what’s with the “american-kurdish billionaire?” Is this someone you have worked with or who knows you well?
I think the most interesting thing about you is the mixed martial arts.
Guys isn’t founding a company and making at least 20 thousand dollar a year a great extra curricular? Can’t I go
at least one of the ivies
We have no idea if admissions will accept you or not.
If your application shows initiative (with your company and in other areas), ability to do the work consistently (you mention reasons for non-performance which may be a concern) and good character, you have a chance but I would not assume anything at all, and it is wise to investigate other options, of which there are many.
Yes.
Is it rare? Yes. Is it one-of-a-kind? No. Will any AO say, “Oooh, what a great EC. Let’s ignore the rest of the application and just admit the applicant?” No.
There is no Golden Ticket, at least not for you. Whether your ECs help you or not, nobody here can say, so don’t sweat it. Put together the best application package you can and let the chips fall where they may.
First off, you need to appreciate and understand the level of competition at Harvard. When my daughter attended the school, she knew a student who had sold the company he founded for 5 million dollars while he was in high school. So while founding a company and making $20k year is impressive, by comparison, it’s not going to impress Admissions as much as you think because past applicants have had similar and greater accomplishments. The same applies to the rest of the ivies.
Secondly, William Fitzsimmons is on record as saying "We’re trying to find people who make others around them better.” The question you need to answer for yourself and for Admissions is, if admitted, how would your experience with founding a company and making $20K a year make others around you better? That’s really ‘key.’
Lastly, I would remind you of what MIT has said: http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways
So there’s isn’t a golden ticket to Harvard or any of the ivies – and that includes founding a company and making at least 20 thousand dollar a year from an extracurricular activity.
Best of luck to you!
"Can’t I go at least one of the ivies "
I am now wondering why you want to go to an Ivy League school. The 8 Ivy League universities are not all the same, and there are many other very strong universities in the US. For what I studied, the Ivy League schools are not even the strongest in the US (although one of them is in the top 3).
Yes, you can get into a very good university with your stats. Whether it will be one of the 8 Ivy League schools none of us can say for sure other than “it would be a reach”.
Students do not realize the sheer competition one faces when applying to Harvard, especially as an international student. Harvard is the most prestigious university in the world. If there is one school that you can bet on that the vast majority of the global population will recognize and be impressed by, that is Harvard. This leads the vast majority of the US-bound top international students to aim for Harvard. Having lived outside the US and attended a top international prep school there for a few years I can tell you that the overwhelming majority international students who get into Harvard are either bona fide prodigies or insanely well-connected (scions of political, industrial dynasties etc).
Imo your profile is not quite as competitive as the typical Harvard international admit. I would expect you to get rejected or deferred and would be a bit surprised (but not astonished) if you made it in. Your profile is still within the feasible range but nothing really stands out to me that would give you good chances for Harvard admission. You could have decent chances for admission to some other ivies, but they would also be high reaches for you.