Held @ Harvard 2013 style Forum

[eyfl]

I don't know the answer to either of these. I've actually thought about the latter a few times. I still don't think I've come up with a good rationale for holding people (as opposed to waitlisting them). Maybe they think applicants find getting waitlisted more disheartening than getting held, so less people withdraw?

The way I see it (and this is entirely my speculation / fantasy), there are 2 groups of applicants that get into the "Held" pile:
1. those with very good numbers; they'd like to admit them but there's something fishy, which prevents JS1/JS2 (could be bad LoRs, PS, bad interview skills or whatever). In the end they're waiting to determine if there's need in these numbers to look past that fishy part of the app
2. those with numbers on the soft side; there's something in these apps that makes applicants unique/interesting and admission folks would like to have them in the class, yet the numbers cause concern so admission folks prefer to wait and see how the medians turn out (like what happens with URM, if I recall correctly the majority get decisions very late in the game no matter the complete date)

Oh, and I'm extremely interested to see TripTrip's app - guy's cycle seems ridiculous

[TripTrip]

The way I see it (and this is entirely my speculation / fantasy), there are 2 groups of applicants that get into the "Held" pile:
1. those with very good numbers; they'd like to admit them but there's something fishy, which prevents JS1/JS2 (could be bad LoRs, PS, bad interview skills or whatever). In the end they're waiting to determine if there's need in these numbers to look past that fishy part of the app
2. those with numbers on the soft side; there's something in these apps that makes applicants unique/interesting and admission folks would like to have them in the class, yet the numbers cause concern so admission folks prefer to wait and see how the medians turn out (like what happens with URM, if I recall correctly the majority get decisions very late in the game no matter the complete date)

That's the most sensible explanation I've seen of holds.

[helix23]

I don't know the answer to either of these. I've actually thought about the latter a few times. I still don't think I've come up with a good rationale for holding people (as opposed to waitlisting them). Maybe they think applicants find getting waitlisted more disheartening than getting held, so less people withdraw?

The way I see it (and this is entirely my speculation / fantasy), there are 2 groups of applicants that get into the "Held" pile:
1. those with very good numbers; they'd like to admit them but there's something fishy, which prevents JS1/JS2 (could be bad LoRs, PS, bad interview skills or whatever). In the end they're waiting to determine if there's need in these numbers to look past that fishy part of the app
2. those with numbers on the soft side; there's something in these apps that makes applicants unique/interesting and admission folks would like to have them in the class, yet the numbers cause concern so admission folks prefer to wait and see how the medians turn out (like what happens with URM, if I recall correctly the majority get decisions very late in the game no matter the complete date)

Oh, and I'm extremely interested to see TripTrip's app - guy's cycle seems ridiculous

This is a fine explanation of who they hold, but doesn't speak to why there is a hold category to begin with. They could just as easily waitlist the above two groups and most likely will end up doing so. Why the "hold" in the meantime when for all intensive purposes a hold and a waitlist are the same thing? That's really what I was getting at.

[vzapana]

I don't know the answer to either of these. I've actually thought about the latter a few times. I still don't think I've come up with a good rationale for holding people (as opposed to waitlisting them). Maybe they think applicants find getting waitlisted more disheartening than getting held, so less people withdraw?

The way I see it (and this is entirely my speculation / fantasy), there are 2 groups of applicants that get into the "Held" pile:
1. those with very good numbers; they'd like to admit them but there's something fishy, which prevents JS1/JS2 (could be bad LoRs, PS, bad interview skills or whatever). In the end they're waiting to determine if there's need in these numbers to look past that fishy part of the app
2. those with numbers on the soft side; there's something in these apps that makes applicants unique/interesting and admission folks would like to have them in the class, yet the numbers cause concern so admission folks prefer to wait and see how the medians turn out (like what happens with URM, if I recall correctly the majority get decisions very late in the game no matter the complete date)

Oh, and I'm extremely interested to see TripTrip's app - guy's cycle seems ridiculous

This is a fine explanation of who they hold, but doesn't speak to why there is a hold category to begin with. They could just as easily waitlist the above two groups and most likely will end up doing so. Why the "hold" in the meantime when for all intensive purposes a hold and a waitlist are the same thing? That's really what I was getting at.

The blog post js wrote earlier this year pretty much explains this. Hold really means they made no decision about you. It's just to tell you they know you're alive. It's not in itself a decision; it's just an indication that they need more time to debate your app.

Honestly I prefer this to silence until April-- which seems to be happening to some stanford applicants

[wert3813]

I don't know the answer to either of these. I've actually thought about the latter a few times. I still don't think I've come up with a good rationale for holding people (as opposed to waitlisting them). Maybe they think applicants find getting waitlisted more disheartening than getting held, so less people withdraw?

The way I see it (and this is entirely my speculation / fantasy), there are 2 groups of applicants that get into the "Held" pile:
1. those with very good numbers; they'd like to admit them but there's something fishy, which prevents JS1/JS2 (could be bad LoRs, PS, bad interview skills or whatever). In the end they're waiting to determine if there's need in these numbers to look past that fishy part of the app
2. those with numbers on the soft side; there's something in these apps that makes applicants unique/interesting and admission folks would like to have them in the class, yet the numbers cause concern so admission folks prefer to wait and see how the medians turn out (like what happens with URM, if I recall correctly the majority get decisions very late in the game no matter the complete date)

Oh, and I'm extremely interested to see TripTrip's app - guy's cycle seems ridiculous

Having seen 70% (maybe?) of his app I still don't have a good explanation. One of his recommenders likes to hear himself talk but it's still a fine letter and shouldn't hurt him in the least. There is no way his resume could be considered below average. It just can't. And you shouldn't need to be much above average with those numbers.

I think the reason for the hold category is fairly straightforward. They are not going to waitlist as many people as they hold. They want to see the whole applicant pool before they waitlist. Keep in mind this isn't Duke (where they have to pull a fair amount from their waitlist) or UVA (where they use their waitlist for YP). That leaves two choices. Do what they are doing, or do what Stanford is doing. Now maybe you think Stanford's way is the way to go, but if you have visited that thread lately you know people are throughly frustrated with having not heard anything since before Thanksgiving.

[az21833]

statistically, they waitlist the VAST majority of students that they hold. the credited explanation would make a lot more sense if they accepted or rejected more kids straight from hold

[switchis32]

So, judging by how the penn asw went, there are more people got held than we think...

[kuddlykoala]

why? what happened at penn asw?

[kakistocracy]

Just got held yesterday and joining the club late. Lowish GPA, submitted January.

[wert3813]

So, judging by how the penn asw went, there are more people got held than we think...

C'mon. You can't just make a statement like this and walk away.

[switchis32]

So, judging by how the penn asw went, there are more people got held than we think...

C'mon. You can't just make a statement like this and walk away.

I was there (just left actually) and I met like 8 people that were held. And like another 4 people got held in yesterday's thread

[az21833]

Wonder what percentAge of held students at hls are headed to YS vs ccn vs mvpb

Sounds like a lot of cls NYU and penn?

[switchis32]

Wonder what percentAge of held students at hls are headed to YS vs ccn vs mvpb

Sounds like a lot of cls NYU and penn?

I'm not sure. But of the people I talked to that were held, all of them were considering ccn and/or p or b

[Lavitz]

Wonder what percentAge of held students at hls are headed to YS vs ccn vs mvpb

Sounds like a lot of cls NYU and penn?

At least one person is headed to Cornell.

[04102014]

Fwiw, I was at michigan's asw and nobody really mentioned Harvard. It seemed like a lot of people were choosing between Michigan and Northwestern, which surprised me.

[digifly]

I'm heading to UVA, and there are other holds there doing the same.

edit: typo

[jym_dawg]

I'm heading to UVA, and there other holds there doing the same.

+1

[az21833]

Are you guys going to stay on hls WL after depositing at cls uva penn etc

[Lavitz]

Yes.

[jym_dawg]

Are you guys going to stay on hls WL after depositing at cls uva penn etc

I was going to until I saw this pathetic performance against Arizona. Now I'm withdrawing and I encourage all of you guys to do the same.

[ph5354a]

There's no reason not to. If a miracle happens in mid-July, I doubt I would want to entirely change my plans since I'll have a new apartment, etc. by then, but it's a great bargaining chip for more $$ at wherever I end up.

[az21833]

There's no reason not to. If a miracle happens in mid-July, I doubt I would want to entirely change my plans since I'll have a new apartment, etc. by then, but it's a great bargaining chip for more $$ at wherever I end up.

Interesting approach ph

[ph5354a]

There's no reason not to. If a miracle happens in mid-July, I doubt I would want to entirely change my plans since I'll have a new apartment, etc. by then, but it's a great bargaining chip for more $$ at wherever I end up.

Interesting approach ph

Hey, if I'm gonna forgo H to rot in manhattan for three years, I would expect to see some cash.

[txdude45]

There's no reason not to. If a miracle happens in mid-July, I doubt I would want to entirely change my plans since I'll have a new apartment, etc. by then, but it's a great bargaining chip for more $$ at wherever I end up.

Interesting approach ph

Hey, if I'm gonna forgo H to rot in manhattan for three years, I would expect to see some cash.

I can't stand NYC, but it's the best option thus far (unless Chicago happens b/c I'd have $0 CoL). I'm positioning myself for maximum flexibility. The thought of living in NYC for 3 years really grosses me out. I spent a summer there and the streets literally smell like crap. Please, HLS, save me!

[az21833]

Might as well call this the cls 2016 thread