<p>I am a high school senior, looking to apply to Harvard.</p>
<p>Male, 17 yrs old, South Asian Descent
AP Scholar w/ Distinction
National Honors Soc., Spanish Honors Soc., National Merit Commended Scholar</p>
<p>Scores/Grades:
All 5's in 6 AP courses, taking an additional 6 this year.
Weighted GPA = 99
SAT: Math 800 CR 690 Wr 710
ACT: Eng. 33 Math 36 Read. 34 Sci. 32
SAT II:
Physics 800
Math II 800
Chem 790
Bio 790</p>
<p>Research:
Siemens Competition 2010 - Semifinalist - Research on PEM Fuel Cells
Intel Science Talent Search Participant
Long Island Science & Engineering Fair Participant</p>
<p>ECs:
1. Mathletes Treasurer
2. Member of Boys Varsity Swim Team (4 Varsity Letters)
3. Volunteer with Rotary Int'l, Interfaith Nutrition Network,
local Long Island's Children's Museum, Hospice Care Network
4. Web Design (submitted portfolio)
5. Java/C++ computer programming
6. Columbia Science Honors Program (Nanoscience & Organic Chem)
7. Initiated Dry-Erase Marker Recycling Program at School</p>
<p>Recommendations:
1. Principal of school
2. AP Physics Teacher
3. AP European History Teacher
4. Research Mentor</p>
<p>I just wanted to get an idea of where I stand.
Thank you all for your invaluable advice on these forums, I'm addicted to college confidential.</p>
<p>I think you’re certainly qualified, but Dreams and conner, what about his description makes him stand out from the other qualified applicants and appear “very strong?” Is it Intel? I’m just curious.</p>
<p>I could also add a brief essay about how and why I am concerned about the environment.
It would tie together the siemens-winning alternative energy research and the recycling initiative.</p>
<p>hahaha, I’d be interested to see this website. Does it tie in to the whole alternative energy/recycling issue?</p>
<p>also, see if you can get published. Maybe your research paper in a journal or something. Write an article about alternative energy and send it to some teen magazine/local paper. I guess if you’re making that your rallying point, show Harvard that you’re extremely passionate about it. </p>
<p>I’m just a junior though, so my opinions are based on what I’ve managed to gather from CC.</p>
<p>What dreams said. It is all great, but they get lots of great people.</p>
<p>That said, there is no-one certain for Harvard, but a WOW factor would help, something to help you stand out from all the other South Asians with 2200+ SAT’s 22 AP’s etc etc etc.</p>
<p>^ Has a good point. If you could get something published it would help… ^ then makes me throw up in my mouth “Write an article about alternative energy and send it to some teen magazine/local paper”
No, please no… teen magazine? (shudder) when ^ said published I assumed research (because you talked about research). I don’t think a sh***y teen magazine article would help much… If you could get some research published that would be great.</p>
<p>Of course, it all depends on how you come through in the essays, but nothing so far has made me think accepted. Good enough to end up somewhere excellent though.</p>
<p>Well the news that i had won semifinalist in siemens reached a few news websites that acknowledge the award. Other than that, to get published would require a lot of extra time, so i am a bit late</p>
<p>What I meant is that you are in the ballpark for the top 20 schools. Harvard imo is a push, though I would say that to almost everyone. My suggestions were to help you with the top 5 or 6 schools (HYPSMC). Below that I would say that you had a good chance already.</p>
<p>Becuase Harvard(YPSMC) gets the absolute elite they have a lot of people with international recognition in whatever field. At a place where they don’t get the level of awesome I would say that you have a good chance (I don’t know many places in the US, but like duke, Upenn, whatever you would put just below those 6 for science?) at Harvard though, unless you have serious international credentials no-one stands a ‘good’ chance. Your stats do give you a chance, and I agree that they are impressive, but at harvard anything goes…</p>
<p>Like I usually say, you are qualified, but after that, it’s like playing the lottery. </p>
<p>Actually, your chances of getting in are better than your chances of winning the lottery, but it can still be random. People on the internet can’t accurately predict what admissions will do. You might get in, you might not.</p>
<p>readerman,
there are only 312 applicants who can accurately say that they are siemens semifinalists
nice one
please try to educate yourself a little more before making bold remarks like that</p>
<p>But there are others with similar - not exactly the same - awards/stats. That is his point, though the ‘look elsewhere’ is unfounded and un-needed.</p>