<p>I'm looking to gain admissions to Harvard, and I know that for EVERYONE it is a reach. However, I was wondering where I could improve my application. Thanks in advance for the consideration. I am going to be a senior at a decent sized public high school. </p>
<p>Rank Unweighted: 4.000 1/419
Rank Weighted: 4.584 1/419 </p>
<p>AP European History - 5
AP Statistics - 5 <--- Sophomore Year</p>
<p>AP Calculus BC - 5
AP Chemistry - 5 <--- Junior Year
AP English Language - 5
AP United States History - 5 </p>
<p>Taking AP US Gov, AP Bio, AP Physics, AP Spanish, and AP English Literature this year. </p>
<p>SAT I: Writing: 700 CR:730 Math: 790 (2220)
SAT II: Havent taken ANY yet (whoops), but taking Math II, Chem, and US history later this year. </p>
<p>ACT: Science:36 Reading: 34 English:36 Math:36 Composite: 36 (I'm looking into Presidential scholar stuff this fall as well) </p>
<p>Music: Competitive Pianist, Not going to list all awards, but many district and state awards ( No national :( )
I have perfect pitch, so the rest of the instruments here are self taught. I enjoy arranging popular music as well.
Violin in school Advanced Orchestra, Section leader sometimes (its based on a test, whoever does the best is section leader)
I also play viola in ensemble groups. Guitar is something I'm working on, but I only play it for our church youth group. </p>
<p>EC: I think one of the things I can show admissions folk is that over time, I lose EC activities because I become more passionate for the ones that are more important to me. Hopefully this is important. Not sure if admissions folk are interested in so many random things that I did my freshman year. </p>
<p>I used to do Ping Pong Club, Model UN (total joke around here), Soccer (not at the varsity level), Categories (trivia club), Math Club (no one interested anymore, but I'm a highly decorated mathlete), Science Olympiad, and some other clubs over the course of my freshman and sophomore year. I really found what I enjoyed, and these activities are still on going. </p>
<p>12 is a projection</p>
<p>KAY (KEY) Service Club: 10, 11, 12
Academic Decathlon: 10, 11, 12
Music (see music section): 9,10,11,12
National Honor Society (member): 11, 12
Spanish Honor Society (member): 10, 11, 12</p>
<p>Seems like I'm kind of weak in the after school EC's, but I spend a lot of my time volunteering. </p>
<p>Volunteerism:
Library volunteer (shelving, reading): 9,10
Church: Lead children's worship, Teach sunday school to younger kids, and our youth group frequently does volunteer work at local functions. I also lead youth group worship. 9,10, 11, 12
CYIA, CEF Summer Missionary: I work five weeks over the summer, 12 hours a day, ministering to children in urban, poorer areas. Its something important to me, but I'm not sure how faith plays a role in admissions decisions. I'm considering also doing this work during the school year. 10,11. </p>
<p>Hook: Currently working on a senior service project. During my ministry, I noticed that many children go unnoticed even though they struggle academically. One specific example was a child, age 13, who couldn't pronounce the word OCEAN. He pronounced it OCK -EAN :(. He lives in a boys home, a home for boys that are 1) Too bad to stay at home or 2) have been sexually or physically abused. A project is currently in the works, with me as its founder, to start a weekly reading group with them. The purpose is not only to reach the kids, but to get my peers involved in their community as well. </p>
<p>I work around 15 hours a week at KUMON, a learning center as a teacher's assistant.</p>
<p>Not sure if that really is a hook, but it sure is a lot of work.
The rest of this I'm not sure is relevant. </p>
<p>I'm Asian, Chinese to be specific (Fluent, but this is the check box of doom?)
My parents make a combined total of less than 100k a year.
I'm highly interested in the NROTC scholarship, I've already signed the paper work for the instant reservation scholarship (highly qualified applicants avoid the normal pool of applicants). In such case, I am not the stay at home and study kind of person. Lifting weights and doing push ups is my kind of thing. </p>
<p>Leadership is hard to convey in this format, I'll try to get in done in the essays.</p>
<p>THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.</p>