Chances of admission to Harvard EA?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>I'm debating whether to do ED to princeton or EA to harvard, as I love both schools equally for different reasons, but in the event that I decide on Harvard EA...</p>

<p>White, middle class male, upstate NY</p>

<p>SAT: 2300 (780m, 720cr, 800w)
SAT II: 790 US, 780 IIc... will take world history in oct, hoping for ~750
GPA: hovers around 98.5/100 uw... school doesn't give us weighted or cumulative gpa's...
Rank: 1/180... school is NOT very competitive though. No one has ever gone to princeton, every five years or so someone will go to cornell, but that's about it</p>

<p>EC's:
-Trumpet...10 hrs/wk my 'passion'... lots of awards/leadership... no all-state though
-Piano... 4 hrs/wk... jazz ensemble, accompanying performances, private lessons, 10 yrs in all
-Peer Leadership... 4 hrs/wk... co-president... service organization... works with kids to prevent drug/alcohol use... take a vow to be chem free...
-Yearbook...2 hrs/wk...editor-in-chief next year, co-editor this past year
-National Honor Society...3 hrs/week... soordniator of 'study lab' tutoring program</p>

<p>Rec's should be good... my essays should be good too, because I'm supposed to be a good writer (at least that's what collegeboard said, lol), so I'll ensure that each of them is pulitzer-worthy. I currently have one essay in the works...</p>

<p>only one AP... US history... still no score... my school operates so that you must take the standard order of classes i.e. earth science, bio, chem, physics, ap bio, or else it won't be weighted for your class rank... consequently, you don't take a lot of APs till senior year... will take english lit, calc ab, bio, music theory, maybe spanish self studied if I'm extra ambitious.</p>

<p>Standard awards... nat'l merit commendation, prob not semifinalist... 'student of the year' in a bunch of subjects... bausch and lomb award from university of rochester</p>

<p>Plan on studying history, career plans still undecided.</p>

<p>So, how am I doing? I know I have no sports/work experience/'national ec's' and everything, but would I still be a competitive applicant @ Harvard?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>You definitely have a chance. It helps that your school isn't very competitive, since colleges may be more willing to take you for diversity purposes. It also makes you stand out among your peers. While New York is an overrepresented state, I imagine that non-NYC New York is probably underrepresented.
While you don't have that many ECs, it's good that you have leadership positions in them. I think that if the adcoms like your essays and recommendations, it's very possible that you will get in.</p>

<p>In my opinion, I would go with Harvard EA. To me, whenever a person is trying to decide between EA and ED, it means that he isn't as committed as he should be to ED. Furthermore, I would very much rather have the ability to choose than to be committed already, especially since you won't be able to compare financial aid offers. (I don't know if that applies to you.) However, since applying ED means that you are willing to attend, the admissions rate is usually higher than with EA. (For the class of 2008, 32% versus 23%.)</p>

<p>Have you thought about applying to Yale EA? The admissions rate for Harvard and Yale EA are about the same, but Yale EA deferreds are admitted at a much higher rate rather than both Harvard EA deferreds and Yale RD applicants. I doubt that you would be rejected outright at either school, so it may be more advantageous to apply to Yale EA.</p>

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<p>yale ea... I've definitely thought about it, but the reason I really love Harvard is it's location. I love Boston and Cambridge, and that's what makes me tend to prefer Harvard over Princeton. Up until the time that I first went to Boston, Princeton was my clear first choice, but it's not quite as clear. I know that it's next to impossible to get into Princeton RD (I read something like a 6 or 7% acceptance rate), so I'm going to visit Princeton in September or October. If I like it a lot, I'll apply ED, if I'm not completely in love, I'll do Harvard EA (or possibly Yale EA, I'll have to look into it). Thanks for your comments stele.</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

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<p>You should also spend some time on the Princeton cc board. There are a bunch of 09ers still talking over there and they can probably give you some good advice.</p>

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<p>Isn't it just as difficult (if not more so) to get into Harvard RD? like 5% or something?</p>

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<p>Just decide the one you like best. They are both equally random in admission and so many early applicants are hooked. Given the lottery, with similar stats, I'm using my ED on Dartmouth. Your chances, even with your stats, are clearly under 50% at both. Why not show enthusiasm at a school where you have a better chance? Your chances will be the same regular at H and P anyway as an unhooked candidate.</p>

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<p>You should have a decent shot if you convey your "passion" for music through the essays/interview. You are right on the border of acceptance and rejection. Your essays will probably shift you one way or the other.</p>

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<p>I'm really back and forth between Harvard and Princeton early... My realistic first choices are Cornell and Tufts, but I can't help being caught up in the whole Harvard/Princeton allure. besides, they both look like fun schools...</p>

<p>Yeah, so i'm bumping this thread if you didn't notice...</p>