<p>Hey guys, I'd really appreciate it if you could chance me. I'm really wondering what my chances are, especially now after receiving my SAT II marks :(</p>
<p>Objective:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (breakdown): 2220 (740R, 760M, 720W, 8 essay)
[</em>] SAT II: 800 M2, 640 Physics (!!!!)
[<em>] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[</em>] AP (place score in parenthesis): Haven't taken any yet, taking them all this year
[li] Senior Year Course Load: 5 APs (plus one self-study planned) + Band + Chem (not AP)</p>[/li]
<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Competitive non-NCAA sport (captain of school team), Music, School Environment Club (head this year, instituted compost program 2 years ago)
[</em>] Job/Work Experience: Coaching younger kids in the sport I play
[<em>] Volunteer/Community service: basically same as above
[</em>] Essays: Solid imo
[<em>] Teacher Recommendation: Both really good I think
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Not sure, probably decent
[<em>] Additional Rec: Letter of support from Harvard coach saying they want me (not being recruited though)
[</em>] Ethnicity: Indian</p>
<p>[/ul]General Notes: If you're wondering about my APs (most of the posts I've seen on this site show people who took a bunch of APs in their junior year), I just didn't have space for them in my schedule in previous years, and didn't really have time to self-study any.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot in advance, guys. Kinda worried now because of my SATs (not that I want you guys to make me feel better - I want your honest opinion). Wondering how they'll affect my chances.</p>
<p>Your applying RD, correct? Not that it makes a difference, I mean your chances look pretty bad. Your SAT isn’t great, but I think I’m more worried about your SAT II. They usually aren’t a reason for an applicant’s rejection, but that’s because a 700+ (or even a 750+) is kind of expected. January retake?</p>
<p>Oh, I guess chance for me. I’m curious haha.</p>
<p>Objective:</p>
<pre><code>SAT I (breakdown): 2290 (800R, 770M, 720W)
SAT II: 800 Chem, 770 US History
Unweighted GPA: We don’t have out of 4.0, but mine is 95.714, 4th in class out of 180.
AP (place score in parenthesis): Stats (5), English Lang (5), Chemistry (5), USH (4), Calc AB (4:()
Senior Year Course Load: 3 APs
</code></pre>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<pre><code>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): President/Founder of poetry club in my school where we do some slams and stuff, helped lead a ordinance that got passed in my city, fencing (not great at haha), VP of student senate.
Job/Work Experience: Ice cream store for two years, this past summer interned in state-wide campaign, total 180 hours.
Volunteer/Community service: Oh well Interact Service Club. And the internship was unpaid haha
Essays: Decent.
Teacher Recommendation: Both really good I think
Counselor Rec: Probably good
Ethnicity: White and Male
</code></pre>
<p>Additional notes: SCEA, Interview went well, New England state that’s not Mass., and my high school is mediocre. Salutatorian also applying SCEA. Her SAT scores is 1960 and her sat IIs are bad too. and shes a little crazy lol</p>
<p>Well that’s disappointing lol. Harvard would be amazing to go to. Anyway, nah I went early, and my interview is actually tomorrow. And it would make a difference haha, cause I’d be able to use my December SAT scores.</p>
<p>As for you, your SATs are good - right in that range you want. Pretty sure a 770 in USH is also supposed to be really good. Great school grades, too.
For your APs, not sure why you put a sad face there haha. Adcom looks at more than just scores like that and one 4 won’t hurt you at all.
Your ECs are okay, but I think they usually prefer a more narrowed focus on something that shows passion. For you that’s probably your government stuff though, like the ordinance you helped pass (I’m curious as to what it was… I didn’t even know what an ordinance was but I looked it up and apparently you got something banned lmao?).
What’s this state-wide campaign you did? 180 hours is pretty solid though.</p>
<p>I’d say you have about the same chance as the average - maybe 10%ish. Your stats are solid but I don’t see any major hooks. But you still definitely have a chance.</p>
<p>Haha yeah kind of wish my app was a little more focused. And obviously you have a chance, as does anyone with a 2220. But yeah… Don’t see anything that screams out for either of us :(. Oh well! We’ll see.</p>
<p>I really wouldn’t describe your SAT II’s as “insanely low”. Yes, your physics is probably lower than average, but it isn’t insane in any way, and wouldn’t immediately disqualify your application. When I was at a Harvard info session, an admissions officer said that they mainly look at your SAT II’s to see which subjects you are interested/focused on. Just because physics didn’t work out for you, doesn’t make you worse than the next applicant. Good luck, I applied early also! :)</p>
<p>Alright, thanks for the consolation haha. I’m still super disappointed in it though. And I mean, if you think about the implications of my 630, it kinda is insanely low. It means I got about 35/75. That’s below 50%, so I basically failed the test. :(</p>
<p>Good luck to you too! It’s funny, I had my interview the other day, and I prepared so much for the “why Harvard” question that I actually really convinced myself that Harvard is the one college I want to go to more than anything (I wasn’t fully sure before). And funnily enough, he didn’t even ask me “why Harvard” :P</p>
<p>Haha really? During my interview, my “why Harvard” answer was actually probably the low point of the conversation. I look back and I’m embarrassed at how generic my answer was. -__- And Harvard has been my dream school for so long…I think I just kind of overthought the whole concept. Oh well. Will you chance me? I know it’s aimless at this point and chancing doesn’t give much insight anyway but…</p>
<p>Objective:</p>
<pre><code>SAT I (breakdown): 2360 (780R, 78M, 800W,)
SAT II: 800 M2, 780 French, 750 Chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
AP (place score in parentheses): French (5) Chem (4) USH (4)
Senior Year Course Load: 5 APs (Bio, Euro, English, Calc BC, Stats) 1 Elective
</code></pre>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<pre><code>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student tutor, underclassmen mentor, club and school varsity team in my sport (don’t wanna be too specific sorry), piano for 10 years
Job/Work Experience: Lifeguarding since 9th grade, founded a program coaching kids from my town in the sport I play
Volunteer/Community service: Teach my sport to mentally disabled kids, organized a couple of food drives at school
Essays: Common app essay was kind of generic
Teacher Recommendation: I’m not sure, got a supplemental one that should be good
Counselor Rec: Probably good
Additional Rec: Really good I think!
Ethnicity: Half black/half white
</code></pre>
<p>Don’t stress about that. They care more about what you’re like as a person than about why you want to go to Harvard. The main thing is they want to accept people who they’re almost certain will matriculate, but it doesn’t matter since they already know almost everyone who’s accepted ends up going.</p>
<p>Hahahah sure. Main reason I wanted to be chanced was cause I was feeling down about my SAT IIs, but yeah it doesn’t do much. I’ll chance you anyway though.</p>
<p>Objective: Dayummmm. Solid stats, and I’m liking that 2360
Subjective:
I’m not sure how into that sport you were - like, what “club” means and how good you ended up getting. If you were really into it, that’s a big upside to your app. If not though, it’s still good that you played that sport. As for piano, it’s a bit generic, but it’s good if you’re able to show you actually have a sort of passion for it.
Actually it’s really good that you founded that program. That shows you used your passion to help others and “make a difference”, if you will, which is what they want - they want to accept people they think will be able to contribute to the world (it looks good on them). The lifeguarding also helps to add another side to you to your app.
Essay: How generic? I can’t picture what a generic essay would be like, because first, your essay shows your voice through your writing, and second, I expect you wrote about something that gave you an opportunity to put your own insight into it, even if it’s something most people do. What’d you write about?
Glad you got an good additional rec. The teacher one does matter though, because it helps show them what you’ll be like in class. It’s not gonna make or break your app but it will help them get to know you a bit better.
Ethnicity: Nice hahah. Did they contact you about your ethnicity? My friend got a sort of “recruitment” phone call from Harvard for being filipino.</p>
<p>Overall I’d say you have a pretty fair chance at Harvard. Even your ethnicity brings your chances up. I don’t see anything that stands out in your application as a red flag (not even if it’s a lack of something in your life), and you do have a few… green flags? in your app. Hahaha. So yeah, I’d say you have a good chance, better than most.</p>
<p>But yeah, I guess we’ll all find out in a month or so.</p>
<p>Wow thanks a lot! Club just means that it’s a competitive team outside of school. And I’m pretty good, but not good enough to be recruited.
For my essay, I wrote about a childhood friend who was a big inspiration for me. I think it was well written, but I could have chosen a more unique topic, I don’t know…
And no I didn’t get any recruitment for my ethnicity haha. However, do you think they take cultural background (as opposed to just race) into account? Like, yes I’m half black, but my parents aren’t “American”, and the mix of cultures I grew up with is very interesting an unexpected. Do you think that could be considered as a sort of hook?
And yeah…17 days omg…</p>
<p>That’s still really good that you play a sport competitively.
As long as your essay was from the heart you’re all good! You’re in trouble if you’re just making stuff up and it’s easy to tell. But if you’re genuine, then it’s fine, no matter what you write on. You could write on your walk to school and you’d be completely fine if you put your own personal insight into it. It’s not what topic you write about, it’s what you write about the topic.
Haha, okay. And well, as for the mix of cultures, if you wrote an essay on it, then yes. If not, then it won’t really help because the ethnicity thing is just to try and make Harvard look more diverse (that’s why they recruit). And they can’t use cultures you grew up in as a statistic. (On a side note, it’s a shame, because my parents were born in Africa but my mom didn’t let me put down that I’m African-American hahahahah. Then again, she is right that it’s never good to do something like that even if it’s just a semi-lie.)
Meh, I’m trying not to think about it. I’ve got enough stuff in my life anyway that I can be distracted from it. It still stresses me out though, cause now I really wanna go to Harvard but deep down know there’s not a huge chance because of my SATs and the fact that Harvard’s just a really selective school, and sometimes it’s just up to chance. :(</p>
<p>^^ There is no such thing as a weak extracurricular activity, and one EC is not better than any other. Colleges look at extracurricular activities to see what you are interested in doing outside of the classroom. Admissions is looking for demonstrated commitment and passion in your activities, whatever they may be, as they feel passion is “translatable.” So, it is better to be involved with a few activities that you are truly passionate about, rather than dabble in many activities. To quote William Fitzsimmons: “I want to know, what is it this person does beside chew gum and produce good grades or scores.”</p>
<p>I actually really like your post. Thanks. Obviously I didn’t see it before, since you posted it a day after I posted mine, but it is helpful now. I did know that chances didn’t mean much but I was just feeling really down because of my SAT results. Based on the thread you linked right now it seems like hopefully they might be able to look past my 640. We’ll see.</p>
<p>And yeah I don’t think my extra-curriculars are too bad. My involvement in the sport I play is really extensive.</p>
