Harvard accepts 9% of those who apply. Let’s assume that 75% of those who apply are actually qualified to go to Harvard. That meant that they would all of the unqualified applicants and still reject 88% of all the qualified applicants.

What Harvard will do is collect all of the qualified students, and then choose which stand out based on other criteria. This means looking at extracurriculars, recomendations, admissions essays and how the applicant fits into the overall picture. This means that a qualified applicant from Wyoming might get in when compared to a qualified applicant from Concord, MA. Harvard gets lots of applications from qualified students in Concord — but few from Wyoming.

So — yes — it is hard to get into Harvard. It is the most selective school in the US — possibly in the world.

Those who say money matters do not know what they are talking about. The average student at Harvard pays less than the average students at most public universities.