You have not applied to college recently, have you?
The times when colleges applied reason/merit to the admission process are long gone. These days they are racketeering, politically-correct, quota-driven businesses where educational excellence is less and less important.
Other "important" factors which impact your admission chances are:
- your race (Asians usually discriminated against),
- your gender (both females and males can be discriminated),
- your state of residence (quotas for local residents),
- your country of residence (overseas students typically are rich and parents pay full tuition),
- your athletic prowess in a particular sport (if you are a semi-pro, you are golden).
Harvard does not make it a secret that a significant number (30%, I think) of slots is reserved for "legacies" and athletes. The rest are very good students (who managed to impress the admissions with some unusual after school activities), who make up for the legacies/athletes.
The times when colleges applied reason/merit to the admission process are long gone. These days they are racketeering, politically-correct, quota-driven businesses where educational excellence is less and less important.
Other "important" factors which impact your admission chances are:
- your race (Asians usually discriminated against),
- your gender (both females and males can be discriminated),
- your state of residence (quotas for local residents),
- your country of residence (overseas students typically are rich and parents pay full tuition),
- your athletic prowess in a particular sport (if you are a semi-pro, you are golden).
Harvard does not make it a secret that a significant number (30%, I think) of slots is reserved for "legacies" and athletes. The rest are very good students (who managed to impress the admissions with some unusual after school activities), who make up for the legacies/athletes.