skieurope thanks for clarifying: I did not mean skip all math or science if you don’t like them and aren’t good at them! I just meant make choices accordingly.
Harvard does have some wiggle room for applicants in terms of course rigor, if there is indeed a “passion” pursued outside of classes, and “art and music” can certainly be among those pursuits.
Again, there is the discussion of what to do to get into Harvard, for which the chances are exceedingly slim for many. And there is the discussion about whether high school should be spent with this focus- and the possibility that other schools may be a better fit.
Agreed. As I said upthread, Harvard will recognize instances where an applicant, for whatever reason, did not follow their “suggestions” to the letter. As Harvard also says:
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college
So the blurb that @gibby quotes should, IMO, be interpreted as a strong suggestion, but it is not a roadmap, nor is it a checklist. As I look in the mirror, I can see one applicant who deviated from the suggestions and was still admitted, although I will be the first to admit that I was not a typical applicant.
But again, at the end of the day, the OP is in 9th grade, and Harvard will still reject 95% of applicants.