The Office of Admissions released figures Friday that reflect a similar variety to last year's early admittees. More than 46 percent are female, 18.4 percent are Asian-American, 7.2 percent Latin American, 6.1 percent African-American, and 0.8 percent Native American.

McGrath Lewis said Harvard has no recipe for the ideal candidate. Instead, she said the admissions office looks for students who pursue genuine interests rather than a scripted list of test scores and extracurriculars.

"Following one's own ambitions and desires in a genuine and authentic way is much more likely to result in people who don't burn themselves out and who arrive in college much more likely to take on continuing and new challenges," McGrath Lewis said.

Of the 6,095 applications, 195 were rejected and the rest will be reconsidered in the spring under regular decision.

According a press release, Harvard expects between 85 and 90 percent of the 1,101 early action admittees to matriculate.