Chances at Harvard

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey Everyone,</p>

<p>I am extremely interested in applying to Harvard early decision next year and was curious about the "ideal" SAT score and GPA that an accepted applicant would carry.</p>

<p>Chance Me?</p>

<p>My high school's GPA is Graded on a weighed 5.0 scale and does not give any brownie points for subjects like gym, culinary etc. Only Academic subjects are scored. My high school is also a gold medal high school, ranking around 250 in the nation out of 21,000 High schools.</p>

<p>Freshman Year: I had a lack of care in middle school which resulted in my enrollment in B level classes.
GPA- 3.33 (straight A-'s and one B+)</p>

<p>Sophomore year: All Honors level courses. Sophomore difficulty rank- 10/10
GPA-4 .5 (Top of class)</p>

<p>Junior Year: 4 AP's 2 Honors. Junior Difficulty Rank- 10/10
GPA- 4.75 (Top of Class)</p>

<p>I am expecting the same thing for my senior year.</p>

<p>After acquiring straight A-'s in low level my Freshman year, I took a risk of moving into all honors classes which resulted in all A+'s. My Junior year I took 4 AP's and 2 Honors classes, agin receiving all A+'s. Since colleges like to see vast improvement over the course of your HS career, I'm hoping the low level classes during my freshman year will be to benefit, as I received all A+'s in high level throughout the rest of my career.</p>

<p>SAT:
-2200</p>

<p>My extra curricular were pretty much all business related in some way:</p>

<p>-Future Business Leaders of America (President).
-Amnesty International (President).
-Popular singer on youtube (50k followers).
-Taken camps at Penn
-Started small business
-Many more business EC's</p>

<p>I have connections to Harvard through my father. My dad is an extremely successful entrepreneur who created one of the most successful record companies of all time. He had artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden and many more. He will definitely donate money to Harvard. Hopefully he can use some of his magic and money :/</p>

<p>I have received numerous academic awards in each subject that i do not feel like listing right now. haha. Advanced Scientific research contest awards (business related). FBLA, NHS and more academic.</p>

<p>I am Male, 1/2 indian and have traveled to numerous every continent except for Oceania and Antarctica.</p>

<p>Business is something I am extremely passionate about and would love to work with my father one day. I truly believe I will have a top notch essay for various reasons. Back in my earlier years (elementary school through the beginning of sophomore year) I had diagnosed anxiety in which I was highly medicated for. I was also diagnosed with a disease called Trichiliamania (not sure of spelling) which is when an individual pulls there air out due to stress and anxiety. I will not explain any more, as there I could write a novel of how much distress this caused me. I also lost 25 pounds my freshman year, as I was a tad chubby before. Pretty cut now (Don't know if this helps)</p>

<p>How are my chances?</p>

<p>Thank You for your time, Guys!</p>

2

<p>Why would donating money to Penn help with your Harvard admission?</p>

3

<p>Sorry, I accidentally typed in the wrong name :confused: Feel like an idiot lol.</p>

4

<p>Honestly I don’t think you will make it. Don’t have high hopes for Harvard… I hope youre not trying to get in for the name…</p>

5

<p>“Business is something I am extremely passionate about and would love to work with my father one day.”</p>

<p>Then why are you interested in Harvard? It doesn’t offer a business major. Perhaps The Wharton School at UPenn would be a better fit…</p>

<p>If your father donates more than a few million dollars, then that’ll greatly increase your chances. If he doesn’t, then your chances are awful…as are everyone else’s due to the sheer volume of applicants for so few spots.</p>

6

<p>Personally, I think you need to show a little more discretion. Harvard, or any top school for that matter, hates to give off the impression that its seats are for sale. Admissions officers are not that impressed with your dad’s “money or magic” (the development office is a different story and may ask admissions to be impressed but you’re starting out on the wrong foot by openly publicizing your intent).</p>

<p>I’m very sorry about your condition and hope you overcome it soon. It is a little strange however that you could write a book about it but do not know the correct spelling of it. If you do choose to write about it in your essays, I suggest you Google the correct spelling before you do.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

7

<p>“If your father donates more than a few million dollars, then that’ll greatly increase your chances.”</p>

<p>It actually depends how much more than a few million and how it is handled. Harvard and many other schools actually turn down money for various reasons. By turn down, I mean that even if they do accept the donation there is no implied boost so the donor may end up reconsidering.</p>

8

<p>Well,SAT scores should be improved.Have you taken any SAT2s?</p>

9

<p>First off, as others have said, Harvard doesn’t offer a major in business, so why do you want to attend a school that doesn’t offer something you want?</p>

<p>Secondly, you might want to rethink that unique essay topic. I never realized how many students write about their illnesses until I read this from a UC Berkley Admissions Officer:</p>

<p>

</p>

10

<p>I agree with Gibby about the of overabundance kids who may think that theirs is a completely unique story - divorce, immigrating when they were young etc. and overdramatize the impact. However, I disagree that if a kid has had a life altering experience such as overcoming cancer or losing their parents at a young age that they shouldn’t either have the guidance counselor explain the situation or find a way themselves to write about how they were able to overcome such adversity and in what ways it has made them a stronger person or shaped their thinking about the future.</p>

<p>While quoting what the one-off person in admissions might think is interesting - no one person speaks for the entire admissions community. In this case, I believe this person was hired to be a second reader with little or no experience and little or no say about the final decisions (I may be wrong, I read the piece last week and forgot most of it). Senior admissions officers that I know from the very top schools DO want to know if there is something about the candidate that has helped define who he/she is. Overcoming “real” adversity and still being able to perform at the highest level is something to be admired. It gives insight into how the particular candidate will fare facing academic and life challenges in the future.</p>

<p>Not saying whether the OP should write about his disorder or not because I don’t know enough about the disease and how debilitating or difficult to overcome it is. I’m just trying not to discourage EVERYONE from discussing a life changing event. Again though, if a guidance counselor can describe the situation, it is usually preferable.</p>

11

<p>^^ Whether or not the OP decides to write an essay on his illness, I agree that the GC should mention it, as the GC letter is seen as a testament from an adult and experienced educator.</p>

12

<p>gibby,</p>

<p>On the other hand…</p>

<p>I remember going to an open house at Johns Hopkins a couple of years ago. Someone asked one of the admissions folks what makes a memorable essay. She began to tell us about a student who wrote about his bout with cancer.</p>

<p>At that moment, all in unison, loud groans were uttered by every parent in the auditorium. A chacun son gout.</p>

13

<p>notjoe…“A chacun son gout”…agreed…and, I still say whatever the ESSAY focuses on…it has to be in context to the student’s overall application…whether it augments or accentuates a particular event or tribulation the student may have positively overcome…</p>

<p>…we, as Americans, love Rocky-like stories!</p>

14

<p>You don’t have to have a unique topic to write a unique essay. Three of the most famous “personal essays” in all of Western literature concerned (a) feeling suicidal over your mom’s remarriage, (b) trying to get your mother to kiss you goodnight, and (c) wanting your own room. I bet Shakespeare, Proust, and Woolf would have gotten in to Harvard.</p>

15

<p>Money exchange=business and it’s what most of us do. Music, farming, teaching, medicine, law, politics are all a business. Don’t tell the admin folk that you want to get a degree in finance, accounting or marketing because you can’t do that any Ivy except Penn and Cornell, but it’s completely valid to want a career in the “business world” and a degree from Harvard.</p>