<p>Thanks for the advice. About the EA comment, I will be applying RD just so that they can see my senior grades.</p>
<p>Also, I am well aware of the difference between “effect” and “affect” 
I just was super excited and didn’t look over the post before sending it. In fact, I rarely proof the things I post on forums since perfect grammar really doesn’t matter on here</p>
<p>" . . . but I have heard that most Ivys don’t even consider freshman grades."</p>
<p>Where do these rumors start? That is absolutely NOT true! Harvard and Yale count all high school grades including freshman year. Princeton used to be the only Ivy League school that disregarded freshman grades, and I’m not certain if they still do that, as I can’t find mention of it on their website.</p>
<p>Okay, I know that Stanford isn’t an ivy, but it is practically equivalent to the top ivys regarding its education level & acceptance rate, and a person on the admissions committee there specifically told me that they don’t look at freshman year grades since they are not at all representative of how you are <em>currently</em> doing (which is what they care about). Regardless, I do know that even though Harvard may not totally disregard freshman year grades, they will at least place less emphasis on them. Sorry if I came off the wrong way…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Source please?</p>
<p>@GA2012MOM</p>
<p>Common sense? You can’t honestly think that Harvard believes that your performance freshman year is truly reflective of what you are capable of. Some people mature academically later than others…</p>
<p>If you want proof, just look at anyone’s grades who has gotten into Harvard. After looking at just a few posts on here, I have found several people who had a C or several Bs freshman year who got in. Never once did I see someone with a C junior year get in…</p>
<p>I don’t appreciate your negative tone and unconstructive replies. If you want to try to help me out and provide useful feedback, please do so… I would love to hear more people’s thoughts of my chances. However, I will not continue to spend my time trying to please you while you are in your “State of Denial.” If you are mad, please vent your frustration elsewhere.</p>
<p>Guys, I just got notified that I’m in the running to possibly be a speaker at the next TED conference!!! How would this effect my chances? </p>
<p>So are you one of the speakers here in the Talent Search? <a href=“http://talentsearch.ted.com/[/url]”>http://talentsearch.ted.com/</a></p>
<p>I’m sorry you took my posts as negative, but I just try to be realistic. You say you have seen posts of people with a C or a B freshman year, but you report you had 2 years of 50/50 A’s and B’s. You can try to spin your 50% B’s, but in the end, they are still 50% B’s. I’ll repeat myself, Harvard can fill up their class with students with perfect transcripts, so you just need to do something else on your app to make yourself stand out. Admissions is not going to look at your app and say “Oh look, Johnny has decided to get serious Junior year, let’s put him in the admit pile.”</p>
<p>I’m always amazed by students who want feedback then get angry when it’s not what they want to hear. Sorry, I’m not much into ego stroking.</p>
<p>wcclir: as others have said, H and its peers receive multiple applicants with perfect freshman year grades. Your assertion that lesser grades in 9th grade are not as indicative of current abilities or potential has merit and is theoretically true. </p>
<p>But unless your file has MANY factors that shoot it above someone else’s with all things being equal except a 4.0 as a Freshman – what makes anyone think that the lesser GPA applicant won’t be among the 94.1 % of rejectees?</p>
<p>What would YOU do if you were evaluating the two files side by side? At the end of the day, they are rejecting thousands of 4.0 students.</p>
<p>To your original questions: “What do you think my chances are? Will they overlook my freshman and sophomore grades?”</p>
<p>Less than 5.9%
No</p>
<p>Hard reality aside, it appears you’ll be a catch for whatever college you attend. It appears you’ll have a great college career ahead of you. Best of luck</p>
<p>@GAMOM, I know they could easily fill their class with kids with perfect transcripts, but did you read my original chance post? I would say that my ECs are definitely above average and will hopefully make me stand out from the crowd. I’m not trying to play down my Bs… they will certainly hurt me, but I just read through an entire thread of people who got accepted or rejected from Harvard and their stats. Although mostly everyone (including most people rejected) has a 4.0, there were several non-recruits who got in with a 3.9</p>
<p>I welcome constructive criticism, but I want it to be <em>constructive</em>. As you can see from my previous posts, I never once got mad at a person who offered it–in fact, I try to thank each and every one of them. Your crossing the line when you try to nit-pick each and every one of my posts and point out typos.</p>
<p>@Suzy, I am talking about the actual conference, not the talent search</p>
<p>@T26E4, did you read my original post? I explain in there my ECs that I think put me well above the rest of the crowd.</p>
<p>EDIT: just read over this… I’m not trying to sound mean in the 1st sentence. just asking if you have read it or not. (realized it could be read the wrong way)</p>
<p>Harvard can fill up their class with perfect transcripts, but they don’t. I would say the OP is not going to be admitted for his academics, but might be for his ECs. His/her grades and test scores are plenty good enough if they are smitten with his tech work. However, to the OP, in a quick look at your prior posts I see SAT II math scores of 760, 780 and 800 listed along with posts bragging on how you got an 800 by getting up at 1 AM to review for the test… what’s Harvard’s motto?</p>
<p>Sigh…</p>
<p>@sideline, yes some of those were my speculated scores before I actually took the test. I have taken it now, though, and got an 800. And I obviously wouldn’t be bragging about studying the morning before in my app haha. Also, thanks for taking the time to give me a useful reply.</p>
<p>What did you mean about “what’s Harvard’s motto?”</p>
<p>@Suzy, I am talking about the actual conference, not the talent search </p>
<p>Yes, but according to their website, they are choosing the speakers for the conference that your referenced via this talent search.</p>
<p>@Suzy, I know. I have already talked to them about this. Not all of the speakers will be from the search</p>
<p>If I were Harvard, I might think you really want a business school rather than an academic major. How much can you talk about academic interests and achievements?</p>
<p>@woodworker Well, I want to focus on technology, not business. I would focus on my technology related accomplishments since Harvard has a major in computer science which would be what I’d take</p>
<p>“What did you mean about “what’s Harvard’s motto?””</p>
<p>Veritas!</p>
<p>Oh, I know that… I was just wondering why you asked what it was haha</p>
<p>Could anyone else please chance me?</p>