2011-2012 Harvard Application Thread

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How true is this "not rolling admissions" thing? I have graduated and have many other secondaries who are rolling admissions that I'd rather get to first.

Thanks!

Incoming MS1 here 🙂
-It is very much true. Non-rolling doesn't mean it will necessarily be until May 15th but there is one date that they tell us all 🙂..and that is typically in March.

And good luck everyone! I move to Boston in a week and I cannot wait 😍!!!
 
How true is this "not rolling admissions" thing? I have graduated and have many other secondaries who are rolling admissions that I'd rather get to first.

Thanks!

Although I don't recommend it this way, some of the most late-cycle success I've seen is from otherwise very qualified candidates who applied to ivies. Harvard's secondary is really short though... just get it done.

Incoming MS1 here 🙂
-It is very much true. Non-rolling doesn't mean it will necessarily be until May 15th but there is one date that they tell us all 🙂..and that is typically in March.

And good luck everyone! I move to Boston in a week and I cannot wait 😍!!!

See you soon 😎
 
Advanced apologies for neuroticism, but have any of you been waiting for over a week for your LOEs to be uploaded to the secondary site? In other words, does anyone's LOE status still indicate that your letters have not been received even though all your letters are in?
 
Advanced apologies for neuroticism, but have any of you been waiting for over a week for your LOEs to be uploaded to the secondary site? In other words, does anyone's LOE status still indicate that your letters have not been received even though all your letters are in?

Same boat, about 2 weeks. :laugh: Good luck!
 
Advanced apologies for neuroticism, but have any of you been waiting for over a week for your LOEs to be uploaded to the secondary site? In other words, does anyone's LOE status still indicate that your letters have not been received even though all your letters are in?

Ditto. :annoyed:
 
Letter updates usually take a while to show up. My recommendation is to go ahead and call some time during the third or fourth week after submitting the letters--one time there actually was a problem and I needed to resubmit the letter. Remember, they literally have like 10,000 files to update. Some schools do this automatically, others don't (IDK what HMS is).
 
Yeah, when I called Harvard last week they said to give them three weeks from the date you submitted your secondary.
 
Hey all, just wanted to impart some info I got from the admissions office if you're planning to apply to a dual-degree program at Harvard (MD/MBA, etc.) - only do the essay if you are concurrently applying this year to both HMS and the other school. If you're planning to apply while you're in medical school to the other grad program, don't write the essay. I was really confused over that.
 
No problem! We gotta help each other out. Good luck!
 
Hey all, just wanted to impart some info I got from the admissions office if you're planning to apply to a dual-degree program at Harvard (MD/MBA, etc.) - only do the essay if you are concurrently applying this year to both HMS and the other school. If you're planning to apply while you're in medical school to the other grad program, don't write the essay. I was really confused over that.
I can't imagine how annoying it would be to apply to both at once... actually maybe it's not that hard. I am planning on applying to MBA while in school.. I still need to talk to an adviser on exactly what that includes.
 
Oh boy HST essay looks like a doozy... hard to avoid not putting this off haha

I'd be overjoyed with an interview at either though. We'll see... back to work!
 
Oh boy HST essay looks like a doozy... hard to avoid not putting this off haha

I'd be overjoyed with an interview at either though. We'll see... back to work!

I just looked on their website and everyone is required to be "comfortable with linear algebra." I suppose that means it's not quite a prereq? and I just knew not taking physics with calc would come back to bite me :laugh:
 
I just looked on their website and everyone is required to be "comfortable with linear algebra." I suppose that means it's not quite a prereq? and I just knew not taking physics with calc would come back to bite me :laugh:

You only have algebra-based physics? I think calc-based physics might be a pre-req (esp for HST)
 
What's up guys!?!

Anyone still waiting for secondaries from here too?
 
You only have algebra-based physics? I think calc-based physics might be a pre-req (esp for HST)

yeah it's a prereq for HST, i talked to them yesterday and they said you could make it up if you get in. still makes it more of a long shot, but whatevah.
 
My letters are finally on the secondary website!... sort of. My status page now lists all my letter authors but each letter is marked as "Not Received". One step at a time... :laugh:

Submitted 7/20
 
My letters are finally on the secondary website!... sort of. My status page now lists all my letter authors but each letter is marked as "Not Received". One step at a time... :laugh:

Submitted 7/20

My letters were posted to AMCAS the same day, and they were marked as received today, completing my app. they seem to be making some late-june movement.
 
I would love a second opinion. All my letters are in AMCAS and have been since before I completed the secondary for Harvard. Harvard has listed all my references, but marked one as not received. Should I email them and ask why they only downloaded 3/4? Or should I hope that it happens eventually?
 
I would love a second opinion. All my letters are in AMCAS and have been since before I completed the secondary for Harvard. Harvard has listed all my references, but marked one as not received. Should I email them and ask why they only downloaded 3/4? Or should I hope that it happens eventually?

Any idea when they might have done the original download? If it was just last night or something, I'd give them until the end of next week.
 
Ja! The letters that were submitted after my secondary have been received. The letters that were submitted much earlier are marked as missing. I shot them an email. I hope they wont hate me... I really want to be accepted - not to go, but to negotiate the price down for local schools 😀
 
Ja! The letters that were submitted after my secondary have been received. The letters that were submitted much earlier are marked as missing. I shot them an email. I hope they wont hate me... I really want to be accepted - not to go, but to negotiate the price down for local schools 😀

Sweet. I'm glad I am not the only one. If you could PM me with what they say when get back to you I would be very appreciative! Otherwise Ill give them a couple business days. 👍
 
Ja! The letters that were submitted after my secondary have been received. The letters that were submitted much earlier are marked as missing. I shot them an email. I hope they wont hate me... I really want to be accepted - not to go, but to negotiate the price down for local schools 😀
You sound fun. I recommend inundating them with emails.
 
anyone have trouble paying the secondary fee on the website?

I hit proceed to payment, went to new site, entered the info, hit buy, the website automatically went back to the harvard website. The payment does not appear and thus won't allow me to submit my secondary.

Does anyone know if Harvard has to first authorize the payment before it appears on the website so that I can submit or was it supposed to be automatic?

Thanks!
 
Hey all, just wanted to impart some info I got from the admissions office if you're planning to apply to a dual-degree program at Harvard (MD/MBA, etc.) - only do the essay if you are concurrently applying this year to both HMS and the other school. If you're planning to apply while you're in medical school to the other grad program, don't write the essay. I was really confused over that.

Well crap. I didn't know that so I wrote the essay. Oh well, I probably won't make the cut anyway so it's all good.
 
anyone have trouble paying the secondary fee on the website?

I hit proceed to payment, went to new site, entered the info, hit buy, the website automatically went back to the harvard website. The payment does not appear and thus won't allow me to submit my secondary.

Does anyone know if Harvard has to first authorize the payment before it appears on the website so that I can submit or was it supposed to be automatic?

Thanks!

Try a different browser? Allow cookies? Turn off script filtering?

Well crap. I didn't know that so I wrote the essay. Oh well, I probably won't make the cut anyway so it's all good.

Think positive!
 
Just checking - are some people's letters still not marked as received?

Thanks.
 
Where you able to solve the issue? The same thing happened to me but it's too late to call the admissions office to verify if the payment went through... I don't want to do it again and mistakenly pay twice.
Thanks!

anyone have trouble paying the secondary fee on the website?

I hit proceed to payment, went to new site, entered the info, hit buy, the website automatically went back to the harvard website. The payment does not appear and thus won't allow me to submit my secondary.

Does anyone know if Harvard has to first authorize the payment before it appears on the website so that I can submit or was it supposed to be automatic?

Thanks!
 
Where you able to solve the issue? The same thing happened to me but it's too late to call the admissions office to verify if the payment went through... I don't want to do it again and mistakenly pay twice.
Thanks!

Yea. If it's not showing up on the secondary page, it didn't go through. After calling the office they said they don't have anything to do it.

I got it to work using a different credit card (master card). When it worked the charge appeared instantly on the secondary page, and I was able to then submit the application.
 
I asked them about the letters... they wrote back that they have received mine but that they are having problems with their secondary service.
 
I asked them about the letters... they wrote back that they have received mine but that they are having problems with their secondary service.

Are your letters listed on the secondary website as "Not Received"? Mine have been that way for about a week and I was planning on calling sometime this week. Submitted 7/20.
 
Hm that's weird, I would ask.

I got the secondary invite on Jul 28. On Aug 1 I designated the letter on AMCAS to Harvard. It was marked as received for me by Aug 5.
 
How do you guys know when they received your letters? I have been trying to log into the secondary app page but it does not let me. When I request to have a password resent, it says that they are unable to find my info.

EDIT: NVR, was able to access and my app is complete. Let the neurotic waiting begin.
 
When I initially sent out my AMCAS application I had a committee letter and a letter packet. Come to find out my pre-med office bundled all of my letters into one and sent it in as the committee letter. When I found this I marked the letter packet letter ID as 'not coming'. Every school I've applied to hasn't had an issue with this, but HMS still marks my letter packet as "not received" even though its never coming.. I called a few weeks ago to check on it, and they said it wasn't a problem and would be fixed in a few days, however 2 weeks later nothing has changed and I'm still not considered complete. Should I call them again and check up on it?
 
Does anyone know HMS' policy regarding research letters. If I had a research job this summer and will be getting a letter from the PI, does it need to be into hms BEFORE the committee reviews my application?? My app was marked as complete 2 weeks ago, but I'm just a bit concerned about this.
 
Guys, I don't see the text box where I can enter the essay for HST program. I selected the check box and indicated that I am applying to The Harvard-MIT Division of Health, Sciences and Technology (HST) Program, but nothing appeared. Do we get an additional app to fill out once we submit the secondary application, or are we suppoed to e-mail the HST essay?
 
Guys, I don't see the text box where I can enter the essay for HST program. I selected the check box and indicated that I am applying to The Harvard-MIT Division of Health, Sciences and Technology (HST) Program, but nothing appeared. Do we get an additional app to fill out once we submit the secondary application, or are we suppoed to e-mail the HST essay?

No, it is part of the same app. Make sure you saved the page/section where it was selected.
 
I sent in my secondary on 7/20 and had designated my letters of evaluation on AMCAS to be sent to harvard in early June, but just logged in to check my status on Harvard's website and it still says they have not been received. I see that some people are also having this problem. Should I contact AMCAs to resend them or is this a problem on Harvard?
 
I sent in my secondary on 7/20 and had designated my letters of evaluation on AMCAS to be sent to harvard in early June, but just logged in to check my status on Harvard's website and it still says they have not been received. I see that some people are also having this problem. Should I contact AMCAs to resend them or is this a problem on Harvard?

I spoke to Harvard today. The problem isn't AMCAS's or Harvard's, it's actually the new computer application system that Harvard is using this year. Your letters are there at Harvard (most likely) and you can call to confirm that. The application itself doesn't show YOU that the letters are there, and that's not something Harvard can edit, because it's the application software that's messed up. Call to confirm that you're complete, but if all your stuff was submitted a while ago, you most likely are complete.
 
i spoke to harvard today. The problem isn't amcas's or harvard's, it's actually the new computer application system that harvard is using this year. Your letters are there at harvard (most likely) and you can call to confirm that. The application itself doesn't show you that the letters are there, and that's not something harvard can edit, because it's the application software that's messed up. Call to confirm that you're complete, but if all your stuff was submitted a while ago, you most likely are complete.


+1
 
I spoke to Harvard today. The problem isn't AMCAS's or Harvard's, it's actually the new computer application system that Harvard is using this year. Your letters are there at Harvard (most likely) and you can call to confirm that. The application itself doesn't show YOU that the letters are there, and that's not something Harvard can edit, because it's the application software that's messed up. Call to confirm that you're complete, but if all your stuff was submitted a while ago, you most likely are complete.

Yep, they told me the same thing -- though it's kind of weird that some people have been marked as complete on the website and others haven't?? In any case, the admissions office seems pretty on top of things. I sent them a new letter just yesterday and they emailed today to confirm that they received it.
 
thanks guys, yep I emailed them last night and they had the same response that Harvard has received them and its a problem with the vendor
 
im having trouble understanding the pre-requisites for HMS as far as applying goes:

For physics and chemistry - I took AP Physics Mechanics and received credit, followed with Physics II Electricity & Magnetism at University. For Chemistry, I took AP Chemistry and got credit for both Gen. Chem I & II, and took Physical Chemistry (1 semester), Organic chem (2 semesters), Biochemistry (4 semesters or so).

Will I need to re-take Physics I and a semester (or two?) of general chemistry over the summer to meet their requirements?
 
Returned to Vanderbilt to find a letter from HMS Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs asking me to consider applying.....:laugh:
 
im having trouble understanding the pre-requisites for HMS as far as applying goes:

For physics and chemistry - I took AP Physics Mechanics and received credit, followed with Physics II Electricity & Magnetism at University. For Chemistry, I took AP Chemistry and got credit for both Gen. Chem I & II, and took Physical Chemistry (1 semester), Organic chem (2 semesters), Biochemistry (4 semesters or so).

Will I need to re-take Physics I and a semester (or two?) of general chemistry over the summer to meet their requirements?

It depends on what your major was. Mine was Biomedical Engineering, which used a ridiculous amount of physics and chemistry in the major courses, so I wasn't too worried about it as far as requirements.

Either way, I would ask them about it.
 
all is quiet on the western (northeastern?) front
 
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