Rejected by Harvard, Accepted by Reality: Why Top Students Still Get Denied

A recent viral X post made headlines when Zach Yadegari, a young, self-made multimillionaire, shared how he had been rejected by numerous highly selective colleges – including Harvard, Stanford, and MIT – despite having all the “right” credentials: high GPA, solid ACT score, and a compelling extracurricular activity. The high school senior also shared his personal essay online. While we didn’t work with this particular student, we certainly have worked with many high-achieving students aspiring to these and other elite colleges. Here’s our take on what these institutions look for, and on the possible limitations to this student’s application. 

A Balanced College List

First and foremost, even the strongest students need a balanced college list – college admissions isn’t a lottery, where the more tickets purchased increases the odds of winning. Highly selective schools are exactly that: most have admit rates under 10%, with many under 5%. Indeed, the three schools to which this student was admitted (Georgia Tech, University of Texas Austin, and University of Miami) are also considered highly selective schools, where under 20% of applicants are granted admission. 

Students applying to the most rejective schools need to have reasonable expectations of their outcomes, as these colleges simply don’t have space for the many highly-qualified applicants applying each year. Rather, students should thoughtfully research their colleges of interest, taking into account how their stats compare to the admitted student profiles, and account for admit rates. Such careful consideration should result in a balanced list, comprised mostly of target schools with a few “reaches” and “likely” schools to round it out. 

Academic Rigor and Test Scores

Grade inflation is increasingly a hallmark of secondary education, as we covered in a recent post. Having a 4.0 GPA is common, and doesn’t provide much insight into a student’s academic profile. Sure, a student may have received all A’s, but in which classes? Highly selective colleges expect students to challenge themselves in honors and AP (or equivalent) courses and take classes in the academic core all four years: English, math, science, social sciences, and world language. These schools was to consider students who exceed minimum high school diploma credit requirements – and intellectual curiosity is highly prized in and outside of the classroom; it’s an outstanding way students seeking admission to elite schools can demonstrate a thirst for knowledge borne out by a rigorous curriculum. 

Additionally, test scores are an essential academic piece of the application. While a score of 34 on the ACT is impressive, keep in mind that it’s one shared by many applicants to selective colleges, and it’s a score often squarely in the mid-50% of those colleges’ academic profiles. For instance, Columbia’s mid-50% range of scores for the class of 2028 was 34-36; MIT’s, 35-36. At many fine universities, a 34 or its equivalent score on the SAT would place a student on the top end of the applicant pool, but at highly selective universities, it puts you in the middle of the pack. 

Essays

As part of the application process, students write at least one essay, and oftentimes they compose several required pieces of writing. Stanford, for example, requires its applicants to answer eight additional prompts, in addition to requiring the universal Common App personal essay. The personal essay asks students to reflect on an aspect of their lives, such as their identity, a challenge, or an accomplishment. The life moment matters less than what they’ve learned from the experience and the growth that accompanied it. Deep reflection and self-understanding are keys to crafting a successful essay, one in which the student comes across as thoughtful and likeable. Additionally, students highlighting any accomplishments in the context of their essays should do so in a humble way; colleges respect humility. In examining the essay of the applicant we cited at the start of this piece, we found that the student seems to experience a revelation upon discovering that he does, in fact, wish to attend college. But his essay lacks depth and an understanding of what a college education means. There’s no mention of how the student will give back in some way. In short, the essay conveys little insight into who he is beyond his list of outward achievements. 

Furthermore, many supplemental essays, such as ones asking applicants why they wish to attend that college, can carry even more weight than the personal statement! Applicants writing these sorts of essays are advised to write them carefully, making sure to do school-specific research and have any and all essays reviewed by experienced eyes. This means going beyond superficial aspects like pretty campus or top ranking. Working on these essays, students should get to truly know a college, taking time to tour in-person or virtually along with diving deeply into the schools’ website, social media, course catalog and other online sources. You should not only get a sense of academic opportunities, but also an understanding of extracurricular experiences, and thoughts about ways to contribute to a vibrant campus life. 

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are another important part of the application, giving colleges new and important angles into a student’s character in additional to the academic statistics. Colleges want to know how students contribute to their classes and community, how they collaborate with their peers. With many applicants sharing a similar academic and testing profile, letters of recommendation, along with essays, can further set these students apart. In the case of the profiled student, we don’t know anything about his recommenders or anything about his classroom experience while in high school. 

Institutional Priorities

Ultimately, an admissions decision at these highly selective schools goes beyond pure merit. Instead, a college’s own priorities play a critical role in admitting – or not – a student to its campus. Institutional priorities can include such considerations like geographic or socioeconomic factors, or whether or not the college feels a student will accept an offer of admission (known as yield protection). In the case of the applicant who already runs a highly successfully company, colleges may view that student as having the potential to leave after a year or two, as have many tech titans before him. Or, perhaps the student didn’t make a compelling case through his essay or other application pieces that he would take full advantage of what that school has to offer while in turn contributing to the campus community both in and out of the classroom. Remember, each college makes an independent decision – and the fact that this student received offers of admission from three excellent colleges without having any targets or safeties on his list may be a seen as a successful outcome! 

Furthermore, in Zach Yadegari’s case, a compelling argument can be made that not all students need to attend college. In his essay, he expresses a desire for mentorship and network, which can be part of the college experience, but aren’t limited to campus. A resourceful and outgoing teenager certainly has the savvy to find his own mentors and establish a great personal network – with or without college! 

How We Can Help  

Applying to college, whether to elite institutions or to ones with more generous admit rates, can be challenging as you navigate the various application components. It’s important to start with a balanced list and then move through the process with an understanding of colleges’ expectations, allowing you to reasonably adjust yours. As you begin your college journey, allow us to be your trusted guide, providing insightful guidance for academic and extracurricular selection, campus culture research, and assistance with crafting compelling college essays that help you stand out in positive, meaningful ways. Contact us today!