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DearEighthGrader:SoYouWanttoApplytoHarvard?SomeWordsofAdvice...

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Dear Eighth Grader: So You Want to Apply to Harvard?

Some Words of Advice...
02/21/201205:30pmET|UpdatedApr22,2012

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AndrewS.Doctoroff
FormerjournalistDetroitlawyer

Dear Eighth Grader: So You Want to Apply to Harvard? Some Words o

DearEighthGrader:
Collegeinterviewseasonisdrawingtoaclose.Hundredsofthousandsof
highschoolseniorswouldliketobelievethattheyhavesecuredadmissionto

Alrea

prestigiouscollegesbyimpressingalumnilikemewiththeirsterling
credentialsandconversationalaptitude.
Ourmeetingwillnottakeplaceforfouryears.Ihopeyoudontthinkittoo
presumptuousofmetogiveyousomethingstothinkaboutnow,atthisearly
juncturetohelpyouprepare.
Ihavethreekidsofmyown,includinganeighthgraderlikeyou.Myhousewill
stillbeprettynoisyin2016so,letsmeetatEinsteins,thebagelplace.Ill
betheonedoingthecrosswordpuzzle.
IvebeenconductingHarvardinterviewsformanyyears.EventhoughI
graduatedfromHarvard,Ifeelsomewhatlikeaposer.Iknowtoamoral
certaintythat,ifIweretoapplytothecollegetoday,thechancesofmygetting
inwouldbelessthanzero.Admissionstandardshavegrownmorerigorous
overthelastquartercentury.Sometimes,itsgoodtobeolder.
Iinterviewapplicantsbecauseitsfun.Ilikehearingaboutwhatsgoingonin
youryouthfulworld,onethatisnowlargelyforeigntome.And,unlikemyown
kids,whenIaskquestions,applicantshavetoanswer.Ilikethat,too.
AfriendrecentlyaskedmewhetherIinterviewbecauseIliketowieldpower
likeCommodusinGladiator,whosethumbsupgestureintheColiseum
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DearEighthGrader:SoYouWanttoApplytoHarvard?SomeWordsofAdvice...

meantlifeordeath.
Butmypowersarehardlyimperial.Iamnotagatekeeper.Alotofkidsabout
whomIwriteenthusiasticrecommendationsdonotgetintoHarvard.Some
peoplesaythatthewholeinterviewprocessisjustanelaborateruseintended
toincreasealumnidonations.Still,myreportsmustcountforsomething,
because,whentheyarelate,Ireceivetestyemailsadmonishingme.
Thefirstthingyoushouldknowisthatgreattestscoresandgradepoint
averagesdonot,standingalone,exciteme.IfIhadonecandycoated
chocolateforeverykidIveinterviewedwithanACTscoreof34,Icouldfillan
industrialsizebagofM&MsthatCostcosellsfor$8.99.Highgrades?These
days,inthiseraofhypergradeinflation,whodoesntgetafourpointgazillion
GPA?

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Youcanleaveathomethecurriculumvitaeprintedonbondpaper.Iknow
youllbewellrounded.Youllplaymidfieldonthevarsitysoccerteam,clarinet
inthesymphonybandandBennySouthstreetinGuysandDolls.The
exhortationsofguidancecounselors,overinvestedparentsandtheauthors

AddusonSnapchat

ofCollegeAdmissionsforDummieswillguaranteethat.
Giventhatsomanycandidateshaveoutstandingcredentials,youmaythink
thatitwillbeimpossibleforyoutostandout.Nottrue.Thespecialkid

Dear Eighth Grader: So You Want to Apply to Harvard? Some Words o

announcesherselfboldly,unmistakablyshecantbemissedlikeaflare

streakingacrossastarlessnighttimesky.

Alrea

WhatdoIlookfor?Qualitiesthatarehardtospotonadmissionsapplications,
butonesthatscreamoutduringprobingconversation:passion,intellect,
curiosityandmettle.
So,whenIaskyoutoexplainwhyyousayyoudislikethepresident,itdbe
bestforyoutodomorethanmimicthepoliticalprejudicesofyourparents.

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ElizabethBenedict DontSweattheEssay

faithandthatyouvedevelopedanintellectualconstructthattakesinto
accountdoubtandopposingpointsofview.
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Illwanttolearnwhetheranexcitingideahaseverovertakenyou,whether
youveeverhadanepiphany,aeurekamoment.
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weaknesses?Doesyourhighschoolhaveacastesystem,and,ifso,howdo

Recommend an Interview

youfitinto,andfeelabout,it?Wheredoesmoralitycomefrom?Whatsmore

W.KentBarnds ExecutiveVicePresident,
AugustanaCollege

important,reasonorpassion?Whatsthelastbookyoureadoutsideofschool
thatchangedthewayyouthinkaboutsomethingimportant?Whatdidyoudo
tomotivateyourselftomakethevarsitytennisteam?
Doyouhaveanswerstothesequestions?Haveyoueventhoughtabout
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DearEighthGrader:SoYouWanttoApplytoHarvard?SomeWordsofAdvice...

them?
Inhisrecentbook,TheSocialAnimal,DavidBrooksdescribeshowahigh
schoolstudentmighttransformhimselfintoaprodigiousthinker,agenerator
oforiginalideas,atravelerontheroadtowisdom.Thejourneyisonethatwill
bedefinedbystruggle,byreadingandrereadingbooksthatmaybehardto
understand,bychallengingassumptions,bytryingtoharnessandunifystray
andrandomthoughts,bycultivatingexpertise.
WhenyouandImeet,willyouhavesetoutonthisintellectualvoyage?Will
youbeenergizedorenervatedbyyourodyssey?Orwillyouhaveforsaken
thejourneyaltogether,seducedbyFacebook,theDisneyChannelandother

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your inbox?

opiates?
And,bytheway,youwonthavetobeanextracurricularsuperstarto
impressme.Itllbeokayifyourenotelectedclasspresidentornamedtothe
allstatelacrosseteam.
ButIwillinvestigatewhetheryouaredisciplined,whetheryouareadilettante,
whetheryouknowhowtoenergeticallycommityourselftosomethingabout
whichyousayyoucare.Alternatively,Iwillaskmyselfwhetheryourwords
areyourownandwhetheryouractivitiesarecynicallycalculatedtowin
admissionstoanIvyLeagueschool.

Dear Eighth Grader: So You Want to Apply to Harvard? Some Words o

Irecentlyinterviewedagirlwhoeasilywonmeover(shegotintoHarvard),
notbecauseheraccomplishmentswerespectacular,butbecauseher
opinionswerewellformedbuthumblystated,becauseherpassionforcross

Alrea

countrycompelledhertorunatleastfivemilesalmosteverydaysinceninth
gradeandbecauseshewaxedsentimentalaboutpolkadancing,anactivity
thatdoesnotappearprominentlyontheradarscreensofmostcollege
admissionsofficials.
Therearenttoomanykidsouttherelikethat.So,ifyoureoneofthem,youll
havealegup,atleastinmyeyes.
Iamwritingtoyounow,yearsbeforeourmeeting,becauseIthinkyoullneed
timetoworkonsomeofthesethings.Intellectualambition,driveandzestfor
discoverycantbeturnedonandofflikealightswitch.
Weonlycultivatethesecharacteristicsslowly,andwedosoonlyby
conqueringapathyandpeerpressure,byshunningminimalismand
materialismandbyappreciatingthepositivecorrelationbetweeneffortand
reward.AsAristotleobserved,Wearewhatwerepeatedlydo.Excellence,
then,isnotanactbutahabit.
Frankly,itsnotreallythatimportantwhetheryougotoHarvard.Therearea
lotofHarvardgraduateswhodonotleadproductivelives.And,ofcourse,
Harvardandothercomparableschoolshavenotcorneredthemarketon
success.

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DearEighthGrader:SoYouWanttoApplytoHarvard?SomeWordsofAdvice...

But,irrespectiveofwhereyougotocollege,Ithinkthisistrue:Ifyouprepare
forourinterviewinthemannerIhavesuggested,youradultlifeisfarmore
likelytobeintellectuallyrich,rewardingandhappy.Theworldwillbeamore
excitingplaceforyou.
So,futureHarvardapplicant,Imlookingforwardtohavingagreatdiscussion
withyoufouryearsfromnow.Inthemeantime,logoutofFacebook,for
goodnesssake.
Warmregards,
AndyDoctoroff85

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DearEighthGrader:SoYouWanttoApplytoHarvard?SomeWordsofAdvice...
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