Chance me for SCEA?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on my chances for Class of '19 SCEA:</p>

<p>Standardized Testing:
ACT - 34 (33 E, 35 M, 35R, 33S)<br>
(or SAT, not planning on sending - 2220: 800 M, 760 W, 660 CR, 11E)</p>

<p>SAT II: Math (800), Chemistry (790)</p>

<p>Courses/Rigor:</p>

<p>GPA - 4.0<br>
Rank - 1/479 (rank is weighted to include AP classes)
AP: 14 5s on various exams including Chem, Bio, Calc BC, Eng Lang, USH, etc.
Math classes taken - taken all Math through AP Calc BC, Multivariable Calc, Lin Algebra, and differential equations
(took BC Calc as freshman)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Research (main extracurricular)</p>

<p>Worked in lab for 2 years studying a vaccine for HIV; published as co-author in the Journal of Immunology, and Science.
ISEF Finalist - 3rd place in Cell/Mol Bio
1st in regional science fair.</p>

<p>Previously worked in 2 other labs studying protein folding, molecular simulation - 2 years, 1st at State science fair in cell/mol bio 2x.</p>

<p>Major Awards: International DECA top 20 finalist, top 6 in Finance Cluster Exam. 1st at regional competition and state competition. 1sts at State Science Olympiad competition. National AP Scholar (after junior year).</p>

<p>Leadership - President of ASB for class, Secretary for </p>

<p>Service - NHS/ Key Club member, research as a volunteer</p>

<p>Paid Work - Researcher in lab for 1.5 years. </p>

<p>Recs - extremely good. Quote: "intellectual ability is unlike anything I've seen in 15 years of teaching."</p>

<p>What do you think? Should I retake the ACT in October to get a 35+ or retake the SAT hoping for a 750+ in CR, for a superscore of 2310+?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Better than most.</p>

3

<p>As well, I don’t think that retaking the ACT will add much, if anything, to your application. If you’re not going to submit the SAT, then don’t retake it.</p>

4

<p>Thank you! Any other thoughts?</p>

5

<p>Although your stats are wonderful (my daughter was admitted with a 34 ACT, so that’s a competitive score – so you shouldn’t consider retaking, but instead you should be spending the time refining and be polishing your essays). One note of caution though: you seem to lack the self confidence and critical thinking skills needed to succeed at Harvard. Your post reminded of this post from Northstarmom was written years ago, but it’s just as relevant today. Please . . . if you’ve done everything you said you have done, you shouldn’t need reassurance from internet strangers.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>You might want to read this thread and then ask a specific question about your chances: <a href=“Chance Threads - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING ONE - Harvard University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one-p1.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>@gibby,</p>

<p>Sorry, I disagree with you pretty strongly. I don’t really take very seriously the quote you cite.</p>

<p>The current original poster is an objectively-strong candidate for application to pretty much any school in the United States. Period. Self-confidence and critical thinking skills are demonstrated by the accomplishments cited. You’re straining at gnats (oh dear! the poster posted a chance thread on cc!! the poster asked about retaking an ACT of 34!!!) and swallowing camels (perfect grades, outstanding test scores, virtually peerless extracurriculars, phenomenal recommendations).</p>

<p>The poster should, of course, work on his or her essays, and make sure they’re just as good as the rest of his or her sterling accomplishments.</p>

<p>But this is a strong candidate whose chances are better than most, assuming that everything reported is accurate and in an appropriate context. </p>

<p>@nsquared2 - If what you posted about yourself accurately reflects your accomplishments, apply with confidence. Make sure you apply to a sufficient number of top-tier schools that are a good fit for you. Work on your essays. The chances of getting into any particular top-tier school are not particularly great, but you have every reason to be confident that if you make sufficient applications to schools that are right for you, you’ll be getting the fat envelope from some great schools in March. Who knows? One of those fat envelopes may be from Harvard.</p>

<p>Keep up the good work! Don’t rest on your well-deserved laurels! Good luck!</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t disagree. I’m questioning why the OP seems to lack the self-awareness to understand that. </p>

<p>FWIW: the quote I posted from Northstarmom, who was a supermoderator with CC with over 24,000 posts, is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. That said, as a Harvard alum and interviewer, she has more years of experience than either of us.</p>

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<p>@gibby,</p>

<p>At the very least, your quote is inappropriately applied herein. Go back to gnats and camels.</p>

<p>I don’t think this poster is particularly lacking in either self-confidence or self-awareness, but probably more in environmental awareness. Especially if a student has been in a highly-competitive, high-achieving environment, it may be difficult to accurately assess where one stands in relationship to the rest of the world. It strikes me as especially true at the beginning of the application season, as students are approaching the first set of application deadlines.</p>

<p>It isn’t unusual for even a strong student to ask himself or herself, am I as good as folks make me out to be? I know my teachers and friends and counselors and parents all tell me how well I’m doing, but will others think of me, who aren’t invested in me, who don’t see me through the eyes of love and affection? What will admissions committees think of me? Are my accomplishments really that unusual? Aren’t there plenty of kids who do this, and a whole lot more?</p>

<p>My own kids experienced a lot of this, primarily because when we homeschooled, we were in an environment with a lot of really high-achieving kids. And they often had the same feelings. It wasn’t that they weren’t self-confident or self-aware. It was that they didn’t see their accomplishments as unusual. In our circle, two young ladies, twins, were the oldest and really the leaders of the children in our homeschool community. When they got back their PSAT scores in their junior year of homeschooling (which qualified them as eligible for National Merit Semi-Finalists), one of them said, “I guess Mamma and Poppa were right after all, we really ARE smart!”</p>

<p>Initially, I was taken aback. But then, I thought, why not? Why wouldn’t they think that way? Their father has two Ph.Ds., their mother is ABD, many of their friends’ parents have advanced degrees, many of these kids have three or more languages, it’s really quite a group of extraordinary kids. But to themselves and each other, they’re all pretty ordinary. Following the twins was another sister who made the twins look academically dull. The “dumb” sister was next, (she didn’t make National Merit Semi-Finalist, or even Commended) and had a string of 5s in various APs and was fluent in English, French, German, knew a fair bit of Latin, and a little Chinese.</p>

<p>My own sons, when they got to a traditional high school, were a bit shocked they were academically at the top of their classes. “It’s not that we’re smart, Dad,” they’d say to me, “Anyone could do what we’ve done. It’s just that the other kids are all lazy.”</p>

<p>We’re influenced by our environment.</p>

<p>As well, a lot of kids go to schools that aren’t Ivy feeders. They don’t get the accurate feedback from their guidance counselors about college admissions matters, especially concerning the most selective schools, My sons’ guidance counselor figured my sons would be accepted to every school to which they applied, including all the Ivies to which they applied. They didn’t.</p>

<p>Whether folks here are strangers or not, for better or for worse, there is a lot of accumulated experience hanging out at CC. It’s perfectly reasonable that for reasons of objectivity, of emotional distance, and of accumulated wisdom, someone might ask strangers their chances here on CC.</p>

9

<p>Thank you to both of you. I appreciate your opposing viewpoints; I live in an area with other extremely talented students so that might explain my need for reassurance. Do you all think I should emphasize the research I’ve done in my essays?</p>

10

<p>Talking about your research in your essays is certainly an option. You need to decide for yourself what you want to write in your essays. Deciding what to write and how to approach it is one of the most difficult parts of the application process. My only comment is that your essays are your chance to say directly who and what you are. They are your direct voice.</p>

11

<p>I want to thank everyone for their advice. It was extremely useful. I’m very interested in other opinions on my ACT score - is 34 truly good enough? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>(PS - I promise I’m not asking purely for satisfaction; instead, I truly need your take on my score and whether I should pursue further testing.)</p>

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<p>@nsquared2 - Yes, 34 is good enough. I assume it is with writing. That doesn’t mean you will get in, but it’s good enough that they will make the decision based on the rest of your application. The rest of your qualifications appear to be flawless, which means I will echo Gibby’s advise, work on your essays, make sure your recommendations are solid, and prepare for your interview…I am of the opinion that the interview can make a difference, or they wouldn’t ask alumni to go through the trouble of interviewing thousands of candidates.</p>

13

<p>I’ve heard from any number of Harvard interviewers that the interviews usually have little or no positive impact, but can have a negative impact for applicants who are obnoxious, rude, or who don’t seem to exhibit much intellectual ability.</p>

<p>In fact, that appears to be the common view for most highly-selective schools. The one exception is MIT, which more or less says that some weight is given to the interview, more than at most places, but still, not a great deal of weight.</p>

14

@nsquared2 Just wondering what the result ended up being?

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@ICanAndWill: Welcome to College Confidential! As a newbie member, you may not be aware that you can click on any member’s name and see their past replies and threads. If you do so for the OP, you will see that the last post they made, or responded to, was October of 2014. Therefore, it’s a good bet that the OP was not accepted SCEA.

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@gibby yeah i’m new here :slight_smile: Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.