Chance me at Harvard

[wolfie1010]

Hi All,

I’m trying to get a better sense of whether or not I have a chance at Harvard in the SCEA round.

GPA: 3.92

AP Classes (score in parenthesis): Compsci (4), Chem (5), Latin (4), Bio (4), Lang (5), BC Calc (5)

Senior Year Course load: AP Physics, AP Lit, Latin and Math off-campus (college courses), advanced research class

SAT: 1580. Math 800/CR+W 780.

Bio (M): 770

Math II: 800

ECs:
Captain of Speech Team, Varsity Tennis Team
Business Club Head
Student Council President
Guitar for 8+ years
Member of Varsity Math Team and Soccer Team
Medical Research for 4 years (working on my own project)
Company co-founder and CMO

Awards:

-State Finalist in Speech and First Place award winner at State science Fair
-National Merit Semifinalist (most likely)
-Multiple National Latin Exam awards

[gibby]

I’ve written this before but here it is again:

Let’s do some math. Harvard Admissions is on record as saying that 80% of applicants can do the work on their campus, and fully 40% of them are top students with exemplarily credentials.

Now, last year almost 40,000 students applied to Harvard. If 40% of them are tippy-top students, that means 16,000 students are, in Harvard’s estimation, the best-of-the-best from across the country and around the world – truly stellar students with top grades, test scores, recommendations and essays. However, Harvard only has room for 1660 students in their freshman class, which means over 14,000 terrifically qualified students are rejected every year!

Your GPA and test scores indicate you are a qualified applicant for the SCEA or RD round, but it’s anyone’s guess if you’ll be one of the lucky qualified applicants who are accepted or one of those qualified applicants who are deferred. Bottom line: If Harvard is your first choice, then you should apply SCEA. Best of luck to you!

[noanswers]

I agree with gibby. Your stats are very impressive and certainly wouldn’t put your file into an immediate reject pile. However, compared to the rest of the equally impressive applicants, unfortunately nothing really stands out, unless you have some kind of a significant hook that would tip the decision in your favor given everything being the same. What you need to do is to write an awesome essay and find two teachers who will write a glowing LoR. Best of luck to you.

[ThinkOn]

Your research stands out to me, perhaps tell the AO’s what got you interested in the subject and what you did to pursue it. Good luck, as your essays and LoR will carry you over the threshold.

[wolfie1010]

@gibby I had a question in regards to applying to Yale vs. Harvard. Yale is truly my first choice. However, they do not allow for score choice. I have taken the SAT four times now. Would this be frowned upon at Yale? Moreover, I have heard Yale is looking for more STEM applicants. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet with a professor on campus who expressed support for my application to the school. Do you think this would warrant an early application?

[wolfie1010]

Thank you to all for your responses. The @ThinkOn I was actually going to submit a research abstract. Additionally, My mentor is submitting a letter of recommendation. The researches fairly high level and involves a topic which is largely researched at Harvard. For my Harvard supplement, I was going to focus on a more personal topic - my religion and how I struggled to find my identity. Do you think this is a poor decision?

[ThinkOn]

Not at all. As long as you use the opportunity to show the AO who you are and what inspires you, any subject is good to write about. Good luck!

[DadTwoGirls]

Is your 3.92 GPA weighted or unweighted?

[wolfie1010]

@DadTwoGirls unweighted. 4.3-4.4 weighted.

[gibby]

@gibby I had a question . . Yale (does) not allow for score choice. I have taken the SAT four times now. Would this be frowned upon at Yale?

I think Yale will do what they say on their website: https://admissions.yale.edu/faq/standardized-testing

QUESTION: Some colleges will consider only my highest scores. Why does Yale require a full testing history?

ANSWER: An applicant’s testing history provides useful contextual information to the admissions committee. With a full testing history, the committee is able to look at a student’s highest officially reported score on each section of the SAT, the highest individual SAT Subject Tests, and/or the highest ACT Plus Writing composite score.

So, Admissions will superscore your SAT instead of using your best test date scores. FWIW: Harvard will do the same if you submit all your SAT scores to Harvard. That said, Yale (or any college really) will wonder why you kept taking the test so many times. If everything else in your application is “a go” though, I seriously doubt Yale (or any school on your list) will penalize you for taking the test four times. If Yale is your first choice, then you should apply there SCEA and apply to Harvard in the RD round.

[compmom]

You had 4’s on half your AP tests, not 5’s. I noticed that right away. Good scores for most schools but wondering why: did you not study? Your SAT scores would seem to indicate smarts enough to get 5’s.

What exactly was your research and what do you mean by “working on my own project.” Was this something you did in your bedroom at home? What role did your mentor play?

What do you mean about founding your own company and serving as CMO? Can you explain?

These two things on the list potentially stand out but seem vague and might be inflated, I can’t tell. I would not “chance” you without more info.

If you took so many SAT’s to get from a 740 to an 800 you probably wasted your time. Admissions doesn’t really work that way. Hope you can provide more information on those activities.