2008-2009 Harvard Secondary Application Thread

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Well Harvard has certainly been getting a lot of NYT coverage lately...doesn't quite seem like good news, either.

about the influence of industry on Harvard professors:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/business/03medschool.html?em
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04pfizer.html?hp
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/business/03pfizer.html

about Harvard's struggling endowment:
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/harvard-private-equity-and-the-education-bubble/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/business/economy/21harvard.html?scp=6&sq=harvard&st=cse

about losing Dr. Jim Kim, Paul Farmer's Partners In Health cofounder, to Dartmouth:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/education/03dartmouth.html?scp=4&sq=harvard&st=cse

This is an especially interesting time for these stories to be coming out as applicants start thinking seriously about where they'll be headed next year (although we obviously don't know if HMS will be on the list of options yet...). Thoughts?
 
I can guarantee you none of that information will play a part in anybody's choice. Last time I checked, if you get an acceptance to Harvard you go to Harvard.

Interesting reads though, thanks for the articles.
 
BluntSurgeon said:
I can guarantee you none of that information will play a part in anybody's choice. Last time I checked, if you get an acceptance to Harvard you go to Harvard.

Interesting reads though, thanks for the articles.
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not true...
 
oh shoot, they lost kim? i guess ill just withdraw then...

moral of the story: go to harvard so you can be president of dartmouth
 
BluntSurgeon said:
I can guarantee you none of that information will play a part in anybody's choice. Last time I checked, if you get an acceptance to Harvard you go to Harvard.

Interesting reads though, thanks for the articles.
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Agree with the first sentence, but not the second.

Realistically, I don't see how losing a third of the endowment CAN'T affect Harvard students, but I doubt more than a few people will seriously consider this. Besides, unless you are looking at a full ride elsewhere it shouldn't affect decisions too much because I imagine that every school (particularly private schools) will feel the impact of this recession.
 
It's a stretch to call Harvard's endowment "struggling". The economy sucks. Everyone is feeling it. But Harvard still has a whole lot of money. The changes that have been put in place will have basically no effect on your life as a med student. Some of the biggest things cited in the article have been voluntary retirment for staff of retirement age and a hold on the advancement of the Allston project. Unless you've been a secretary or janitor at Harvard for the last twenty years, the first point won't be an issue. As for the Allston project, it was a source of contention even before the economy took a nosedive and I don't think there was any guarantee that it would even be in place during your time at HMS. The major departments/initiatives that were supposed to go in Allston are either staying put or getting new space in Longwood and Cambridge.

Moral of the story: I am extremely doubtful that anything will change in the daily life of HMS students. Heck, some of the basic science departments on the PhD side of the med school still hold beer hours every week. Despite losing however many billion dollars, the school can still pay for a steady supply of beer. So I think you'll be ok.

That being said, I'm not sure I necessarily agree with BluntSurgeon either.
 
docontheroc.. I just looked at your profile.. you are DEFINITELY getting in. I guess the class is filled with people with your type of resume.
 
thanks for the vote of confidence, i just hope adcom feels the same way...
 
I think everyone is supposed to hear sometime next week.

Last year e-mails were sent on what would be next Friday.
 
I happen to know exactly what's on the way from Harvard (I didn't get an interview), and I must say, I am looking forward to receiving it. I mean, Harvard gets top marks everywhere else... I bet they write an outstanding rejection letter, too!
 
Ha Harvard is the last school I have left to hear from. Whatever the decision, I just want this admissions cycle to be over!
 
I forgot - when should we expect to hear something? March 15th is approaching...

Pretty nervous about this one, but trying not to get my hopes up, because that toootally backfired w/ Stanford.
 
shemarty said:
I forgot - when should we expect to hear something? March 15th is approaching...

Pretty nervous about this one, but trying not to get my hopes up, because that toootally backfired w/ Stanford.
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Word.
 
i hope when they say march 15 they don't actually mean 15th plus 1 to 2 weeks...anyone going to take one for the team and call in to verify?
 
Okay, so I guess we have to wait till at least next Friday before we start calling the office. I actually did try to call today, but I got the answering machine 🙁
 
shemarty said:
Okay, so I guess we have to wait till at least next Friday before we start calling the office. I actually did try to call today, but I got the answering machine 🙁
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If I were them I'd keep that phone turned off until decision letters were in the mail.
 
Someone's been accepted over at the MSTP, so I think we'll hear pretty soon.

Not that I expect good news, but at least it'll be over soon 🙄.
 
omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg...the pain of antipation (of the worst) will soon be over, one way or another.
 
so is there a consensus on how decisions are going out? Phone? Email? Pony express?
 
Just called their office.

All of their decisions are hard-copy letters.

Letters are being mailed out right now, and the last of them are due to be placed in the mail by this coming Monday, March 16th.

Keep your fingers crossed!
 
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jaguarms said:
Just called their office.

All of their decisions are hard-copy letters.

Letters are being mailed out right now, and the last of them are due to be placed in the mail by this coming Monday, March 16th.

Keep your fingers crossed!
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thank you sir!
 
Man I wish they'd email them....I'm going on Spring break which means my letter (whatever it may say) is gonna sit in my mailbox for a few days until I get back to find out.

Gah.
 
Just to let you guys know - I don't know if they sent pre-interview rejections first, but mine arrived in Boston today. So, clearly the mail has started... Good luck to all you guys who actually got the opportunity to interview!!!!
 
jaguarms said:
Just called their office.

All of their decisions are hard-copy letters.

Letters are being mailed out right now, and the last of them are due to be placed in the mail by this coming Monday, March 16th.

Keep your fingers crossed!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update....good luck to everyone!!!
 
A friend of mine recieved a pre-interview rejection letter yesterday as well. Let the chaos begin!
 
Hrm nothing in the mail today. I wonder if they're sending them out in rejection-waitlist-acceptance order like last year. I live in Boston, so I can act as a kind of mail-barometer (i.e. I'll get a rejection letter before most do). Although last year they also sent an email to accepted students; are they not doing that this year?

Also, anyone get any kind of news today?
 
im going to take this opportunity to wonder aloud about why email isn't the modus operandi of decisions...it is more efficient, and i dont think applicants would complain about lack of formality if a hardcopy is placed in the mail simultaneously.
 
Gosh, I came into this thread and got all excited at hearing that Harvard was giving out decisions...and then I realized that I didn't apply there. Strange how contagious excitement is. It's like walking into an excited crowd after their home team wins and then starting to yell without knowing why. Good luck y'all!
 
does anyone know if HST decisions go out at the same time as Pathways decisions? are hst decisions also sent only by mail, or also e-mail?
 
Does anyone know if there is an online status check for harvard?
 
hockbug said:
does anyone know if HST decisions go out at the same time as Pathways decisions? are hst decisions also sent only by mail, or also e-mail?
Click to expand...

Last year they went out at the same time, but acceptances also arrived in an email (which seems to be not the case this year).
 
I would wager that the trade-off is this:

Harvard is only mailing their decisions this year, but as a result the decisions have been expedited. From last year's thread, it looked like it took an extra week for Harvard to get everything out. So in the end, we may be hearing back sooner than last year's applicant pool.

I need to know the decision ASAP because I have to worry about buying a house in either Nashville or (maybe, if I can afford it) Boston.

Don't know where I'm going though for sure at this point. It's pretty agonizing. Not gonna lie. :scared:
 
Man, its gonna be a stressful week, with HMS and Yale decisions coming...

How long does it take for a letter to get from Boston to the SF Bay Area? Maybe I'll hear something by Wednesday?

I'm trying to find a balance between reaaaaally wanting hms and convincing myself that I don't care, so the rejection will hurt less.
 
hockbug said:
does anyone know if HST decisions go out at the same time as Pathways decisions? are hst decisions also sent only by mail, or also e-mail?
Click to expand...

Yes, all decisions are in the same cover letter. The first paragraph identifies which program (or both) you have been admitted to. Read carefully! If HST, you will also be given additional HST info in your folder.

All HMS decisions are sent via regular mail in a large envelope for admitted, small envelope for rejected/waitlist. And, unfortunately, they ahve been going out later and later in March (I got my admission March 6, but that was 5 years ago). They usually send out on Friday afternoon, but that might change.
 
Thanks for the info, FrontalLobe. Is it true that the financial aid login page would tell you about the admission decision? From what I read in the SDN old threads that when you use AAMC number and SSN to login

login failure = rejection
please contact our office = acceptance/waitlist

I know this is a bit of crazy, but I am quite anxious. The HMS financial aid page is currently under preparation and shall be available for login today. Maybe they are puting in the info of accepted and waitlisted students so they can login later?

The Harvard Medical School Financial Aid Office is in the process of preparing the financial aid application for the 2009-10 academic year. This application should be available as of March 20, 2009. Please check back with this site at that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office at 617-432-0449. Thank you. - The HMS Financial Aid Office.
 
Fuzi said:
Thanks for the info, FrontalLobe. Is it true that the financial aid login page would tell you about the admission decision? From what I read in the SDN old threads that when you use AAMC number and SSN to login

login failure = rejection
please contact our office = acceptance/waitlist

I know this is a bit of crazy, but I am quite anxious. The HMS financial aid page is currently under preparation and shall be available for login today. Maybe they are puting in the info of accepted and waitlisted students so they can login later?

The Harvard Medical School Financial Aid Office is in the process of preparing the financial aid application for the 2009-10 academic year. This application should be available as of March 20, 2009. Please check back with this site at that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office at 617-432-0449. Thank you. - The HMS Financial Aid Office.
Click to expand...

How can it be available for login today if it says 3/20 above? I don't know where you live but it's March 16th over here in Boston 😉

Nice sleuth work though. Nothing wakes up the mind better on a Monday morning than anxiety :scared:
 
Haha, my bad. I just I am just out of my mind this morning.
 
The financial aid page did not work last year, so I wouldn't bother with it.

At least you guys will likely hear before the end of the week. Snail mail is brutal for international applicants. 🙁
 
im walking around with the final jeopardy theme song playing in the background. YIKES!
so i just discovered this site 2 days ago and now im obsessed with reading people's comments. Im actually glad I didn't explore this before because I would have been a total nervous wreck through this entire process.
 
I got my mail today (I get it really early, 10 am, central time) and nothing today.
 
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