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Check this @thecrimson article out for a deep dive into an Asian American student’s successful application into Harvard, including the glowing review he received by the admissions panel. thecrimson.com/article/2018/9…
The key takeaway here is sort of what we’ve been saying all along: academic scores aren’t the full picture and only used to assess basic competency. What’s more important is for a student to highlight how they are unique, and how they will contribute to the Harvard community.
When some focus primarily on the strength of their academic scores, as if this entitles them to a Harvard admission letter over others, a reviewer can see that and knows that this may be the wrong attitude to take to a discursive community. Schools are recruiting new citizens.
When some focus primarily on chasing the highest grades, they sacrifice pursuit of the life experiences and opportunities that cultivate the diverse interests and experiences that would make them a compelling addition to a school community.
Diep’s review package is enlightening because it shows what reviewers prize. It isn’t grades or test scores — it is Diep’s interview and personal essay, and specifically the ways that Diep would integrate and excel — socially, intellectually — as a member of the Harvard campus.
Most importantly, Diep’s story is not unique. @originalspin talked in 2014 about how he was similarly reviewed positively — likely because of his extracurricular interests in filmmaking — when he applied to Harvard. cnn.com/2014/11/24/opi…
Also note how Diep’s racial and ethnic background is noted to contextualize his package — he is a first-gen Vietnamese American immigrant — but it is not determinative. His race did not hurt him, nor did it alone get him in; but it did help illustrate who Diep is as a person.
Those who complain that Harvard’s admissions process is an unintelligible black box should take note: this is an example of how the process works — and works in favor of Asian American applicants and all applicants who want to be seen as more than just a number.
