am i good enough to get into Harvard??? need help (desperately)

<p>Hello, I am junior and I am new to cc and this is my first post soo... I don't know exactly how chancing stuff is working. So, I will just list everything I have done...</p>

<p>GPA: My school provides GPA in 100 point scale but if i convert it to 4.0 it is
3.9 = unweighted
4.4 = weighted
My School does not provide class rank but i am in top 10%</p>

<p>SAT = 2050 going to take it again and again until i reach 2300...
SAT2 = World History 800 Math2 800, and thinking of taking U.S history or chemistry (expecting 800 too)</p>

<p>AP = World History5 Euro5 (without taking AP classes. Independently studied both of them)
Junior year: Art History(independent study), Chemistry, Eng Lan, U.S History
Senior Year: Macro, Bio, U.S gov, Eng Lit, Cal BC, maybe French </p>

<p>EC </p>

<p>Tutoring at "Open Door Mission" = Founder/President, Grew it into biggest community service project in Houston Area, won national community service award, due to this program, many people (30~50) received GED and got their life back. Got school recognition. Invited as a guest speaker to houston community college.</p>

<p>Math Club = Founder/President. Number 1 in Texas (Math, number sense), several national award. Created Tutoring group to help disadvantaged kids in Houston.</p>

<p>Debate Club = Co-Captain (junior) hope to become Captain in senior year. 1st place in Texas (IPPF) 2nd place in LD throughout texas. </p>

<p>French Club = Secretary (junior) hope to become President of VP next year. Had many sales to raise money for poor kids. Gave gift to poor kids in every christmas, and raised nearly $1000 for Haiti and sent it through Red Cross.</p>

<p>Swimming = Varsity (earned 2 letter) regional champion, school record. Teach special swimming team every weekend. </p>

<p>Conducted History research on pearl Harbor at University of Houston. Got special recognition from professor, and trying to publish a paper. (One in concord review and one as just my history thesis)</p>

<p>NCTE School representative
4th in history contest in Texas</p>

<p>then, obviously NHS, and key club.</p>

<p>Oh plus... I am an international student from South Korea... that might hurt...</p>

<p>Yeah, and for my ec I am just going to put my major as pursuing education and becoming teacher, so that it will make my activity of tutoring somewhat relevant to my goal and so on. </p>

<p>I hope you guys can give me critics or some hope
Thank you!!!</p>

<p>P.S: I am truly glad that I realized about this useful website, College Confidential</p>

<p>sorry… I didn’t know i posted 2 same thing…
didn’t mean to spam</p>

<p>Good chance, but SAT I way too low–American colleges have this funny dependence on SAT scores for cut-off. Your ec’ s are excellent. Try all ivies if i were you, cuz Cornell is a good reach for U – HYPS are just too uncertain. MIT/CalTech not for you cuz you look like a liberal arts person.</p>

<p>Yea, definitely take the SAT Reasoning again. Plus, you are bluffing about the rest of the achievements, aren’t you? Because if you are not, I don’t think there is any way Harvard would NOT EXTREMELY seriously consider you! I would appy to other Ivies too if I were you, again.</p>

<p>yeah i think the SAT is the only thing in your way</p>

<p>How are you an “international student from South Korea” and also the founder of the “biggest community service project in Houston Area?”</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>lol i mean i came from South Korea and i have lived in Houston area for 5 years
soo lol yeah i still am founder of biggest community service project</p>

<p>sorry for confusion there lol</p>

<p>Your ecs are phenomenal and like totally out there. I do not see how they would not accept you! And your SAT score, it does not have to be perfect for them to consider you!</p>

<p>okay, in that case, you’re in!</p>

<p>I hope they wont admit anyone who advertises themselves that they “Gave gift to poor kids in every christmas”</p>

<p>Hahahaha. Very entertaining.</p>

<p>hahaha. someone who is “2nd place in LD throughout texas” would have much better english than you. harvard doesn’t admit liars.</p>

<p>Just popping in to say that I have a 2140 SAT (34 ACT, though…) and I got in, so you really never know…</p>

<p>lol i just said i gave gifts to disadvantaged kids cuz i thought that might show myself as altruistic person lol… i will make sure i won’t write that phrase in my application
thanks vince ;)</p>

<p>Your English, if this is representative, is AWFUL. Not only are you engaging in abuse of capitalization (you wrote an excellent History paper about pearl Harbor?!?!!?) and abbreviation, you are incredibly unclear. Founder/President of Open Door Mission in Houston? Its website says that it’s been at work since 1954.</p>

<p>burn…</p>

<p>I am an alumni interviewer. You really are posting your question on the wrong site, as you are asking advice from other candidates. Any answer you get will be speculation, sometimes informed, usually not.</p>

<p>My advice is that if you have a strong record, apply. Make it your best shot. Show us how you are different, unique, interesting. Grades and high scores aren’t everything. Thousands of students have them. Thousands of rejected applicants have 4.0 GPAs, lots of ECs, and great recommendations. Unique, interesting, unusual and diverse candidate are much, much rarer. If you don’t try, you will never know. Don’t let other candidates or students dissuade you. Harvard is full of people who were told they weren’t Harvard “material”.</p>

<p>Thank you rumson </p>

<p>Yeah I know that one of the most difficult task in writing an college application is “how to make myself unique or stand out among thousands of applicants.” I still did not find that answer lol
I hope I will find that answer by this summer when I am writing an application :)</p>

<p>wow great stats</p>

<p>i would talk a lot about math club in your app because it makes you stand out…</p>

<p>debate, seems like everyone does it</p>

<p>I’m an alumni interviewer and while I don’t think the SAT scores are a major burden or obstacle, your “buffing” is. If you truly are an international student, you are in a very attractive position as Harvard wants international students. Unfortunately, if you seriously embellish your credentials, it will sink you. So think carefully.</p>