<p>Hey guys. I know that I have a very very low chance of getting into accepted into these schools (1-10%?), but I wanted to know whether I'd be a competitive applicant? Thanks!</p>
<ul>
<li>Japanese from UK (Lived in London all my life)</li>
<li>Converted GPA: 4.0 (No idea, based on what ACT said my GPA was lol)</li>
</ul>
<p>Test Scores:
- GCSEs: 6A* 5A
- AS-Levels: 5A 1B
- Predicted A-levels: 3A* 2A
- ACT: 35 (36E 34M 33R 36S 10W)
- SAT II Math I: 730
- SAT II Physics: 770</p>
<p>ECs:
- Started Charity Initiative in unison with Red Cross for Japanese Tsunami 2011
- Charity for the homeless in South London
- Japanese School every Saturday for 12 years (graduating high school equivalent in March 2015)
- Founder & President of Astronomy Society
- Co-President of Economics Society
- Captain & Coach of Basketball Team
- Player of Football Team
- Journalist for School Magazine
- Student Prefect
- Model UN
- School Representative of UKMT (Olympiad twice)
- Learning German (hopefully fluent & trilingual in a couple years)
- 3 Teacher Recs (They said they were positive but I haven't read them)
- Counselor Rec (Said positive but again, haven't read it)</p>
<p>Interview:
It was good but not very personal.. I don't think my personality shone through. It also only lasted 20 minutes because my interviewer was really busy and had to leave early (also came 20mins late). I'm trying to organise another one and fingers crossed it'll happen.</p>
<p>If anyone wants to read my essays, I'll be more than happy to PM if that helps to chance me. Based on my application, what do reckon my chances for HYPSM, Harvard SCEA in particular? Thanks for your time!</p>
<p>Your SAT math score is holding your application back, however your academic profile seems relatively strong, probably satisfactory to standards. The major problem is however, there is no real outstanding component of your application (e.g. Started own company/charity that has grown big, international math Olympiad) which is often a decisive factor for international students seeking admission to Harvard. Considering that Harvard only accepts a small number of students from the UK a year, your chances are slim just like most international applicants. For HYPS, its a high reach. </p>
<p>@blu5959 Cool thanks! You’re right in that I don’t have the special defining quality. I’ve competed nationally for Maths (should have done a lot better on the Math I and ACT), and my charity raised above £2000 for the Japanese tsunami, but they were both rare… I didn’t maintain my charity and I have only competed nationally for Maths twice. I’m expecting to be deferred, but hopefully the admissions officers like me!</p>
<p>@ready4college247 Thank you very much, I hope Harvard see it that way too! I am rather worries because I’m unsure of my essays, and I haven’t maintained some of my ECs eg. my charity and football (it clashes with Japanese School). Thanks for the response!</p>
<p>@ready4college247 @microphakia976 Thanks guys, I’ll personal message you guys in a sec! I have to admit beforehand, my essays are REALLY weak. I’m from the UK, so I had no guidance to how to write essays for US colleges and over here we write really impersonal ‘personal statements’. We only write about the subject we wish to take (we apply to a subject in the UK) and what we accomplished in that subject. So, my essays are really impersonal and I my tone doesn’t really transfer through… </p>
<p>I wish I had known that US essays are supposed to be more personal for Harvard Early Action, but I’ll make improvements for Regular Decision! Any extra tips from you guys would be great!</p>