Alumni/ current students: HARVARD SCEA-please chance!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Hi everyone! Harvard is my absolute #1 choice based on the research I've done, so I'm planning on applying through SCEA; however, some people say it's harder to get in through EA if you're not URM, recruited athlete, or legacy... :( That's why I'm asking some of the more experienced board members on whether I stand a chance through SCEA, or if I should wait for the less competitive, regular decision pull. I still realize I don't have great chances of getting in either way, but I would love to hear some of your opinions! </p>

<p>Scores:
SAT: 2300
Intended SAT II: 770 for Chem and Math II (and more for the regular decision round)
GPA: unweighted=4.00; weighted= 4.53
rank: ~5/460+(top 1%)
AP tests: 4-Statistics 5-Biology; US history, English, Spanish, and Chem= pending
Senior course load: 6/8= AP courses; one course at the local university
Ethnicity: white
Gender: F</p>

<p>I. JOBS/TEACHING
- Researcher (Unpaid internship): State University's laboratory. January 2011- Present
(I have started an innovative research project--groundbreaking results, maybe?-- and will continue with it this summer)
- Biology Tutor (paid): September-December 2010
- Spanish Tutor(volunteer): Spring 2011
- Mathematics Tutor(volunteer): Fall 2009- Spring 2010</p>

<p>II. EXTRACURRICULARS
-Health Occupation Students of America (placed at regionals, state, nationals)
- National Junior Honors Society/National Honors Society(volunteered a lot & Vice president)
- Mu Alpha Theta/math honors society (competitions & Secretary & president)
- Science Club/Science Bowl/Science Olympiad (placed at regionals and state for Olymp(overall 2nd in region); 3rd in state for Bowl)
- Student Government Association (Representative since junior year. senior class president)
- Spanish Club/ Spanish Honors society (volunteered)
-FANS(served as mentor for incoming freshman since sophomore year)
- Persian Cultural Association, 2006 (The University chapter. Involved with cultural celebrations at two universities) **
*- Research intern at the University (Since Jan of Junior year & I'm doing it on my own time this summer, as well) *
- Hand-In-Hand: summer camp for those interested in learning about different ethnicities, 2011(co-founder & camp counselor**)
-....and hopefully, will found my school's chamber for Science National Honors Society this year! </p>

<p>IV. AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Many High School Distinguished Honor Rolls and Community Service awards
- Outstanding Academic Achiever- University of ______ Alumni Association,
- State-level Science Bowl, Third place
- Pre-calculus competition at the Annual Math Teachers’ Association competition, Fourth place
- Science Olympiad awards at regionals and state
- Engineers' Quiz Bowl-state, Third place
- The 2010 HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) National Leadership Conference, SECOND PLACE, June- July 2010
- The 2010 HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Tennessee State Competition, Third Place, February 2010
- State Association of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), 2010 Regional Competition, First Place
- Statistics competition at the Math Teachers’ Association competition, Fifth Place
- High School Academic Excellence in Mathematics Award
- Algebra competition at the Math Teachers’ Association competition, Tenth place
- The 2009 Association of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Regional competition, First Place- , March 2009
- The 2009 HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) State Competition- Fifth Place- February 2009
- Winner of the “Published writer: Creative Communication’s Poets Contest”-
Published writer in A Celebration of Poets- Summer of 2009</p>

<p>V: VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE (Summer 2009- Spring 2011)
-approx. 250 hours over the summer & with NHS, HOSA, Goodwill, American Cancer Society, and SGA</p>

<p>In addition...sports aren't too great, unfortunately.
This summer, I plan on picking up tennis again, continuing my research project, volunteering at Goodwill and other places, teaching myself to play the piano(or maybe taking lessons), studying physics independently to skip a level at school, working with kids at my summer camp, and attending a summer program for science
-I plan on majoring in neuroscience/neurology and doing a language citation in Spanish</p>

<p>ANY help/advice would be greeeatly appreciated, especially from alumni/those who have applied in the past. Thank you so much for your time!</p>

2

<p>Also, please notice that my EC’s tie back to science/ international studies…is that noticeable?</p>

3

<p>buuuuuuump</p>

4

<p>Nothing really stands out, so you are probably better off just applying RD.</p>

5

<p>Isn’t Harvard known for picking nearly half its class through EA, even though fewer people apply then?.. that’s the thing that really worries me. Is there something I can still do to distinguish myself?
If I am named a siemen’s semifinalist(that’s as far as they’ll announce by nov) for my research paper, then should I apply early? </p>

<p>Also, I plan on sending a research supplement to all school that will take it.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

6

<p>Harvard is not known for that, because it has not had EA in a bunch of years. Nobody knows how it will work this time. I’m kind of confused what advice you are looking for here that you didn’t already get in your other thread?</p>

7

<p>Right, but I read that somewhere about the years they used to offer SCEA(do you know if that was true back then?), and I thought I’d make a more detailed thread for CCers to respond to.</p>

8

<p>The fact that you provided little context(such as high school type, location, family income, parents’ education level) for your accomplishments shows that you lack understanding of Harvard admissions. We can’t evaluate your accomplishments in a vacuum.</p>

<p>With that said, if you are really set on going to an Ivy League school, you are better off EDing to somewhere like Dartmouth/Penn/Columbia/Brown. SCEA at HYPS will be a bloodbath no matter which school you pick.</p>

9

<p>Actually, I’ve been reading a lot about the admission process. I know about the first “gate,” where they look at your scores. Then, if your scores fall within range, I believe your application moves onto a regional admission officer, where they give you a score of 1-6 based on your personality & academics. Then, they discuss you in a room of about 35 admission officers where you have to get a majority of votes to be accepted. Even then, more people are admitted than they have room for, so they waitlist some people.<br>
And for future reference, **my high school is a VERY competitive public hs, my state is TN, family income is around 100,000(?), and my dad has his doctorate & mom got her bachelor’s degree in a diff country(which doesn’t count here since qualifications are diff in my country–my dad had to re-earn his degree.) ** </p>

<p>I can’t ED anywhere b/c I definitely want to compare financial aid packages. </p>

<p>Thanks for the advice though!</p>

10

<p>OK, I’m saying this in all sincerity. I’m a parent with two kids who’ve gone through this process (one who just graduated from Harvard and one who is not at Harvard but is TOTALLY in love with where she is). I have some advice. I’d suggest that you read a book or go fishing or take a walk in the fresh air and stop obsessing over this. You will make yourself crazy. You might get into all the HYPMBD etc. that you apply to…or you might not get into any. Do the best you can, but remember that there are MANY schools that can give you a great education, and that there is no one on this list who can give you a definitive answer as to how to get in. All the Ivies get more overly qualified applicants than they can accept. Maybe you’ll be the “it” person (someone asked you your gender, but you never answered) and maybe you won’t, but you’ll get in a good school and you will probably be happy there.</p>

<p>I check this list out because we have gotten some very helpful tips here (not about getting in but about where to buy things or how to get somewhere), and I’ve wanted to pass that info on to others. I’ve PMed with people who have asked about certain departments. However, your never-ending questions seem be asking “how can I play the system.” Don’t waste your time on it! Try to enjoy yourself a little.</p>

<p>I hope I haven’t overstepped my bounds. I teach ESL at the university level, and I see how kids are driven, mostly because their parents are driving them. Sometimes it breaks my heart. Teenagers are supposed to have some fun and not obsess all the time.</p>

<p>I apologize for any hurt feelings. Really.</p>

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<p>I see what you are saying, EnoughAlready. No worries, I still enjoy life :slight_smile: I volunteer on a daily basis and spend time with friends…I get email notifications from my phone for this, so that’s why I can reply quickly. Thank you for your concern though. And I wish my parents cared about any of this–I am completely on my own(neither of my parents have gone through the application process before & when I ask them for help, they tell me I know best). That’s why I have come here to seek advice after doing some research. By the way, I used to be in ESL when I first move here(just a few years ago, I didn’t even know the English alphabet) Loved that year in ESL-I learned so much :slight_smile: </p>

<p>I thought I answered this, but I am a Female</p>

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<p>Of course you stand a chance, collegeinfo1994. Your main strengths are your awards and wide variety of activities (not to mention being from TN). Your primary weaknesses are your lack of athletics, no arts (musical, performing or visual) and being female. I do not think that picking up a sport your senior year will help. I would also avoid any overt references to desiring a career in medicine.</p>

<p>Take a look at your high school context first. Has anyone from your HS been accepted to Harvard before? If so, what was their profile?</p>

<p>Best of luck to you in your college search!</p>

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<p>I posted this thread to understand what my strengths/ weaknesses are, so thank you for the reply. Also, I participated in tennis last summer, so I just wanted to continue it this summer (not for resume; this is the first sport I’ve actually enjoyed :slight_smile: )<br>
Also, I thought being a female is an advantage. Please correct me if that is not the case. </p>

<p>So, it’s a bad idea to write my common app or supplement on my interest for neurology and how I’m really interested in Harvard’s undergraduate neuroscience focus opportunity for undergrads? Is there a certain reason that’s bad in the eyes of adcoms?</p>

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<p>being female is not an advantage in college admissions. there are more qualified female applicants than there are qualified male applicants. only exception would be a female in a male-dominated school like an engineering school.</p>

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<p>:( I guess my chances are even lower…haha. I wonder why I’ve only heard being female is an advantage, not the other way around.</p>

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<p>jamescchen, why is it bad to make references to a desired career in medicine? i’m a rising senior as well, so I’m curious.</p>

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<p>You’re a great candidate, but of course your chances (like just about everyone’s) aren’t great, because Harvard doesn’t have enough seats for all the great candidates.</p>

<p>If it’s your first choice, apply SCEA, I think the people who have told you that your chances are lower if you wait are completely wrong. EA in every school I am familiar with increases your chances or at least appears to. (Some say the better more organized candidates apply early.) Legacies and other students with hooks will have a better chance whether they apply early or regular admissions.</p>

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<p>From the most recent Common Data Set (2008-2009) on the Harvard website it looks like gender makes no practical difference. 7.98% of females were admitted versus 7.85% of males.</p>

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<p>The primary reason why its not good for Asian students to say they want to go to med school is because Asians are also overrepresented in the medical school applicant pool. This means quotas, of course, that disproportionately affect Asian med school applicants.</p>

<p>Remember what an unnamed Harvard admissions officer once wrote on an Asian student’s admissions folder: “He’s quiet and, of course, wants to be a doctor.” That less than flattering tidbit was uncovered by the Dept. of Justice during an investigation of Harvard’s UG admissions practices.</p>

20

<p>^ OP says she is white.</p>

<p>Your chances in SCEA are probably same as RD and probably at the same level as overall admit rate (under 6%). One thing going in your favor may be your State assuming there are not a lot high profile students from TN.</p>

<p>The SCEA numbers show a higher admit rate but they are usually misinterpreted. People who are admitted are primarily athletes, legacies, top URMs and and very high achieving students who would have gotten likely letters in the past from Harvard but can be admitted in EA now.</p>