What is the purpose of the Q&A section, and what kind of questions do you answer?
We at the Q&A are here for YOU. We will take any question you have, any topic that you want to know more about or anything that makes you anxious. We are here to answer any and all questions you might have about Harvard, especially as we recently went through these processes ourselves.
How can I submit my questions?
To submit your questions, simply type them into the question box on the right side of the page.
Should I take the SAT or the ACT?
Firstly, you should check to see whether the schools you are applying to accept both exams. The vast majority of American colleges do, including all the Ivy League schools, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, and University of Chicago.
So, how do you decide?
The tests vary slightly in their formats and content. The SAT is broken up into 10 parts, first the essay and then the other nine, which are split up into math, critical reading, and writing categories. Many schools require that applicants supplement the SAT with at least one SAT II subject test, which tests more specific knowledge in particular fields, including sciences and foreign languages.
The ACT, on the other hand, is broken up into four longer sections—English, Math, Reading, and Science—with an optional fifth section (Writing) which many colleges require. The ACT tests science, unlike the SAT, and its math is typically a little more advanced. Moreover, the ACT's questions are a little more straightforward than the SAT's questions, which often feature complicated and convoluted phrasings.
What it comes down to is the format you are most comfortable in. Some students prefer the SAT, some the ACT, and some really don't have a preference. There are tests you can take—the PSAT and the PLAN—that give you an indication of what your score would be on the SAT and the ACT, respectively. You can compare your performance on the ACTs vs the SATs using a conversion chart, such as the one College Board provides here.
What is a college's "yield rate" and why is it important?
A college's yield rate is the percentage of admitted students who eventually decide to matriculate at a given university. The higher the yield rate, the larger the number of students who chose it over other schools to which they were accepted. Yield rate is important to colleges: among other things, it affects their rankings.
They also have an effect on you as an applicant: yield rates vary from year to year, and the higher the yield rate, the less need there is for a school to dip into the waitlist to fill its class. Yield rate also helps to explain why some colleges care about "demonstrated interest"—e.g. whether you have gone on tours, visited, talked to admission officers, signed up for booklets, etc. The more interest a person demonstrates in a school, it is thought, the more likely a person is to say yes. There have even been allegations that some colleges reject highly-qualified students on the assumption that their school is not the student's first choice, thereby improving their yield rate.
Should I visit the college campus even before I’ve been admitted?
It is definitely a good idea to go visit a college, even in the application stage. By visiting a college early, you can see how the environment is, talk to students who attend to get a more realistic viewpoint on the college, and ask admissions officers about the process in person.
Visiting colleges before applying can be a good way to narrow down the pool of colleges you are applying to (if you are applying to many) or can help you understand how to gear your application towards a certain program or opportunity at the college.
Overall, visiting a college is a great way to figure out if you’d be happy at the college or not. There is more to a college than what can be written on a brochure, and sometimes that is what counts the most.
Read about what to do when you visit a college here.
Will this blog include anything for potential transfer students?
While we will mainly focus on freshman admissions, we also hope to feature some content aimed at transfer applicants.
—Staff Writers Laya Anasu, Erica Eisen, and Layla Siraj can be reached at admissions@thecrimson.com