African trying to get into an Elite college or Ivy Stanford or Harvard

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

I’m in year 12 my final year this coming year. Im from zambia and I want to get into Harvard. Any other people from Africa here that are trying to get into such a college???! And any other international student out there who got in or is trying to get in ??? And to everybody else HELP!
All and also share your stories starting from the country you’re from to your dream school and what you’re doing to get in. Or how you got in. Thanks

2

Here’s the reality you are facing. Go to: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/statistics and from the pull-down menus select STUDENTS, HARVARD COLLEGE (the undergraduate school) and ZAMBIA and you will see there is one student from your country currently attending Harvard who is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. That means that Harvard admits one (1) student from your country every four (4) years. Harvard doesn’t publish how many students each year are applying from Zambia, but those are terrible odds, no matter how much you are dreaming of Harvard.

I would suggest you broaden your search to other US colleges. If your family’s income is low, please also consider applying to some colleges on this list: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/2015/09/24/10-universities-that-offer-international-students-the-most-aid

3

I’m aware of the odds
But still want to try to get in. So I need advice on how to do it. Or examples of how others did it. Rather than alternatives

4

Unless you know how many apply, you can’t say a thing about the odds really. What if only one applied. Well that is unlikely but it may be quite a small number. Good luck!

5

Here’s another reality: there isn’t a formula for admissions. Not at Harvard or any other college. What another student did has absolutely no bearing on how you would fare in the applications process.

My advice: apply sideways: http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways. Everything in that MIT thread also applies to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and about 20 other colleges.

6

Oh thanks you’re right. Don’t know how many apply

7

Thank you Gibby for sharing that post. I’ll just do what I do then