Harvard Halts Transfers for Two Years

Harvard decided not to accept a single one of the 1308 transfer applicants this year. The deadline for transfer applications was February 15th, and their decision was notified more than a month and a half after the deadline (during the first week of April). This means that more than a thousand students and their families have waited in vain. They also announced that they would not accept any transfer applicants next year either. This is completely unfair and unjustified discrimination against students based on their graduation year. Why should students transferring this year or next year be denied the opportunity which was given to students in the past?

Despite Harvard’s claim that insufficient residential housing is the reason for denying transfer admission, Harvard’s very unprofessional and extremely late decision is absolutely unacceptable. Statistically, I recall that Harvard has accepted less than one or two percent of its transfer applicants in the past couple of years. If we assume they would have accepted 1% of the transfer applicants this year, then that would only be 13 students. Would a mere 13 students really have a significant impact on their housing situation? Couldn’t they have selected 13 less from the freshman applicant pool? And if they had anticipated such a shortage, shouldn’t they have known before February 15th at the latest?

It appears that Harvard does not value the time and effort of the countless excellent students who applied for transfer this year. Although they offer to return the application fee, they completely disregard the time and labor that these diligent students put into their applications. Not only that, but they also do not compensate the students and their families for the financial costs to send school transcripts, SAT/ACT test scores, and mailing fees.

Although I cannot judge with certainty, it seems that Harvard’s lack of genuine interest in the advancement of higher education is beginning to show. Harvard's admissions committee completely neglects the combined efforts of 1308 students. It makes us wonder if they even reviewed the applications. What has happened to this once prestigious school?

Jennifer of NJ 7:47PM April 04, 2008