Chances for Harvard?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I know, I know... Another chance thread...</p>

<p>I'm not looking for a definitive answer (because clearly no one here is the admissions committee, haha), but a ball park estimate and suggestions of what I could improve would be helpful. Thanks! I'll be applying this fall, probably early action...</p>

<p>Gender: M
Race/Ethnicity: Pasty White and Caucasian
Income: 130,000 to 150,000 (mid to upper middle class)
ACT: 36 (36 E, 36 M, 36 R, 36 S, 10 W)
SAT Subject Tests: 800 Bio-M, 800 USH, 790 Math Level II (Should I even submit the math?)
GPA: 4.64 weighted (AP and Honors count as a 5), 4.0 unweighted
Rank: School doesn't rank</p>

<p>**Courseload:<a href="Most%20rigorous%20at%20my%20school">/b</a>
Freshman
-Honors Lit.
-Honors Civics
-Honors Algebra 2
-Honors Biology
-German 1</p>

<p>Sophomore
-Honors World Studies (2 periods, combining Lit. and History)
-Honors Pre-Calculus
-Honors Chemistry
-AP U.S. Gov't (5)
-(Self studied German 2 and 3 outside of school)</p>

<p>Junior
-AP English Language (5)
-AP U.S. History (5)
-AP Calculus AB (5)
-AP Biology (5)
-Honors German 4</p>

<p>Senior
-AP English Lit.
-AP Euro History
-AP Environmental Science
-AP Physics C (2nd semester only)
-Calculus 2 + 3 (at college)
-Independent Study in College-Level Applied Philosophy (1st Sem.)
-Political Ideas (1st. Sem., at college (400-level class))</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Competitive Irish dance, 10 years
-World Champion, figure choreography dancing
-Two-time World Bronze Medalist and North American champion, team dancing
-United States Western Region champion, solo dancing
-Ranked 5th in Nation and 20th in World, solo dancing</p>

<p>Speech and Debate
-Two-time Congressional Debate National Semifinalist
-National Semifinal Presiding Officer in Congressional Debate (top 8 in nation)
-District Champion, Congressional Debate
-Debate Captain, Senior Year</p>

<p>Statewide Youth Advisory Council
-Statewide Chair of the Council, an Official State Commission
-Advisor to the State Legislature
-Co-author of sucide prevention legislation passed by State legislature
-Through legislation, I established a statewide teen suicide prevention commission comprised of students and education officials (however, I am not on the commission myself; another girl on our council took charge of that)</p>

<p>Student Council
-Freshman Vice-President
-Two-Term Executive Treasurer
-Student Body President</p>

<p>Band
-Concert Band Section Leader, Junior Year
-French Horn, 8 years
-(Schedule conflict, so I'm not doing this senior year)</p>

<p>School Newspaper
-Co-Editor-in-Chief, Junior Year</p>

<p>Math Club
-Co-President, Junior Year</p>

<p>Summers:
Chapman University High School Workshop in Experimental Economics
-Rising junior
-Won award for top-performing student at workshop</p>

<p>Summer Research (out-of-state)
-Chapman Economic Science Institute, 4 weeks, 40 hrs/wk
-Rising Senior
-Working with college students and professors designing research experiments in experimental economics (unique?)</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendations:
Both should be very strong. Counselor recommendation will probably be "best in career".</p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

2

<p>Ball park estimate 5.9%</p>

<p>Really, c’mon. You’ve a viable candidate. You might get in . you might not. You need to come here to ask that?</p>

3

<p>Haha… I know… It’s just pre-application angst. Sorry for asking…</p>

4

<p>You sound really awesome, I mean that, and I hope you get in. But unfortunately the post above me is correct. It’s a lottery. You may want to talk more about your suicide prevention work, it’s a hot topic - but aside from triviality, I really respect that.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, I should hopefully still be contributing to the commission, so I can expand on that some. And I’ve been called by independent legislators to provide advice and testimony on the issue, so I should be able to go into a little more depth on my work with the issue as a whole.</p>

6

<p>You should leave College Confidential for the next two months and spend the time more wisely – writing and rewriting and editing your essays!</p>

<p>Having had two kids successfully go through the applications process and eventually meet the admissions directors who accepted them, neither one said “Great ACT scores” or “Wonderful EC’s” or “Nice teacher rec’s.” No, instead what they remembered and what they commented on was their essays. Best of luck to you in the writing process.</p>