Am I an idiot for applying to Harvard?!?!?!?!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I posted this earlier but I only got like two responses...</p>

<p>Generic:
Race: White
Grade: Class of 2010
State: Massachusetts
School: Parochial, competitive at the top of the class, gets about 5 kids into Ivies a year out of 250, others into good schools. </p>

<p>Academic:
Class Rank: Top 10% (we're not told specific rank, only which 10% we're in).
GPA UW: 91/100
GPA W: 104/100
SAT I: 770 CR, 790 M, 760 W, 2320 T
SAT IIs: (I am retaking all of them, but as of now): 670 Spanish, 750 Math II, 720 Literature
APs: Calc AB, Eng Lang (Self-Study), US History...took all exams in May 09 and am expecting to at least pass all, but I will probably do better than just pass.
Senior Course Load: Psychology Honors, AP English Lit, AP Biology, AP Statistics (ive exhausted all other math classes), AP Spanish, and AP Chemistry (outside of school at MIT).
Other:
~I am the only junior to take 3 APs
~ NOBODY at my school gets a 4.0 GPA
~ I broke my school's 4 AP limit for my senior year because I thought the rule was ridiculous
~ I was in AP Physics this year, but because the class wasn't too good I did not take the exam.
~I transferred to my high school sophomore year, so my rank is lower than it should be and all my clubs are 3 years, not 4.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Captain Varsity Tennis Team (10-12)
Captain Academic Decathalon (10-12)
Math Team (10-12)
AMIGOS (11-12) [this is a charity program to help underpriveleged children]
Volunteer at Local Food Pantry and Local Homeless Shelter
Volunteer at Local Hospital (one of my passions as I want to go premed)
Job at local ice cream store and grocery store (different time periods)</p>

<p>Okay so here's my newly refined college list, which I fear does not have enough safeties:
Harvard College
Columbia U
Brown U
UPenn
Georgetown U
Johns Hopkins U
NYU
Boston University
Swarthmore C
UMass Amherst
Boston College
Tufts U
Pomona C</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>no one is an idiot for applying to harvard–good luck</p></li>
<li><p>you are applying to too many schools. You should cut 4 or 5 out (this will increase the quality of your applications).</p></li>
<li><p>don’t explain why you didn’t take an AP or why your whatever isn’t as high as whatever on your app, that shows insecurity and slight lack of confidence. otherwise, keep your expectation low but hopes up. good luck.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>You have a chance and you want go there, so you’re not an idiot for applying.</p>

4

<p>Alright thanks. What about the other schools? Which do i have legit chances of getting into?</p>

5

<p>On your list, UMass Amherst could be a safety for you.</p>

6

<p>To Sunshine: I would need to know a lot more including standarized test scores, more extra curriculars + list of courses taken (honors and AP)</p>

<p>If you want to, message me the info and I’ll write you back</p>

7

<p>K thanks. Anyone else? Also, I have taken all honors/AP classes.</p>

8

<ol>
<li>calm down.</li>
<li>having a >2300 SAT score, a rigorous courseload, a solid GPA, good ECs…and your thread title is “am i an idiot for applying to harvard”?? that just makes you sound like an attention whore. stop downplaying yourself just to get attention.</li>
<li>write good essays and don’t come across as an inflated egghead. you have as a good a shot as anyone else</li>
</ol>

9

<p>I disagree with wingless’s second point. So many schools are on the common app that a larger number of schools needn’t mean a substantially larger amount of work going into applications. Since college admissions is basically a modified game of chance at this point, the more apps you send out the higher your chances of getting accepted somewhere you like.</p>

10

<p>Okay thanks. And also, I’ve asked this on a few other forums, but would this essay topic improve my chances or hurt them, assuming I can write it well:
I am a closeted gay student at an extremely conservative, Catholic high school, and that has really shaped who I am as a person. Even though for a while I was very closed off, reserved, and afraid to show who I am, I eventually realized that I am who I am and that’s not going to change. My life has been relatively easy considering I am not outwardly gay in the slightest (those who know were shocked when I told them), but I still feel being gay is a huge part of who I am (obviously). Would writing an essay about how being gay has not only forced me to accept myself not only as a person but as a proud, gay man be good? Or would it screw my chances for a school like Gtown?</p>

11

<p>I disagree that you should cut down your application to 4 or 5 schools That’s what I did, and I got into everywhere, but when it was time to pick a college to go to, I wish I had more choices.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, many admissions officers do not understand how hard it is to be in the closet, especially in the closet at some conservative Catholic HS. It’s seen as a generic and clich</p>

12

<p>Okay thanks. Yeah I know it’ll be tough to write a not-cliche essay on the topic, but I’m gonna try because it really is the most significant part of my life.</p>

13

<p>Could anyone do a Reach/Match/Safety for my schools? I know I have a lot of reaches, so possibly low reach, high reach, etc?</p>

14

<p>if you are indeed at the top of the class as you make out yourself to be you have a good shot for everything but ivies
otherwise…your chances are slim, but doesn’t hurt to try</p>

15

<p>Okay thanks. Anyone else?</p>

16

<p>bumpppppppp</p>

17

<p>No, you’re not an idiot! Go for it, but good luck :]</p>

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