Chance me.. please??

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hi everyone, I'm totally new to this forum, so I'd really appreciate it if you guys can give me an honest opinion.. So basically:</p>

<p>I'm a Chinese student who is currently attending a top competitive private high school in China for students who are thinking of applying to American university. When you take a look at my scores, I might not seem to be the best, especially when compared to the mindless test-taking robots that surround me, those who have nearly perfect SAT's, 10 perfect scores on AP's, and many EC's. But the thing that I have confidence in is my story. I believe I have a genuine color that differentiates myself from the "academic monsters" around me, and if I can clearly portray this certain color, I think I'm bound to find the college that is best fit for me, whether or not it's going to be Harvard. </p>

<p>So I lived in the states for nearly 14 years (attended a famous science academy in the east coast), growing up in a western culture that I became so accustomed to and unfortunately, I guess I suffered an identity crisis. So I came to study abroad by myself, thousands of miles away from my family. Why? I believed that as a Chinese person, I needed to search for my native roots and the traditional values of the land of my fathers. Asides from this, I believe that an international experience would be essential in a time where the world is getting more and more globalized, and you need to bring something more to the table other than nice stats and fluent English. you need to be multilingual, and more importantly, multicultural. So i've stayed nearly three years in China, and I've had some hard times adjusting culturally and educatoinally. But with all this hardship, I believe I have learned so much more. I learned how to live independently, and also learned how to live with others as I would be later on in society. I basically grew up, learning from my mistakes and my hardships, and I believe that this experience has taught me more than I had learned or will ever learn in any other school. In other words, I learned more about myself. And whether or not colleges will value this, it is a huge part of who I am, and it is definitely going to be the highlight of my college essays (of course I havent' mentioned everything in this post). </p>

<p>But, I mentioned there were hardships. It was hard to adjust to this new educational system, which is clearly different from the states; this system is built around a scoiety of mindlessly toiling students, who value effort and scores over the true understanding of the significance of whatever subject they're taking. I sometimes believe I've worked harder than everyone around me, but it really doesnt show in my scores, and that's my biggest worry. So here goes with my numbers (sigh):</p>

<p>GPA (weighted):
I went from a 3.6 to a 4 to a 4.1 to a 4.5. The total average is a little under 4.1 (approximately). Ranking is a little above average (I tell you, theyre machines)</p>

<p>SAT: 2340 (Writing 780, Math 800, Reading 760).</p>

<p>SAT II: Math II C 800, Physics 800, US History 780</p>

<p>AP's:
Physics C Mecha 5
Physics C E&M 5
Physics B 5
Calculus BC 5
Chemistry 5
US History 5
English Language 5
Euro History 3
Comparative Politics 3</p>

<p>Extra curriculars:
Basketball, Baseball team 3 years
Lacrosse team (MVP) 1 year
Mock Trial 3 years
MUN 3 years
Physics Research Club 3 years
Major - Chinese Culture: Chinese tea ceremony, Chinese Calligraphy and Traditional Art Painting 7 years</p>

<p>Community Service - About 150 hours at a Chinese Cultural Foundation back in America. I've been a teacher assistant every vacation there, teaching chinese calligraphy and traditional art painting.
50 hours (about an hour every week) at a home for disabled children and orphans.</p>

<p>Internship - I was an intern at the UN, attending meetings and researching environmental and social issues. I was interested in environmental issues especially, as I was a vegetarian for over about 14 years (of course I didn't start for that particular reason, but soon gained interest as I got older).</p>

<p>Awards - First Place in a National Physics Competition
Second Place in a National Mock Trial Competition
First Place in a National Calligraphy Competition (in America)
My baseball team in China won the state championship (although it isn't anything as big as winning the state championship in the states).</p>

<p>Others - As I emphasized international experience in this post, I have actually travelled around the world ever since I was young. While my friends went to Disneyland over vacation, I would always go to exotic countries with my family, in order to observe the natural beauties of other cultures and environments and learn from these experiences. I've been to over 10 different countries (Egypt, Greece, Nepal, etc) and I've written a book on these travels and what I've gained from them - how they made who I am. It hasn't been published yet, but I've found a few people who have interest in my story.</p>

<p>Recommendations - I believe they'd be very supportive and strong, as I have always been close with my teachers, who seemed to always respect me for going through all these hardships by myself.</p>

<p>So that's basically it. Sorry for the long post, and I truly appreciate those who've actually read it. If you have anything to say, please feel free to do so. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>great chance id say. your standardized test scores are great and your gpa is high so i dont think theyll punish you for an average class rank. also your ec's and world traveling make you unique so just highlight that in your essays and get good recs and you oughta have a good chance. dont forget though that the chinese are overrepresented at many of the top schools so that can hurt you. you should have as good a chance as anyone else though IMO. good luck!</p>

3

<p>Do you need financial aid? Harvard is not need blind to international applicants, and not needing financial aid helps.. a lot.</p>

4

<p>Very good chance!</p>

5

<p>"Do you need financial aid? Harvard is not need blind to international applicants, and not needing financial aid helps.. a lot." </p>

<p>As you can read here (Harvard</a> College Admissions Office: frequently asked questions) this is not true. </p>

<p>Does applying for financial aid affect a student's chances for admission?</p>

<p>No. Admission to Harvard is need-blind, by which we mean that a lack of financial resources and need for financial aid are not impediments to admission. Applying for financial aid does not jeopardize a student�s chances for admission, and foreign students have the same access to financial aid funding as do U.S. citizens.</p>

6

<p>your stats are good, so let's see how you can "market" your self as a product with a unique, differentiated value proposition. In my mind, your chances rely on essays.</p>

<p>International experience is dime a dozen among top IVY applicants. Top notch kids from all nooks and crannies of the world are coming out of the woodwork to apply to the likes of Harvard. There are tear jerking stories of third world kids who made it to USA only a few years ago and are graduating as a valedictorian. There are international applicants who did truly amazing things: getting perfect scores AND excelling in everything, doing everything from doing internship in UN to joining rescue missions in god forgotten places. So, the fact that you have multicultural experience is really ho-hum.</p>

<p>However, if I read right, did you go back to China by yourself to search your roots? this is a major story! This is reverse immigration - story of lost boys only in a reverse direction - from a place where everybody risks their life to come to to a place where people are emigrating from, and this makes you a VERY interesting candidate. If this is true, work on this. Talk about what made you do this. Talk about how you defied the pressure to conform in an amazingly comformist society and what you learned in the process. Better yet, talk about how your defiance affected those study machines around you. Talk about how you learned the value of being an iconoclast, and what this means to you.</p>

<p>Also, instead of just complaining about the study machines around you, put a different, positive spin. This is just whining. The admission directors in places like Harvard all know about Asian study machines without you telling them about it ad nauseum. </p>

<p>Of course, all this applies, if it is true. </p>

<p>Remember: it's all about marketing and sales. Good luck.</p>

7

<p>We need to talk, man. You can seriously harm yourself during the application process with some of that attitude. PM me.</p>

8

<p>no sorry you got a 3 in euro history your life is ruined</p>

9

<p>I have to say, i really admire you for what you did (going back to China and so)</p>

<p>I dont know much about the application process, but I think Havard could love a person like you :)</p>

10

<p>Jamescchen, what's wrong with the OP's attitude?</p>

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<p>Two points:</p>

<p>1) "this system is built around a society of mindlessly toiling students, who value effort and scores over the true understanding of the significance of whatever subject they're taking"</p>

<p>2) "I might not seem to be the best, especially when compared to the mindless test-taking robots that surround me"</p>

<p>Are these the talking points of a successful applicant, particularly someone who is Asian? You can kiss your chances at Harvard goodbye if these are your selling points: i.e. "I'm a man, not a machine"</p>

12

<p>^^ exactly. i recieved an infraction for commenting on that! although i was a bit blunt, but this guy deserved a kick in the ass!</p>

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<p>I don't know how many kids apply to Harvard from China every year, but I'm guessing it's quite a few. Only 2 or 3 from the whole country will get in. Work on making yourself the most appealing student (to Harvard) in a country of 1.3 billion and maybe you'll have a shot. I would recommend gaining some sort of super power between now and application time. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Beef, how do you know only two get in from China? (Thats an insanely small number compared to 2000 spots)</p>

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<p>waitn, there is an active thread right now where someone posted this link
02138</a> - December 2008
it's effectively a comprehensive list of harvard matriculants' high schools. only two people from china went to harvard last year, and I assume that number doesn't fluctuate a whole lot. you need to remember that undergraduate education in the america is highly geared towards americans... internationals don't make up anywhere near the percentage of student body undergraduate as they do in grad schools.</p>

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<p>waitn184, the year I left China, some girl from another province was accepted to Harvard. Her parents wrote two books about it and they were HUGE. It was national news and everybody was talking about it. </p>

<p>I wouldn't know whether or not there were other admittees who just chose to stay quiet, but my impression is that 2/3 from mainland China (not Hong Kong, not foreign schools based in China) is probably accurate, if not generous.</p>

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<p>Great chances!</p>

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<p>Wow, thats crazy. That would mean you have to be one of the top 2-3 applicants from a large country. Well good luck.</p>

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<p>Don't forget Chinese students who go to an American boarding school. Last year a student from China went to Harvard from my school, like 3 students from china went from exeter to harvard, plus you can't forget the variety of other countries that boarding school students come from. </p>

<p>your app looks good, though. good luck with everything!</p>

20

<p>I'm Chinese. I hate the Chinese educational system & mentality. And I agree with what other people in this thread have said about the attitude thing 100%, which says something. </p>

<p>"While my friends went to Disneyland over vacation, I would always go to exotic countries with my family, in order to observe the natural beauties of other cultures and environments and learn from these experiences." </p>

<p>The key to presenting yourself as something special is not to disparage seemingly everyone else around you, nor to inflate this supposed distinction and derive from it a sense of entitlement. Plus you might not be as immune from this kind of Asian thinking as you think you are, if you preface your thread by talking about your imperfect scores as a flaw... then reveal that you have a 2340 and 7 5's on APs, which is basically exactly how you characterized these "mindless test-taking robots." </p>

<p>What is the difference? I don't see it.</p>