Can I get into Harvard?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Just kidding.

But now that you’re here, I’d like your advice: where should take myself from this point on?

I’m a rising junior, and I’ve completed four semesters–the middle two creating a dip in my transcript. I’ve always elected for the most rigorous schedule for my grade, even above that in some cases.

I had some circumstances (out of my control) that “wrecked” my GPA. OK–they were high Bs, which I am fond of to some degree. I totally f-cked myself over in Precalculus Honors. I never attended classes due to suicidal tendencies, and I missed plenty of days from an overseas trip. A close family member passed; it affected me in many ways that almost entirely changed my philosophy about life. I got a 78 (D+) in the course, the only thing that saved me was prior math knowledge. I also had to leave AP Physics entirely, because it would have damaged my GPA since I had done no work. I was the only freshman in these classes, they were both meant for advanced juniors and seniors. I then got an A in English Honors and a B in Biology Honors. I stayed depressed well into the summer and the first half of sophomore year. Sophomore year, I’d still had elected the hardest schedule though. The only class I missed out on was AP World History, which I deeply regret, since World History is my favorite subject. I want to major in History, IR, or South Asian studies. I thought the class would cause my crash again, since it’s a very rigorous course. I took honors, and got a “low” 85. It was hard for me to focus when I was depressed, you wouldn’t find me cramming facts about the Ming Dynasty in my head. I also lost my drive to take STEM courses like I had before. Second semester, I also opted for a useless class (Home Economics) since I had exhausted all of the options. I am grateful that the cloud of depression lifted over my head vanished second semester, and I did well in my courses and found some really cool things to do.

My weighted GPA sits over the 4.0 mark, and my unweighted is about a 3.5. I’m 141/500 in my class. My (public) school is large, competitive, and comprised of very upper-class white students. Sorry for the informal discourse, writing formally on this site (especially about a few Bs) irks me.

My questions follow:

  1. Will scoring high on the ACT make me seem like a lazy student? That’s what I’ve found from reading “HIGH ACT/Low GPA” threads. I’m discouraged from scoring high now, seriously.
  2. I have to take two SAT subject tests. I want to do literature (I LIVE to read) and world history, possibly French. Should I not do WH since it’ll look strange, that a student who took the honors level of WH and did mediocre happened to do well on the subject test?
  3. I know admissions are holistic and many factors play into entry. But purely from an academic standpoint, are schools like Brown, Columbia, and Tufts out of the question? (FYI, I have an arsenal of safety school applications just screaming to be filled out)

Fingers crossed, I can make it to a 3.7 UW maximum at the end of junior year, and score well on my standardized tests. That’s the optimistic road I’ve chosen. I’ve heard that you should discuss this in your application, though I don’t consider it to be such a part of me. I have better things to write about, but without a doubt I’d request to get it written about in my counselor recommendation.

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Possibly relevant factors: I’m from a family of 6 with an income of 28,000, and no, I’m not a URM. I have to put aside time (anywhere from 10-20 hours a week) to work at my dad’s shop.

Sounds like excuses, but these are the dynamics and circumstances of my life that cause me to grow and think a different way.

3

If you can increase your GPA to a 3.7, it’ll be worthwhile to apply. (Assuming you also have good ECs and test scores) Most importantly, be ready to explain your extenuating circumstances to the Adcoms.

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  1. Will scoring high on the ACT make me seem like a lazy student? That's what I've found from reading "HIGH ACT/Low GPA" threads. I'm discouraged from scoring high now, seriously.

Score as high as you can. You have reasons for having the grades that you do- high ACT scores can help you, in your case.

  1. I have to take two SAT subject tests. I want to do literature (I LIVE to read) and world history, possibly French. Should I not do WH since it'll look strange, that a student who took the honors level of WH and did mediocre happened to do well on the subject test?

Take WH! It can prove that you were suffering from external circumstances class-wise but you still knew the material.

  1. I know admissions are holistic and many factors play into entry. But purely from an academic standpoint, are schools like Brown, Columbia, and Tufts out of the question? (FYI, I have an arsenal of safety school applications just screaming to be filled out) Not out of the question. Still tough, obviously, but it isn't like you completely slacked off and got poor grades- there are reasons for wy your grades are lower. Don't let lower grades put you off applying.
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Any other opinions?

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  1. Will scoring high on the ACT make me seem like a lazy student? Not necessarily--I would say try hard to get the highest score you can and then go from there. Hopefully your gpa will rise, but in any case, better to have a high ACT. Your LoR may mediate low GPA and mitigate arguments that you're a "lazy student"
  2. I have to take two SAT subject tests. I want to do literature (I LIVE to read) and world history, possibly French. Should I not do WH since it'll look strange, that a student who took the honors level of WH and did mediocre happened to do well on the subject test? No, it probably will not look too out of the blue (again, LoR will definitely play a large role here). One thing you should consider for Harvard is taking 1 STEM based SAT2 and 1 Humanities/Language SAT2 if you think you can get a decent score. Also, keep in mind that there is 2 versions of French (one with listening offered once a year and one without). Fair warning, depending on what type of reader you are, the Literature SAT2 may not be right for you bc it requires you to do quick analysis (I love reading but hated the literature SAT2 :( )
  3. I know admissions are holistic and many factors play into entry. But purely from an academic standpoint, are schools like Brown, Columbia, and Tufts out of the question? (FYI, I have an arsenal of safety school applications just screaming to be filled out) Brown and Tufts might be more in reach, but much of the same comments above apply to these 2 schools. I'm actually going to Columbia so PM me if you need help in anything!

Good luck :slight_smile:

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bump

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  1. Try to get a person (not necessarily a teacher) that is familiar with your situation to write the LoR. That would clear the dust and give you more credibility. Score as high as you can.
  2. Do SAT IIs that you will do the best in. I think that just so happens to be Literature and World History. You want to try to look as smart as possible to help show that you could have gotten a higher GPA if it wasn't for all those things that are not your fault.
  3. Applying to a holistic college because they won't tear you down over your GPA. I think that Brown, Tufts, and Columbia are possible candidates because (from what I know) they don't scrutinize over every fine detail on only a few things.
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I got into tufts with a 3.2 UW GPA, 35 ACT. I had difficult circumstances as well, though I opted not to mention them. Nonetheless, if you can prove to Tufts that you are a valuable candidate, regardless of your low gpa, you will get in. Not sure if these things happen at Brown/Harvard, but a friend of mine who was a prolific writer and was published in several famous media outlets got into Columbia with a 3.4 UW GPA.

You are not your GPA. Schools like Tufts know that.

It will almost certainly help if you ED somewhere. Schools tend to be much more giving with ED pools. Assuming Tufts, Brown, and Columbia are your top three choices, you can apply ED1 to Brown or Columbia and then ED2 to Tufts, as Tufts is the only school of these three that offers an ED2 round.

If it were up to me, I would apply ED1 to Tufts. I spent a weekend at Brown visiting my friend and I absolutely hated the atmosphere. Can’t speak much to Columbia.