Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College et al
Filing
454
DECLARATION of Michael Connolly in Support of SFFA's Opposition to Harvard's Motion for Summary Judgment by Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 262, # 2 Exhibit 263, # 3 Exhibit 264, # 4 Exhibit 265, # 5 Exhibit 266, # 6 Exhibit 267, # 7 Exhibit 268, # 8 Exhibit 269, # 9 Exhibit 270, # 10 Exhibit 271, # 11 Exhibit 272, # 12 Exhibit 273, # 13 Exhibit 274, # 14 Exhibit 275, # 15 Exhibit 276, # 16 Exhibit 277, # 17 Exhibit 278, # 18 Exhibit 279, # 19 Exhibit 280, # 20 Exhibit 281, # 21 Exhibit 282, # 22 Exhibit 283, # 23 Exhibit 284, # 24 Exhibit 285)(Consovoy, William) (Additional attachment(s) added on 7/31/2018: # 25 Unredacted DECLARATION of Michael Connolly in Support of SFFA's Opposition to Harvard's Motion for Summary Judgment (Filed Under Seal), # 26 Exhibit 262 (Filed Under Seal), # 27 Exhibit 263 (Filed Under Seal), # 28 Exhibit 264 (Filed Under Seal), # 29 Exhibit 265 (Filed Under Seal), # 30 Exhibit 266 (Filed Under Seal), # 31 Exhibit 267 (Filed Under Seal), # 32 Exhibit 268 (Filed Under Seal), # 33 Exhibit 269 (Filed Under Seal), # 34 Exhibit 270 (Filed Under Seal), # 35 Exhibit 271 (Filed Under Seal), # 36 Exhibit 272 (Filed Under Seal), # 37 Exhibit 273 (Filed Under Seal), # 38 Exhibit 274 (Filed Under Seal), # 39 Exhibit 275 (Filed Under Seal), # 40 Exhibit 276 (Filed Under Seal), # 41 Exhibit 277 (Filed Under Seal), # 42 Exhibit 278 (Filed Under Seal), # 43 Exhibit 279 (Filed Under Seal), # 44 Exhibit 280 (Filed Under Seal), # 45 Exhibit 281 (Filed Under Seal), # 46 Exhibit 282 (Filed Under Seal), # 47 Exhibit 283 (Filed Under Seal), # 48 Exhibit 284 (Filed Under Seal), # 49 Exhibit 285 (Filed Under Seal)) (McDonagh, Christina).
EXHIBIT 269
College admits Class of ’18
Notifications letters were sent today to 2,023 of the more than 34,000 students who had applied to Harvard College. Among
those accepted were record numbers of African-American and Latino students. “The Class of 2018 reflects the excellence
achieved by the students of an increasingly diverse America,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial
aid. File photo by Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer
arvard College sent admission notifications today to
2,023 students, 5.9 percent of the applicant pool of
34,295. Included are record numbers of AfricanAmerican and Latino students, who constitute 11.9 and 13 percent
of the admitted class, respectively.
“The Class of 2018 reflects the excellence achieved by the students
of an increasingly diverse America,” said William R. Fitzsimmons,
dean of admissions and financial aid. “Attracting such outstanding
students to the College is vital to Harvard’s mission of educating
the future leaders of our nation.”
The incoming class comes from all regions of the United States
and throughout the world. About 23 percent come from the midAtlantic states, 21 percent from the Western and Mountain states,
17 percent from the South, 17 percent from New England, 10
percent from the Midwest, and 11 percent from the U.S. territories
and abroad. International citizens make up 10.5 percent of the
class, and 7.7 percent are U.S. dual citizens.
“Harvard’s revolutionary financial aid program led a large number
of our admitted students to apply,” said Fitzsimmons. “Many
were surprised to learn that for 90 percent of American families it
costs the same or less to come to Harvard compared with public
universities.”
This is the 10th year of the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative (HFAI).
Originally targeting students from low-income backgrounds, the
program was expanded in 2007 under the leadership of President
Drew Faust and Dean Michael D. Smith of the Faculty of Arts and
Sciences (FAS) to include middle-income families. “I have never
been prouder of Harvard and its leadership than when, even
during the darkest days of the economic downturn, the strength
of the financial aid program was never diminished and was
rebalanced to ensure that resources would be directed to students
who need the most aid,” said Fitzsimmons.
“Based on current projections, nearly 60 percent of the Class of
2018 will receive need-based financial aid grants, paying an
average of only $12,000 annually,” said Sarah C. Donahue, Griffin
Director of Financial Aid. Harvard requires no contribution from
the 20 percent of Harvard families with annual incomes below
$65,000, and asks an average of 10 percent of income from the
majority of families receiving financial aid. Loans are not
required. Even families with incomes greater than $150,000 are
eligible for aid, depending on their particular circumstances, such
as multiple children in college or unusual medical or other
essential expenses.
“All financial aid recipients, as in the past, contribute to the cost of
their education by working term-time and in the summer,”
Donahue said. “Harvard’s core value of providing access to
Harvard for outstanding students from all economic backgrounds
led to our remarkable financial aid program, inspiring future
applicants from modest economic backgrounds to consider
applying to Harvard.”
For students not receiving need-based aid, the total cost of
attendance (including tuition, room, board and fees) is scheduled
to increase by 3.9 percent, to $58,607.
“Because of our unwavering commitment to keeping a Harvard
College education affordable for all students, regardless of family
income, the real cost for most families will remain far less than the
so-called ‘sticker price,’ ” said Smith. “At $600 million, financial
aid is the largest priority of our recently launched $2.5 billion
capital campaign for Harvard College. Ken Griffin’s recent gift of
$150 million — most of which will fund financial aid — illustrates
how this program is made possible through the generosity of our
alumni and underlines the debt of gratitude they are owed.”
“The applicant pool of 34,296 included many students with strong
academic credentials,” said Marlyn E. McGrath, director of
admissions. About 13,500 students scored 700 or above on the
SAT critical reading test; 16,400 scored 700 or above on the SAT
math test; 14,200 scored 700 or higher on the SAT writing test;
and 3,400 were ranked first in their high school classes.
“In addition to standard academic measures, students present a
wide array of academic accomplishments, and we rely on our
faculty to evaluate research of all kinds and portfolios across a
range of academic and creative disciplines to identify the next
generation of scholars for Harvard,” she said. “Faculty members
speak with prospective students in person or on the phone and
answer their letters and email inquiries. Their accessibility is a
clear demonstration of Harvard’s commitment to undergraduate
education.”
Members of the teaching faculty serving on the admissions
committee are Ann M. Blair, Peter J. Burgard, Diana L. Eck,
Edward L. Glaeser, Benedict H. Gross, Guido Guidotti, Jay M.
Harris, Joseph D. Harris, Robert D. Howe, Thomas Jehn, Nancy E.
Kleckner, Harry R. Lewis, Richard M. Losick, James J. McCarthy,
Louis Menand, Michael D. Mitzenmacher, Cherry Murray, Donald
H. Pfister, Alison Simmons, Frans Spaepen, Christopher Stubbs,
Richard F. Thomas, James H. Waldo, Robert M. Woollacott, and
Amir Yacoby.
Fifty-five percent of those admitted to the new class are men,
reflecting the fact that more men than women applied. In
addition to African-American and Latino students, 19.7 percent of
the class is Asian-American and 1.9 percent Native American and
native Hawaiian.
“Our students bring excellences of all kinds with them to
Cambridge,” said McGrath. Extracurricular interests cited by
students include music and other expressive and performing arts
(38 percent); debate and political activities, including student
government (33 percent); social service (31 percent); and writing
and journalism (17 percent). In addition, 46 percent of the class
expects to participate in recreational, intramural, or
intercollegiate athletics.
Recruitment begins each year with direct outreach to promising
juniors. More than 63 percent of all admitted students and 81
percent of admitted minority students (including 90 percent of
Latinos and 83 percent of African-Americans) appeared on the
original College Board and ACT search lists that helped launch
Harvard’s outreach program for the class.
Staff members will visit 125 cities this spring and fall in tandem
with Duke University, Georgetown University, the University of
Pennsylvania, and Stanford University, targeting high school
juniors who may eventually join the Class of 2019. “Harvard will
also travel with Princeton, Yale, and the University of Virginia to
visit 20 more cities in the fall, reaching out to students from
modest economic backgrounds,” said Kanoe Lum Williams,
assistant director of joint travel. Added Jennifer Gandy, director
of joint travel, “Last year, Harvard admissions officers visited all
50 states, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Mexico, where we saw nearly
50,000 high school students and parents and met with more than
3,000 high school guidance counselors.”
“Recruitment has provided the foundation for Harvard’s pursuit
of excellence for many decades,” said Roger Banks, director of
recruitment. “Members of the Undergraduate Minority
Recruitment Program (UMRP) and the Harvard Financial Aid
Initiative (HFAI) played a key role in attracting this year’s
students,” said Kaitlin Howrigan, associate director of
recruitment. Members of both organizations telephoned and sent
email messages and letters to prospective applicants. They also
conducted recruitment trips around the country and met with
middle school and high school student groups who visited
Harvard.
“We are gratified by the enthusiasm of our UMRP coordinators
and the unprecedented results they achieved this year,” said
Lucerito Ortiz, co-director of UMRP. Added Tia Ray, assistant
director, “Our program continues to develop close relationships
with schools and communities that will help us with future
recruiting as well.”
“The Harvard Financial Aid Initiative remains one of Harvard’s
highest priorities, and once again we were able to attract
outstanding students from families with annual incomes under
$80,000,” said Charlene Kim, HFAI director. “Our student
recruiters worked tirelessly to reach out to talented students from
modest economic backgrounds who never dreamed Harvard was
possible,” added Pharen Bowman, HFAI assistant director. “As a
person who would have benefited from the HFAI program, I am
inspired by students who have come to Harvard as a result of
HFAI.”
The Undergraduate Admissions Council (UAC) and the
undergraduate tour guides and greeters work year-round with
campus visitors, welcoming and hosting prospective applicants
overnight. David Evans, co-director of the UAC, noted, “Current
undergraduates have enormous credibility with prospective
students who want to learn firsthand about the Harvard
experience.” Added Maxwell Dikkers, co-director, “The UAC
provides a human face to the Harvard community.” Co-director
Jake Foley concurred, saying “We hear from students and families
that UAC members help separate fact from fiction about what
Harvard is really like on a day-to-day basis.”
Banks, director of visitor services and co-director of the student
tour guide program, said, “Our tour guides and greeters see more
than 40,000 visitors each year to Cambridge. Their anecdotes
about life in the College both inside and outside the classroom
help lend a personal dimension to Harvard.” Added co-director
Ortiz, “We get many compliments from the public about our tour
guides and their ability to relate to a wide range of people with the
grace and humor.” Bryce Gilfillian, assistant director, noted that
“Many prospective students and their families from around the
world see Harvard for the first time through our tour guides and
often predicate their decisions about whether to apply based on
this experience.”
Personal contact with admitted students will be important over
the next few weeks. Members of UAC, UMRP, HFAI, the
admissions and financial aid staff, teaching faculty, and alumni
will write, email, telephone, and meet with admitted students.
“Our careful admissions process allows us to get to know our
admitted students well,” said Rachel Brown, yield activity
coordinator. “We write personalized notes to congratulate them
and help them consider how Harvard might provide the right
match for their interests.”
Harvard reaches out to students through a comprehensive digital
communications program directed by Amy Lavoie and a social
media recruitment program managed by Victoria Marzilli.
Working with assistant directors, Brown, Foley, and Gilfillian,
Lavoie said that “Students today rely heavily on the Internet for
information about higher education. Through our website and
student blogs, students from all over the world can get a wealth of
information about the College.” Added Marzilli, “Social media are
increasingly important to students. And, through technology, we
can meet them where they are to provide information about
Harvard.”
To give admitted students the opportunity to experience Harvard
life and meet future professors and classmates, a visiting program
for admitted students is scheduled for April 26 to 28. The
program, known as Visitas, enables guests to sample classes,
attend faculty panel discussions, concerts, receptions, department
open houses, symposia, and events organized by extracurricular
groups. More than 1,400 admitted students are expected to visit
during April, and 1,200 of them will do so during Visitas.
“Students admitted to Harvard have many attractive options, and
meetings with faculty and future classmates can make a real
difference to them,” said Visitas director Tim Smith. “Many
students decide to attend Harvard based on their Visitas
experience. We look forward to welcoming students home at
Harvard,” he said. Smith is assisted in this critically important
program by Brown, Dikkers, Gilfillian, Ray, and Williams.
“Much of our success is due to our loyal 15,000 alumni
volunteers,” said Brock Walsh, co-director of the Alumni Network
for Schools and Scholarship committees. “Their interviews
remain important as we make our admissions decisions. They are
also essential to our recruiting, as they visit schools, call newly
admitted students, and host gatherings for them in April.” Added
Caroline Weaver, co-director, “Their willingness to take time out
of already busy lives to help assemble our class each year is vital to
our efforts.”
Donahue and her financial aid colleagues will be available to speak
with admitted students and their families on weekdays from
March 28 until April 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT, and on April 27
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during Visitas. “We welcome students and
parents who have concerns or questions about how to finance a
Harvard education, including families who may not have applied
for financial aid but who are interested in the wide range of
available payment options,” she said. “Our program offers
assistance to all students and families, ranging from full financial
aid to a number of financing alternatives: a monthly payment plan,
the opportunity to prepay tuition at current rates, and a variety of
parent loan programs that extend payments up to 15 years.”
“Students and their families are anxious to learn more about other
forms of financial assistance, such as the Faculty Aide Program,
the Harvard College Research Program, and the Dean’s Summer
Research Program, all of which enable students to create paid
partnerships with faculty members on academic projects of
mutual interest,” said Meg Brooks Swift, director of student
employment and the Harvard College Research Program. “We
stand ready to help them in any way we can.”
Admitted students have until May 1 to accept their offers.
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