<p>I applied to Harvard RD, and now I'm wondering what my chances are going to be. As you can see, my grades and scores are a bit lower than typical Harvard applicants, but perhaps my unique situation makes up for it. What do you think?</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT: 690M/690V/700W
[</em>] SAT IIs: 740 Physics, 740 Chem, 680 US History, 710 Math I, 690 Math 2
[<em>] ACT: 31
[</em>] GPA: 3.4 Unweighted
[<em>] Rank: School does not rank
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[</em>] Essays: Excellent (according to others who read them)
[<em>] Teacher Recs: Excellent
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Excellent
[<em>] Hook (if any): Homemade nuclear fusion reactor (see my website: <a href="http://www.brian-mcdermott.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.brian-mcdermott.com</a>), I was featured in a feature-length documentary movie about the "end of oil" and "energy of the future" which will air on TV or in theaters in the spring, had data subtantiated by professors at MIT and other universities.
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: Massachusetts
[<em>] School Type: Public
[</em>] Ethnicity: White
[<em>] Gender: Male
[/ul]Other Factors:[ul]
[</em>] Extracurriculars: Fusion (see above), Dept. of Energy National Science Bowl, National Ocean Science Bowl (2nd place nationally), Science Olympiad (captain), Amateur Rocketry (computer designed and simualted fuel and engines), Hiking/Outdoors, National Student Leadership Conference
[*] Other thoughts: My low GPA mainly stems from one bad class I had freshman year, where I could not stand the material and the way it was being presented by the teacher. Thus, any B or B+ I received later in high school would only bring my GPA down even further. It isn't as bad as it looks.[/ul]</p>
<p>Are SAT's ever a deciding factor that can make or break an applicant's chances? I would think that a school like Harvard would look at the personal stuff first to see if there is a match, then see if the numbers correspond. I guess I can only hope for the best.</p>
<p>btw
i think the nuclear fusion reactor might do the trick for you. you obviously are really really smart.
sorry if i sound a bit disinterested but nuclear physics isnt exactly my thing.</p>
<p>I applied EA to MIT, but was deferred. Be it realistic or not, Harvard would be my second choice if I got in there and got rejected from MIT. As a side note, I did apply to many other schools apart from those two, so it's not like I'm riding on one or two reach acceptances.</p>
<p>Wait a minute... I don't think SAT scores are the main issue here. The 3.4 is rather low, and your explanation isn't immediately comprehensible. I understand that some people are disenchanted by the high school grading system and forge their own paths, but unfortunately these people are rarely admitted to Harvard.</p>
<p>You are right. My main concern is that my GPA is probably 0.2-0.4 lower than where it needs to be. My original point was that I am hoping my other achievements will compensate for that. </p>
<p>To clarify what I said earlier, it was the combination of a C+ in a freshman class and a few B's and B+'s that brought it down to a 3.4. All things being equal, I have seen people with 3.2 GPA's get into Harvard (athletes and musicians).</p>
<p>Sorry, but I don't think you have much of a chance at Harvard. There are many other people with more extraordinary science accomplishments (Siemens, STS, ISEF, etc) that also have better test scores and grades.</p>
<p>And having an interesting science accomplishment is nowhere near being a recruited athlete.</p>
<p>With all due respect, why should an award make somebody's accomplishments more "extraordinary" than anybody else's? I think many people would agree that a homemade nuclear reactor is just as, if not more extraordinary than your typical high-caliber science fair project. Especially if it is one of only a dozen or so of its kind worldwide. I personally could not enter into any of those competitions you mentioned due to legal restrictions (50,000 volts, radiation, flammable gases), not because I didn't want to. I mentioned this in a letter to the admissions office detailing my efforts to try to get into these competitions. </p>
<p>Does being in a movie make up for this? As I said, I was filmed for a documentary on energy and the end of oil. The producer/director wrote me a rec, and is fairly well known, having worked on things such as "Bowling For Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11..."</p>
<p>Your're right though, Harvard is a long shot no matter who you are.</p>
<p>Sorry..I didn't mean to be rude or anything. And I'm not doubting that your science accomplishments are amazing. But doing well in competitions lends much more creidibility to your work and is just more impressive to an adcom.</p>
<p>The biggest problem, though, is your grades. Harvard is an academic institution, and the first and most important factor is excellence in high school.</p>
<p>If I did not know that you were deferred to MIT, I would think that you would have a good chance at Harvard. But being that mit did defer you and professors from that school were backing you, your chances at Harvard (where you have no one backing you) are not too high.</p>
<p>so...brian...you, uh, don't do any homework or something? i mean i guess i would assume that since building a nuclear device in one's basement would take up a decent amount of time...not that i comprehend the importance of such an undertaking...</p>
<p>listen dude, harvard is after community service doing, SAT-taking, legacy flaunting college zombies if they don't accept you. kudos to you and all of your hard work. that is impressive. the sad thing about american education is that it so self defeating. you have obviously achieved something that, as you said yourself, only a dozen others have achieved. but harvard will see your 3.4 and say "tsk, tsk! should have spent more time studying for vocabulary tests!"</p>
<p>i hope you get in. either way you will end up being successful.</p>