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Update on Harvard BBS Acceptance Rate

By PhDHopeful3 January 12, 2017 in Biology

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PhDHopeful3

Hi everyone,

I just heard some information that surprised me today that I wanted to share (as it's quite different than previous post-interview acceptance rates that I had heard for Harvard BBS). There are ~70 people attending the first (January) interview weekend, and ~50 people attending the second (Feb) interview weekend. They're also still expecting to hear back from a few more people who haven't yet signed up.

They are looking to fill 65-70 spots for this cycle. 

I was quite surprised, because I'd heard for Harvard BBS that if you get an interview, you're pretty much good (~90% post-interview acceptance rate), but these numbers don't indicate that.

Just wanted to share this info, as I know people are often talking about acceptance rates!

I should have added that I was told that, yes, more offers go out than the 65-70 spots that they're looking to fill (makes sense, as we know students will choose other programs for various reasons). But absolutely not to the tune of 80-90% of interviewees receiving an offer of admission.

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Epigenetics.

January 14, 2017

I can tell you fundamentally none of what you're saying is true. Yes they're trying to fill ~65 spots, because the program is large, but that is the post-acceptance matriculation number. They expect a

January 17, 2017

I actually found some data on HILS website and did some math based on the data. The result confirms what @Epigenetics just said: (source: https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/divisions/harv

February 6, 2017

Got an offer via a phone call from BBS. Good luck to everyone!

Thank you for this information! Better to go in with a competitive environment than feeling overconfident.

• bioapplerobot

Exactly! I think I was feeling too confident before I found this out!

I don't think this is as bad as it seems at first glance. 70 admits out of a group of 120 is approximately a ~60% acceptance rate, but you have to consider that even top programs don't have 100% enrollment rates. The students that end up getting offers from Harvard are going to be getting offers from other excellent schools, so they always have to send out more offers than they have spots in order to fill out their incoming class. This means that the the actual post-interview admissions rate has to substantially higher than 60% - I figure that somewhere around 80% is reasonable based on the numbers you mentioned.

Edit: Didn't see OP's edit to his original post. But I do think it's reasonable to expect an 80% rate.

• hippopotamus and Nomad1111

I can tell you fundamentally none of what you're saying is true. Yes they're trying to fill ~65 spots, because the program is large, but that is the post-acceptance matriculation number. They expect a large number of people not to attend, so if they anticipate a matriculation rate of 50% (from what I've heard that's about what they expect) then they have to accept 130 people to get that. I know for a fact their post-interview admission rate is 90-95%. Source: I work in a BBS lab.

• Nomad1111 , hippopotamus , MCF10A and 2 others

1 hour ago, Epigenetics said: I can tell you fundamentally none of what you're saying is true. Yes they're trying to fill ~65 spots, because the program is large, but that is the post-acceptance matriculation number. They expect a large number of people not to attend, so if they anticipate a matriculation rate of 50% (from what I've heard that's about what they expect) then they have to accept 130 people to get that. I know for a fact their post-interview admission rate is 90-95%. Source: I work in a BBS lab.

Whew! That is reassuring!

2 hours ago, Epigenetics said: I can tell you fundamentally none of what you're saying is true. Yes they're trying to fill ~65 spots, because the program is large, but that is the post-acceptance matriculation number. They expect a large number of people not to attend, so if they anticipate a matriculation rate of 50% (from what I've heard that's about what they expect) then they have to accept 130 people to get that. I know for a fact their post-interview admission rate is 90-95%. Source: I work in a BBS lab.

Wow that really relieved me! I feel kind of surprised by the ~50% yield rate tho, given that the MD and MD-PhD program at HMS both have 75%+ yield rates. Maybe many people who get in Harvard BBS tend to have multiple offers from other top programs, but getting into multiple top schools for MD/MD-PhD is way harder?

I actually found some data on HILS website and did some math based on the data. The result confirms what @Epigenetics  just said:

(source:  https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/divisions/harvard-integrated-life-sciences )

(1)Last year all programs in HILS (BBS, BIG, MCO, immunology, chem bio, etc) accepted~396 students (2331 total applicants*17% admission rate), and the entering class is 210, which makes the yield rate ~53% .

(2)Since BBS is the largest cohort in HILS (~31% of the HILS), let's assume that the yield rate of BBS is similar to that number of the whole HILS. 

(3)In order to fill 65 spots, BBS needs to accept 65/0.53=122 students . If the # of spots to fill is 70, they need to accept 132 .

(4)~120 people will attend two interview weekends, and there are more internationals do Skype interview. Harvard BBS has ~30% intl students, let's assume that among 30%, half (15%) reside in the US and are already included in the 120, and the remaining 15% will do skype. The total interviewee number (onsite+skype)=120/(1-0.15)=142 . 

(5) The conclusion: BBS will interview ~140 students and accept 120-130 students, which makes the post-interview acceptance rate 86-93% . Not bad at all.

• The Precambrian Rabbit , 564654899865 , Some violinist and 2 others

5 hours ago, MCF10A said: I actually found some data on HILS website and did some math based on the data. The result confirms what @Epigenetics  just said: (source:  https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/divisions/harvard-integrated-life-sciences ) (1)Last year all programs in HILS (BBS, BIG, MCO, immunology, chem bio, etc) accepted~396 students (2331 total applicants*17% admission rate), and the entering class is 210, which makes the yield rate ~53% . (2)Since BBS is the largest cohort in HILS (~31% of the HILS), let's assume that the yield rate of BBS is similar to that number of the whole HILS.  (3)In order to fill 65 spots, BBS needs to accept 65/0.53=122 students . If the # of spots to fill is 70, they need to accept 132 . (4)~120 people will attend two interview weekends, and there are more internationals do Skype interview. Harvard BBS has ~30% intl students, let's assume that among 30%, half (15%) reside in the US and are already included in the 120, and the remaining 15% will do skype. The total interviewee number (onsite+skype)=120/(1-0.15)=142 .  (5) The conclusion: BBS will interview ~140 students and accept 120-130 students, which makes the post-interview acceptance rate 86-93% . Not bad at all. So guess we can just chill      

5 hours ago, MCF10A said: I actually found some data on HILS website and did some math based on the data. The result confirms what @Epigenetics  just said: (source:  https://gsas.harvard.edu/programs-of-study/divisions/harvard-integrated-life-sciences ) (1)Last year all programs in HILS (BBS, BIG, MCO, immunology, chem bio, etc) accepted~396 students (2331 total applicants*17% admission rate), and the entering class is 210, which makes the yield rate ~53% . (2)Since BBS is the largest cohort in HILS (~31% of the HILS), let's assume that the yield rate of BBS is similar to that number of the whole HILS.  (3)In order to fill 65 spots, BBS needs to accept 65/0.53=122 students . If the # of spots to fill is 70, they need to accept 132 . (4)~120 people will attend two interview weekends, and there are more internationals do Skype interview. Harvard BBS has ~30% intl students, let's assume that among 30%, half (15%) reside in the US and are already included in the 120, and the remaining 15% will do skype. The total interviewee number (onsite+skype)=120/(1-0.15)=142 .  (5) The conclusion: BBS will interview ~140 students and accept 120-130 students, which makes the post-interview acceptance rate 86-93% . Not bad at all. So guess we can just chill

Was told by the secretary during Sys Bio interview that the acceptance rate was ~60%

hippopotamus

Does anyone know if Harvard BBS sends out the list of faculty that you'll be interviewing with?

1 hour ago, hippopotamus said: Does anyone know if Harvard BBS sends out the list of faculty that you'll be interviewing with?

Don't think so. Still waiting on that.

Got contact with my student host though.

8 minutes ago, desmond.bo said: Don't think so. Still waiting on that. Got contact with my student host though.

Did your grad student host contact you directly?

32 minutes ago, hippopotamus said: Did your grad student host contact you directly?

Yep. I suppose they are doing these independently. 

• 2 weeks later...

Does anyone know when we hear back from Harvard BBS?

20 minutes ago, hippopotamus said: Does anyone know when we hear back from Harvard BBS?

From looking at the previous two years, it looks like the first round of interviews hears today.... not sure if that's the case this year, but that's how it has been previously.

10 hours ago, PhDHopeful3 said: From looking at the previous two years, it looks like the first round of interviews hears today.... not sure if that's the case this year, but that's how it has been previously.

Nothing happened to me today. Did you guys heard about anything?

56 minutes ago, desmond.bo said: Nothing happened to me today. Did you guys heard about anything?

i don't think anything came out today. maybe tomorrow

Nothing today!

Nothing in the results section either

Come on BBS, let's try for today for week 1!

• MCF10A and PhDHopeful3

jeanetics17

Maybe they're adjusting how many people they admit this year based on last year's results which they told us was a very big class (~70-75). Since so many people accepted last year, they probably think a similar trend will occur this year, and of course those are huge numbers in terms of cost for the program. When we didn't hear back last week, I suspected something was up and perhaps (I suspect) the 1st group of interviewees won't hear back until after the 2nd interview. Basically, I think they are going to pool all interviewees and cut from that instead of each weekend (reducing the amount accepted in total). 

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Shreeya Panigrahi '19 currently serves as a policy advisor at the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC). Through this role, she has led policy development, stakeholder engagement, and communications on a range of Biden-Harris Administration's health care policy priorities, including health care affordability and medical debt, nutrition and public health, and climate resilience in health care. She joined DPC in early 2021 as special assistant to DPC's health/veterans and immigration teams, advising DPC's senior leadership and driving cross-team priorities.

Shreeya previously served as the Assistant to the Campaign Manager on the Biden-Harris Campaign and on the Biden-Harris Transition Team and was an organizer for Secretary Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign in New Hampshire and Texas. Shreeya graduated with honors in engineering from Harvard College in 2019, where she also studied environmental policy and Russian. As an undergraduate, she led the Institute of Politics' Fellows and Study Groups Program and was a resident of Lowell House.

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RSVP with a valid Harvard email address Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Time: 6:00pm EST Where: Harvard Kennedy School - T-520 Register Here

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Harvard accepts 3.59% of applicants, highest rate in 4 years.

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This year's Ivy League acceptance rates continue to reflect today’s competitive landscape of higher education but there are some signs of easing. Harvard University accepted 3.59% of applicants for the Class of 2028, its highest acceptance rate in four years, according to the student-run Harvard Crimson.

This compares with last year’s 3.41% for the Class of 2027 and a 3.19% acceptance rate the year before, which was a record low.

Despite the slight widening of Harvard’s acceptance rate, student interest in highly-ranked universities remained robust. Yale University accepted 3.7% of applicants, its lowest rate ever, according to Yale Daily News.

“There’s never been more demand for the top-50 most recognizable universities, universities where people feel a life-changing education is at hand,” says Hafeez Lakhani, Founder of Lakhani Coaching. “The demand for that is really off the charts.”

The acceptance rates at Harvard University and other Ivy League schools remained low, reflecting ... [+] continued student interest in attending these highly-ranked institutions.

Elsewhere, Brown University reported an acceptance rate of 5.2% for the Class of 2028, its third-lowest acceptance rate, according to the student-run Brown Daily Herald . Columbia University accepted 3.85% of applicants, narrowing slightly from last year’s acceptance rate of 3.9%, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator.

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Additionally, Dartmouth drew a record-high number of applicants and accepted a record-low 5.3% of those applicants, that rate nearly a percentage point lower than the rate last year.

“Students are still very interested in applying to the Ivies as well as other top-20 and top-50 colleges,” says Aaron Andrikopoulos, Co-Founder of AJ Tutoring.

“They still see a lot of value in the name brand of those colleges and the doors that might open in the future, as well as the educational opportunities and the chance to be surrounded by a cohort of similarly motivated students,” he adds.

The University of Pennsylvania said it had received the largest applicant pool in the school’s history but did not immediately share its acceptance rate. Cornell, too, did not immediately share details.

While Ivy League admission rates remain very competitive, experts note that some are wider than they’ve been in recent years. They say a number of factors are likely contributing - for example, this is the first admissions cycle since the end of affirmative action.

In addition, there may be the dampening effect of the so-called “enrollment cliff” that is expected to become increasingly apparent in 2025, when the number of high school graduates declines. This fall stems from a drop in birthrates following the 2008 global recession due to concerns over finances.

Earlier, Brown had reported that a total of 48,881 students applied to its Class of 2028, marking a 5% decline from last year, according to the Brown Daily Herald.

“The population in the high school seniors’ age bracket applying to colleges is going to decline, so that might increase admission rates slightly,” says Connie Livingston, Head of College Counseling at edtech company Empowerly and a former admissions officer at Brown University. However, she adds that “we may see a one or two percent increase, nothing very dramatic. I think the numbers of highly qualified students will remain constant.”

The number of applicants to highly-ranked universities may decline, too, due to some schools reinstating SAT/ACT submission requirements. Among them are Dartmouth College , Brown University and the University of Texas at Austin . Yale University has a new flexible testing policy that requires students to submit scores with their applications, although the university will accept Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam scores in lieu of the ACT or SAT.

Some universities cited Opportunity Insights research that found SAT and ACT scores have substantive predictive power for academic success in college.

In making its decision to reinstate test requirements, Brown University referred to a report that cited, “Standardized tests provide an important piece of information about the applicant’s performance in the context of the opportunities that were available to them.” For example, a student with scores below the Brown median but at the top of the range of their own school may be a promising candidate for admission but the lack of test scores “removes a piece of evidence that could make a positive difference in the admissions decision,” the report noted.

Harvard has retained its test-optional policies through to the admitted Class of 2030 .

Despite this year’s low acceptance rates, it’s important to note that these schools are generally outliers, as most colleges admit many of their applicants. In fact, that average acceptance rate among all ranked colleges that report their admissions information to U.S. News & World Report in 2022 was 71.4% and 37 schools said they accepted all applicants.

However, with regards to high school students aiming for the country’s most highly-ranked universities, competition may continue to ease up, at least a little, in the future.

“The demographics are speaking loud and clear,” says Hafeez Lakhani of Lakhani Coaching. “I don’t think we’re going to get to where it’s going to be easy to get into Yale. But I do think we’ve peaked, so to speak, at record low acceptance rates.”

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