Chance me?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

I’ve been rejected from Stanford, and so I’d like to know if I even stand a chance at Harvard, I’ve already submitted my application. I also have conceptual artwork available to submit on the portal and a documentary from my honors diploma project that I can submit that shows my interest and research in super-bacteria.

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2060 (750 CR; 690 W; 620 M)
ACT (breakdown): 31, 32 superscore (33 E; 26 M; 32 R; 34 S; 31E/W (9 W))
SAT II: 560 Math II; 690 Biology M (I know they are not great, but I chose to submit everything so I wouldn’t hide anything)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA: 4.57
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1%
AP (place score in parenthesis): (5) APUSH, (5) WHAP, (4) AP Bio, (4) AP Lit
[limit to 1 AP sophomore year, 2 junior year (i took 3 though), and 2 senior year (also took 3, technically 4 since Spanish 5 is unofficially an AP at my school)]
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: Hardest Available; AP Lang, AP Calc AB, H Physics (no AP available), AP Gov, Theology (required), Spanish V (technically AP Spanish Lang, although not called this due to AP limit at my school), Philosophy (required), Guitar (elective)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Honor, Clemson Sprints (Rowing) (2nd place and 3rd place), John Hunter Sprints (Rowing) (2nd place), Anatomy & Physiology (7th place, regional Science Olympiad), NCSO Spirit Award, MIT NEST Award
College Experience: Stanford High School Summer College, took classes in Calculus, Outdoor Drawing, Feminist Literature, and Cardio Dance. I have received all A’s and will be submitting this transcript.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Varsity Rowing, Science Olympiad (founder, president, head coach), Tutoring (independent), NHS (president), Ambassador (school representative for incoming students), Honor Council Member (jury for violations of school’s honor code), Fall Play (supporting actress)
Job/Work Experience: n/a
Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring (I spend a lot of my free time doing this, and I help kids from all grades in my school and anyone from outside of school that’s referred to me (like siblings) as well as in every subject)
Summer Activities: Stanford High School Summer College, Wake Forest University LENS Global Sustainability, NYLF: Medicine at Chapel Hill, traveling to Poland (family there), Canada (family there), UK, Iceland, France
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Optional Roommate: (9 or 10, everyone I spoke to loved it, it was quirky and personable (and related to how I was born in Canada)
Common App: (10, about how I chose my own name when I was a baby and why that name is a part of who I am, quirky, very me, everyone who read it loved it and thought it sounded like me)

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):

Teacher Rec #1: 10, from my advisor and english teacher at school. she’s basically my best friend even though she’s a teacher and she’s like my second mom. waived right to view but she told me a bit about it and it sounded very good. she’s also known me for 4 years.
Teacher Rec #2: 10, from my history teacher. he’s been a mentor to me for all of high school and he’s an amazing writer. we had a rough start and then became close and developed a sense of respect for each other, so its a different opinion and a good way to see how I relate to teachers.
Counselor Rec: 10 or 9, my graduating class only has 26 kids and she knows me pretty well.
Additional Rec: 10, from my Anatomy & Physiology coach. she’s known me for six years and has basically watched me grow into the person I am today. she’s also the reason I want to become a doctor and we are very close, she probably knows me better than anyone else I got recommendations from.

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
Intended Program: Biological Sciences
State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private Catholic High School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): small school’s second graduating class and first applicant to Harvard, small town, born in Canada, parents originally from Poland, naturalized US citizen, passionate about the sciences, honors diploma at school requiring thesis paper in super-bacteria
Additional Information: I have low SAT and ACT Math scores but preform far better on this subject in the classroom. I have all A’s in AP Calculus AB and mostly A’s in previous math classes.

2

While Harvard does superscore the SAT, they do NOT superscore the ACT. That said, Harvard uses the same Admissions process as Stanford.

As Harvard receives thousands more applications from qualified applicants than they have room for in their freshman class, Admissions uses a student’s teacher recommendations, essays, guidance counselor’s Secondary School Report (SSR) and interview report to select one high performing student over another. As you haven’t posted that information (nor should you), the best that anyone can say is that your test scores are at the low end of Harvard’s range. So, who knows? Given the RD round usually has less than a 3% acceptance rate, I wouldn’t expect the results to be different than Stanford. But you knew that when you applied to both schools, right?

3

Your SAT and ACT are very low for any Ivy League school, much less Harvard.

4

Why would choose to submit subpar scores? Harvard doesn’t even require subject tests so why would voluntarily submit scores that are well below what they historically accept? If you are still sending apps out, think wisely about what you choose to send. You are trying to present yourself in the best possible light. You don’t get brownie points for being honest, only doubt if you’re able to handle the academic rigor at a place like Harvard.

5

Stanford, Harvard, I don’t get this drive to get into the biggest names, as if only that will put you on the road to the good life. You sound like an interesting person, and there are 100s of excellent schools out there where you can grow and thrive. Good luck!

6

You and I are fairly similar academics wise, and I applied to some of the top schools (ivies). Of course, these schools are a reach (a very very very high reach), so you need to have some matches, safeties, and lower reaches, but given your ECs I wouldn’t say impossible. Apply to a couple dream schools what does it hurt? If you can retake your SAT in January (thats what i’m doing).

7

Waitlisted! :slight_smile:

8

Rowing is an asset…