<p>Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice about my application to Harvard. I'm from a rural community in Mississippi and my school has never sent anyone to the ivies. Please tell me what you think :). </p>
<p>GPA: 3.2, 3.4 weighted. My school doesn't have AP classes.
SAT: 1750 (600 CR, 570 M, 580W)
Extracurriculars: I'm head of the key club and am on the spirit squad. I have worked at the local market since I was 15, both after school and on the weekends.
Class Rank: top 25%
Letters of rec: Should be excellent, they are written by teachers who have known me most of my life (I go to a small school)</p>
<p>I know I don't have the best stats, but I know I would gain so much from a Harvard education. I am intellectually curious and would thrive in a vibrant academic community. </p>
<p>I see this is the first post for this user name. This raises two possibilities: either you are a ■■■■■, or you are very new to thinking about colleges. I am going to answer as if you are the latter.</p>
<p>If you come from a rural part of Mississippi, from a school that has never sent a graduate to the Ivies before, in order to have a realistic shot at Harvard, you should be not only the top student in your class, but the top student your school has seen in the last decade. And you should have SAT scores of 700 or better on all three sections of the SAT I and at least 2 SAT II tests.</p>
<p>If not ■■■■■■■■, Sikorsky is right. I have something to add on this portion, though:
Harvard is far from the only vibrant academic community in the United States! There are great options that would, in fact, be feasible for a student with your statistics.</p>
<p>I couldn’t agree more with this! In the generation since I went to college, gaining admission has become more competitive just about everywhere. But the happy result of this difficult reality is that the rising tide really has lifted all the boats. Many colleges and universities that were kind of second-best 30 years ago have become first-rate institutions, and many schools that were once pretty undistinguished also-rans have become places where you can get an education that will really broaden your mind and change your life.</p>
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<p>This, on the other hand, I’m afraid I can’t agree with. Unless your essay is about how frustrating it is to be a Saudi prince whose family can’t decide where to build a new museum to house the family’s private collection of Middle Eastern antiquities. Which, if you’re from Mississippi, it probably isn’t.</p>
<p>"Include a unique essay, that might help " Help what? that the supposed OP is only in the top quarter of his/her HS class? </p>
<p>I’d add on more to Sikorsky’s remark. In order to be viable, this applicant will have be the single best student in the history of the school. Period.</p>