I visited Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts with 2 of my colleagues the other day. Even on a dreary February day, with no snow on the ground and no leaves on the trees, Harvard yard is as beautiful and iconic as it's ever been.The neighborhood it's in, Harvard Square, is one of my favorites. It's the quintessential college town. There is no question that an education at Harvard will open doors for a lifetime; there are over 91,000 living alumni in the world - that's quite a network. I have no doubt that the faculty members are brilliant and I'm told they're very approachable. I also know that Harvard would be a wonderful place to study and learn and explore. In fact, Harvard houses the world's largest university library system with over 70 libraries and 17 million volumes. It's the getting in that's difficult. They don't mention this at the information session, but they deny 97 candidates out of every 100 that apply. Here's what they did say: "We're looking for students who are not merely going to get by, but who are going to thrive." They also acknowledged that most of the applicants could do the work. Put that in perspective. Most of the applicants can do the work successfully at Harvard. But they deny 97% of them.They are seeking a diverse class of brilliant, accomplished, and extraordinary young people. Because they have that luxury. So you need to ask yourself, or ask your student, "What do YOU have to bring to Harvard?" Because that is what they are going to be asking themselves when they look at your application.