<p>Since age 10, I always wanted to go to Harvard, Penn, Yale, Stanford, or Columbia! Mainly HARVARD! However, the reality is that VERY VERY few people actually get in to these prestigious universities!
Right now, I am in Grade 11 in the IB program in Canada, and these are my following academic and extra-curricular stats:
1. Average: low 90s (IB diploma Program-1st term)--Planning to boost my average to the mid 90s....
2. Ranking: Our school doesn't do any sort of ranking for students :(
3. SAT's: I haven't taken the SAT's yet, however I am taking my first SAT next month!
4. Extra-curricular's:
President for our schools business club
Swimming Club
Hockey Intramural
Hockey Team
Badminton Intramural
Badminton Team
Rock Climbing Club
Recycling Club
-About to create an awareness club (this club to bring awareness to students who litter)
-About to create an Invention Club
-Planning to join Harvard Summer School next summer! - Would this give me an extra edge for admissions process?
5. Volunteering...
So far, I have about 500 volunteer hours. (Aiming for a 1000)-I volunteered at our schools library, a local family centre, a local tutoring place, and Rivera Corp. Retirement Home
6. Awards and Scholarships
Won many awards from grade 1-8..... (probably don't count)
Awards:
Accounting excellence
Marketing excellence
Mathematics excellence
history excellence
Intro. to business excellence
science excellence </p>
<p>Scholarships:
So far.....
$1000 in Business Camp (business plan competition)
-Joining 4-6 more contests this year...(already joined them) </p>
<p>These are most of my achievements (i think... :$) I already joined 5 more scholarship programs... and I am also wondering if I should join Stanford Summer Session or Harvard Summer School! Would this program give me a bit of an edge when applying Harvard or Stanford!
Ultimately, through reading this information, do you think I have a chance to get into Harvard? </p>
<p>Thanks to all those who reply! All your comments will be taken into consideration and will be greatly appreciated :D</p>
<p>What are you interested in? What you’ve shown us are decent grades and a smattering of activities. From looking at your post, I have no idea if you are a hockey star trying to save the environment, a business guy who enjoys rock climbing, or just another kid eager to impress Harvard adcoms. </p>
<p>About your community service plans, 500 hours is a lot of time. Maybe instead of aiming for the big 1000, try to find something that makes you really excited, and pursue the heck out of it.</p>
<p>I am inclined to agree with Foundered. Your application seems to have the standard “I-want-to do-everything” air. Harvard, or any top tier school, does not like that. Establish who you are. Pulling in things from all over the spectrum are only good if you keep them concise. You dont want a 1000 different EC’s from all over. Rather 5 strong one’s from all over are much more effective. I understand you are in an IB program (I use to be in one!), however, Harvard wont put too much weight upon that. Focus on athletics. They love taking athletes! It seems as though this is just another resume. No indescribable, awe-inspiring qualities. For the next year - work on that! Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your replies! They are greatly appreciated. I just have a couple of questions though! Both of you mentioned that I need to limit myself to a certain number of EC’s meaning that I shouldn’t do everything. I don’t really quite get that statement. I am really interested in business, so do you recommend any sort of business activities or clubs I should join to mention in my EC’s. </p>
<p>“Right now, I am in Grade 11.” “Average: low 90s.” </p>
<p>I think it’s mathematically impossible for an overall average in the low 90’s (over 5 semesters) to go to the mid 90’s in just one more semester. Yes, your average can go up, but it’s not going to go up that significantly, even if you aced every class. You should ask your guidance counselor two questions: (1) What was the lowest average Harvard accepted from your school? (2) How many other students with your average have been accepted to Harvard? The answers your GC gives will let you know if you can get in.</p>
<p>Ram0276: “Focus on athletics. They love taking athletes!”</p>
<p>Harvard admissions doesn’t love taking athletes. Each Harvard class has about 225 recruited athletes in it (whether admissions wants to take them or not – they are told to take 225 athletes, a certain number for each team, that the coaches have said they want and who qualify academically, using a system based upon a complex agreement made by the 8 Ivy League schools).</p>
<p>Other than for the recruited athletes, athletics is viewed by admissions as just another activity, and one in which being a team captain or All-League gives you no more points than being a bench warmer if the coach doesn’t give you an admissions slot.</p>
<p>If you’re not recruited, you will not stand out from the other applicants with athletics. One eighth of the class is automatically composed of incredibly accomplished recruited athletes.</p>
<p>First, you need standardized test scores from either the SAT or ACT. Second, don’t focus on only one school; this only sets you up for a major disappointment. Third, be realistic in making a list of target schools.</p>
<p>@Axelrod: I appreciate the excellent feedback and yeah, you are definitely write about choosing more universities then 1. I have back up plans for other universities but my overall dream and goal would be to get into one of the 8 ivy league universities. @Boondocks: Do you think the Harvard Summer School Program will help me stand out a bit from the rest of the crowd?? Do you think it will give me a further advantage…</p>
<p>@Boondocks - I was just going by what I learned at Cornell this summer. And I do believe athletics have a determining role. They would certainly pick a student athlete when it comes to deciding between two individuals and one does not play any sport. I wasn’t really referring to recruitment. Are you a student at Harvard?</p>
<p>@Duggal - Business related activities are the way to go! While a strong involvement in business is good, make sure you have something else going on too. Look at your school’s FBLA club. What I meant, for clarity, was that they dont want a long list of EC’s where you showed up once and left. They want a small list of diverse EC’s that show strong commitment.</p>
<p>You have a lot of nice ideas,but Harvard wants to see stuff that you have already accomplished, My D who is at Harvard now as a junior had babysat for a Spanish family the summer she was 15.Her 16th and 17th summers she worked on a farm in Sweden to work on her Swedish skills and learn about sustainable farming practices.Her first semester at H she got a funded grant to return to Sweden and learn more She learned Swedish,German, Hebrew and Mandarin Chinese through summer programs,and now is thinking about Medical School.</p>
<p>@theduggal07: I know very little about the Harvard Summer School program. Someone else can correct me if I’m wrong, but I hear that it is not that competitive to get into. If so, it won’t help separate you from the pack amongst the Harvard applicants, or those from any of the other Ivy schools.</p>
<p>@ram0276: Athletics are certainly a plus. Being on athletic teams does indicate that you’re more well-rounded than the 2400 SAT closet-case. However, being on them won’t separate you from the pack unless you’re recruited. To get into any Ivy, and Harvard is the hardest of all of them, you need to separate yourself from the pack academically and non-academically. Being a valedictorian and team captain usually isn’t enough, unfortunately. Every high school has a valedictorian, a class president and a bunch of team captains.</p>
<p>I’m not a Harvard student of graduate, but am a Princeton grad, Princeton alumni interviewer and a former recruited athlete. On the rare cases when I’ve interviewed someone who has gotten into Princeton (and Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the other Ivies are generally letting in the same types of people), the kids who have gotten in have gone beyond leading established school activities. They’ve done things like create new activities out of thin air or conducted the school choir for two months when the choir director was sick and unable to do so. One kid I knew got into Cornell back in 1993 in part because he was the youngest Ross Perot for President County Chairman in the country. Others get in for qualifying for state or national programs in theater or music that are difficult to qualify for. There are no rules to this, other than that Ivy schools go for demonstrated excellence, academically and non-academically, and those who demonstrate drive and creativity.</p>
<p>Clearly showing that you are interesting, and someone who cares abotu others is important, too.</p>
<p>Take a look at the accepted student threads from last year to get an idea of who got in, and bear in mind that those who got in are far more likely to post than those who didn’t get in. Also, remember that some of the posters are lying.</p>
<p>“Do you think the Harvard Summer School Program will help me stand out a bit from the rest of the crowd??”</p>
<p>Harvard’s Summer School Program will NOT increase your overall chances to the college. That said, if a high school student takes a Harvard summer school class that is taught by a Harvard professor, and that class has a limited enrollment (15 students or less) where the professor can get to know you as a student, and you do extremely well in that class (A+ work), a professor MIGHT agree to write you a recommendation to the college. I know there are a lot of “if’s and might’s” in that sentence – but it does happen, and it has helped some students get a leg up in the process.</p>
<p>The reality though is that Harvard Summer school classes are real college classes compressed into a tight time frame. Because the classes cover the same amount of material in half the amount of time, the work load is significant; some classes expect students to read 300 to 500 pages of material a week, with a paper due every class. Very few high school students can keep up with the work and get A+'s, let alone get a recommendation from their professor.</p>
<p>If you currently have a low-90’s average in high school, it’s not realistic to expect to do A+ work at Harvard over the summer. It’s just not. So, while the experience of taking Harvard Summer classes may be grand, it will not help you in the long haul.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.8-3.9
SAT: 2110
SAT 2: Have’t taken any yet (plan to take 2-3). on one i will score a 780ish and the other two probably 700ish
Course load: took 4 AP junior year and plan to take 4 Senior year plus 1 self studied. sophomore and freshman year all honors</p>
<p>Extracurricular:
President of extemporaneous speaking team (3 years)
Student council representative (3 years)
President of peer tutoring program at our school (and a french tutor myself) (3 years)
French club officer (3 years)
Rotary club (4 years)
Basketball (2 years varsity)-probably not going to be recruited
Tennis (4 years varsity)-probably not going to be recruited
Chess Club (3 years)
Math Olympiad (4 years)
Band (4 years)
Theatre (4 years)</p>
<p>Will hopefully become president of the french club for 2 years. </p>
<p>Unique stuff:
I am a published author (relating to my foundation)
Started my own foundation and have affected about 1500 kids with it
Have a hobby where I teach the clarinet to students who want to learn the instrument
study abroad program in Paris, France with seniors as a freshman (My school district (Billerica) has this program which I applied to and got in because of my french skills).
Volunteer every week at a senior citizen center</p>
<p>Do you think this is enough? what should i improve? what else do i have to do?
12 hours ago - 3 days left to answer. Report Abuse</p>
<p>Additional Details
In our school, i also founded the extemporaneous speaking team and the peer tutoring program</p>
<p>Why do you want to go to Harvard?
Just because of the name or because you actually think you can take advantages of the opportunities there?
Choose a school that fits you, not a school that doesn’t fit you, but has more “brand power”.</p>