Can I get into Harvard?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey everyone, I'm a senior right now and I just want to know where I stand. I really want to go to Harvard. I appreciate any criticism.</p>

<p>Anyways, this is my first time doing this so here it goes:</p>

<p>Intended Majors: Molecular and Cell Biology and Neurobiology</p>

<p>Current GPA: 3.6676. Hoping to bump it to 3.7175 by Graduation.</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>9th Grade:
Alg 2 Honors (B+/A-)
Lit. (A/A)
Latin I (A/A)
US History (A/A)
Health (A/A)
Physical Science (A/A)</p>

<p>10th Grade:
Choir (A/A)
Computational Physics (C-/C+)
American Literature (A-/D-)
AP World History (B+/A-)
Latin 2 (A-/A)
AP Chemistry (B+/A-)</p>

<p>AP Tests Taken:
Physics B - 3
World History - 3
Chemistry - 5
Calc BC - 5</p>

<p>11th Grade:
Guided Study
Latin 3 (A/A)
AP Computer Science (A-/A)
AP Biology (A-/A)
AP USH (B/A-)
British Literature (A/A)</p>

<p>AP Tests:
Comp. Sci. - 5
Biology - 4
USH - 3</p>

<p>12th Grade:
1st Sem:
AP US Government
AP Latin
Anatomy and Physiology</p>

<h2>Contemporary Literature</h2>

<p>I spend the rest of my time doing research at UofM.</p>

<p>2nd Sem:
AP US Government
AP Latin</p>

<h2>English Grammar</h2>

<p>CHEM 210 (Organic Chem 1) @ UofM</p>

<h2>(Maybe) MATH 215 (Calculus 3) @ UofM</h2>

<p>When I don't have classes, I'll be doing research at UofM.</p>

<p>AP Tests:
Psychology
Gov
Latin
Physics C
Physics C
Stats</p>

<hr>

<p>Athletics:
JV Tennis (9-11)
Varsity Letters (10)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Debate (9-12) Debate Varsity Captain (11-12)
Science Olympiad (9-12)
Quiz Bowl (9-11)
Student Council (10-12)
Prom Committee (11)</p>

<p>Volunteering:
ACTION (9-12) Captain (11)
Key Club (9-12) LT. Gov (12)
NHS (12)
Private Tutoring for Grades 5-12 (10-11)
Mentoring Elementary Students (10-12)</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Worked at a Home Healthcare office as a File Clerk (9-10).</p>

<p>Research:
I am currently researching Neurodegeneration with a professor at UofM. I won't be able to compete in Siemens or Intel, but I hope to get published by the end of Senior year.</p>

<p>Competitions:
Will compete in USAChO, USABO, USAMO, and Brain Bee this year.
Debate Tournaments.
Science Olympiad Regionals and States.</p>

<p>Awards:
Science Olympiad Regionals Medals
Debate Trophies
AP Scholar awards
Magna Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam - Freshman Year (School never offered it after my freshman year)
Tennis Medals</p>

<p>Summers:
Before Freshman year - Worked at a Home Heathcare office as a File clerk. Played tennis.</p>

<p>Before Sophomore year - Self-studied Biology, Chemistry, Geometry Honors, and Precalculus Honors. Worked at the same Home Healthcare office. Started reading literature about Neuroscience.</p>

<p>Before Junior year - Tennis. Tutored. Continued my independent research on Neurodegeneration.</p>

<p>Before Senior year - Research at UofM! Prepared for competitions. P90X.</p>

<p>Standardized Tests:
SAT I : 2300
ACT: 35
SAT II: Math Level 2: 800; Chem: 780; Bio M: 780</p>

<p>Misc.:
Teacher Recommendations: They should be excellent. AP Biology and Latin teachers.
Counselor Rec: Not sure. I had a counselor for the first 3 years who loved me but then quit, but my new counselor should still give me a good rec.
Additional Recs: Debate Coach, Graduate Student who helped me with my research, and maybe my Key Club Advisor.
State: Michigan
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $100,000+</p>

<p>I am going to focus my app around my work with children (tutoring/mentoring) and my research.</p>

<p>Thank you for your comments in advance! I appreciate your advice/criticism.</p>

2

<p>Your GPA is low compared to your test scores. As the application deadline is before the New Year, your final semester grades will not have an impact (unless admitted and the grades are terrible, which could result in rescission.) Your ECs are decent but not unusual for Harvard. You are competing with the very competitive pool of Asian applicants, so be sure to have some solid match schools on your list.</p>

3

<p>fauve, </p>

<p>Harvard does ask for 1st Semester grades, so that should at least show them that I’ve been on an upward trend since sophomore year. I really hope I can get an interview with them so that I could explain my situation. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>The interview is the smallest portion of the overall process. If you’re banking on that making a big difference, then know it probably won’t.</p>

5

<p>What the heck happened sophomore year?</p>

<p>You don’t have to answer that, of course, but those C’s and that D from sophomore year are a problem for you that literally tens of thousands of other applicants won’t have.</p>

6

<p>When it comes to the B+s, I just wasn’t taking the workload seriously. For the C’s in Comp. Physics, I understood the concepts, but I just could not do well on the tests. And my teacher weighed the tests so heavily. For American Lit., my teacher decided to have the final grade be based on points. Well, we had a 200 point assignment that was due right after Spring Break. My family decided to extend our vacation an extra week. When I came back, I gave my teacher the assignment and she didn’t accept it. She said it was due right after spring break. I told her my situation, and she was still set on giving me a zero. I took this matter to the administration, and they took my side, but the teacher still gave me a zero. There was nothing I could do.I’m going to explain my American Lit. grade to the admissions officers, but I’m not sure what to do for Comp. Physics…</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>That’s surprising. I’ve never felt secure enough in my position to stand up to the administration in that way. Unless…did you have enough time to do the assignment that you could have either submitted it before break or emailed it to your teacher on the first day school resumed? Again, I suppose that’s really neither here nor there, so you don’t really need to answer.</p>

<p>I don’t think there’s much you can do about the physics. It really sounds as if you just got a C in physics.</p>

8

<p>You might have a shot it’s kind of hard to predict though.</p>