What Is The Z-List In Harvard University Admissions

Getting into a university as prestigious as the Harvard University requires students to get a high SAT score and high GPA.

The SAT is a standardised test widely used for college admissions in the United States, while the the GPA, or Grade Point Average, is a number that indicates how high you scored in your courses on average.

Harvard University

However, did you know that you could get into Harvard even with a low SAT low and a below-par GPA?

This is precisely how the Z-list students - children of highly influential people and huge donors - get admission into Harvard.

What is the Z-list in Harvard admissions?

According to Ivy Coach¡¯s website, roughly 60 students get a spot on the Z list annually.

"It¡¯s for people who are important. We¡¯ve had clients who have been admitted on the Z list who are close friends or family of major world leaders or major donors," says Brian Taylor, managing partner of Manhattan-based college admissions firm Ivy Coach, as quoted by The Post.

How does Harvard still maintain good rankings after admitting students with low scores?

"If Harvard doesn¡¯t want the student hurting their US News and World Report ranking with their GPA and test scores, they admit them through the Z list," Taylor said.

Harvard University

These students are asked to take a gap year before enrolling at Harvard, which makes them "data ghosts" ¡ª i.e. their SAT scores and GPAs are not reported in the incoming freshman class.

That way, Harvard's rankings also do not get affected.

Is Harvard the only elite school that provides backdoor admissions?

Although Harvard is the only school with a "Z-list" but other elite schools also have such a back-door admission process.

For instance, Cornell has a "guaranteed transfer" option for some applicants who have sub-par test scores or GPAs.

Cornell University

Such students are asked to do their freshman year of college elsewhere and maintain a certain grade point average during their freshman year. Then, they are guaranteed admission to Cornell as a second-year transfer student.

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