school in Boston...then end up miserable because they realize Boston is not as cool as they had hoped. 

 

I'm an undergrad in Boston at the moment and I'm going to have to disagree in that I think it really depends on where you're coming from. I grew up in a very large city (much larger than Boston), but I really LOVE it here -- because Boston is a very different type of city, has a lot more interesting stuff going on, is very accessible by walking and public transportation, and feels very college-y because of the huge number of schools around here while still very much not being a typical college town. I think that if you came from somewhere with some of these qualities, you might be nonplussed by Boston, but it's really perfect for me and I would love to stay here! 

 

Anyway, besides that - seconding the unanimous opinion that Harvard probably wouldn't care about your Yale acceptance. 

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Guest Gnome Chomsky

I hear that anyone accepted to Yale AND Harvard actually gets sent to Yarvard, a school midway between the two of them that specializes in pirate academics. Yar!

Careful what you wish for!

Were all 24 of your posts that genius, or were you saving the good shit? 

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Were all 24 of your posts that genius, or were you saving the good shit? 

 

That is the person who started the magic 8 ball thread. Manduke definitely lightens the mood a little around here.

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That is the person who started the magic 8 ball thread. Manduke definitely lightens the mood a little around here.

Ha ha. Just whistling in the dark a bit. Results have started to come out of my top school today, and the suspense is driving crazy.

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An admissions dean at one of the school's I applied to has a blog. On said blog, he wrote that we shouldn't, under any circumstance, bring up acceptance at another school. Apparently they really don't appreciate hearing about it. To us, it makes sense in terms of competitiveness, but I see his point, too. You don't want to sound ungrateful and/or desperate, you know? I'd keep it to yourself for now. If you're meant to be at Harvard, you'll get there.

 

OMG! I have been so excited about my acceptances that I made this mistake several times. I did not mention the names of the schools that accepted me, but I did mention that I was accepted by some other places. My intention was not show that I was competitive, but to express my excitement for having other schools also thinking that I am worthy of a spot. What a naive mistake I made!

 

Now I feel absolutely horrible!!!!! :( 

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  • 3 weeks later...

An admissions dean at one of the school's I applied to has a blog. On said blog, he wrote that we shouldn't, under any circumstance, bring up acceptance at another school. Apparently they really don't appreciate hearing about it. To us, it makes sense in terms of competitiveness, but I see his point, too. You don't want to sound ungrateful and/or desperate, you know? I'd keep it to yourself for now. If you're meant to be at Harvard, you'll get there.

 

On a side note, is this always the case? I only ask because in several interviews I had professors ask where I was applying and I was totally open about it and about where I had been accepted. I wouldn't have brought it up, but when they mentioned it I talked… 

 

And also, a prof at the first school I interviewed at sent me an email saying, "If you are deciding between offers and there are any questions I can answer to help in your decision please let me know." I was really grateful of their email and I did ask them some questions and indicated I was in the position of deciding between offers. Did I overshare there? 

 

In both cases it felt more like a conversation with an advisor/colleague than any sort of calculation on part to make myself sound better. Eep, I'm so new to this and I hope I didn't inadvertently break some sort of grad-applicant-code!

Edited by NoSleepTilBreuckelen
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