Chances, please?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>My resume is below. Any feedback, whether positive or negative, is appreciated. Thanks!</p>

<p>Resume</p>

<p>First, I will say that I attend a prestigious and competitive private school in one of the largest metropolitan areas in my state and that leadership positions are extremely competitive at my school (i.e. they are all shared between 20 or so students in a 150 person class) Also, my school has around a 25 percent accept rate for selective schools.</p>

<p>4.00 Unweighted GPA (all A+ in first semester of senior year except for one class- will this factor in at all?)</p>

<p>School does not rank, but first round inductee for Cum Laude (top 10 %)</p>

<p>Test Scores (Super Scored)</p>

<p>SAT
760 Reading, 730 Math, 800 Writing with 10 on essay
Subject Tests- 760 on US, 750 on Literature</p>

<p>ACT</p>

<p>34 English, 34 Math, 34 on third category (Reading?), 31 on Science, 7 on essay (don't know what happened here?)</p>

<p>AP
School does not allow enrollment prior to junior year
AP US- 5
AP Latin-5
AP Physics B- 4</p>

<p>Current schedule</p>

<p>AP Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Mod, AP Bio, Honors Latin V, Bagpipes</p>

<p>I have had one of the most difficult schedules possible for a student at my school, taking 6 academic classes both freshman and sophomore years. In my sophomore year, all 6 were honors classes, while I took the only two honors classes availible to me in freshman year.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars</p>

<p>4 Years Latin Club- part of competitive team all four years (regional champs 3 out of 4 years), Awards: 1st place in Hepathlon II and Republic II freshman year at Regionals, 1st place in Hepathlon Adv and Republic Adv sophomore year at Regionals, 1st place in Heptathlon Adv and 2nd in Republic Adv junior year at regionals, 1st place in Heptathlon Adv and Republic Adv senior year, member of 1st place certamen team at regionals in freshman and sophomore years, member of 8th place certamen team at states in junior year, 4rd place Republic II at states freshman year, 4th place Heptathlon Advance at states sophomore year, 5th place Heptathlon Adv. at states junior year</p>

<p>4 Years of science tutoring (around 20 hours of tutoring during lunches per school year)</p>

<p>4 years of first chair of trombone section in scottish marching band- learning bagpipes this year in class</p>

<p>4 Years of Math Club- biweekly practices for 45 min before school</p>

<p>Writing Center- 11th and 12th, assistant director of e-newsletter in 12th grade</p>

<p>Teen Court during summer all four years- serve as juror for 1st time teen offenders- about 20 hours per summer</p>

<p>Philosophy Club- 10th, 11th and 12th, small discussion club</p>

<p>Varsity Wrestling freshman year- not very successful, but nevertheless a learning experience and a good college essay topic</p>

<p>Other Awards
4 Time gold medalist in National Latin Exam (including 8th grade)
Cum Laude Society
National Merit Finalist
Science Honor Society
Mu Alpha Theta- Math Honor Society
Latin Honor Society </p>

<p>Specifically, I'm worried that my resume may be too lacking in leadership positions in order to get into many of the top schools in the country, including Harvard.</p>

2

<p>Anybody willing to give any feedback at all?</p>

3

<p>All of your stats look good, but so much depends on other factors that you cannot control, specifically, your teacher recommendations and SSR Report. See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 3 - The New York Times)</p>

<p>"Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on “reader sheets” in each application.</p>

<p>We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.</p>

<p>Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning. Along with essays, interviews, and other materials in the application, recommendations can offer evidence of an applicant’s potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond."</p>

<p>Your recommendations need to be like the ones provided in MIT’s guide for teachers: <a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs[/url]”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/writingrecs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Thanks for the reply gibby. I am certain that I have good recs (asked my Latin teacher/club sponsor and my English teacher who taught me in junior year)</p>

5

<p>You need more than just good recs, you need SPECTACULAR recs. Below is one my son’s recs. I hope your teachers wrote something similar for you.</p>

<h2>Best of luck to you.</h2>

<p>Dear Officers of Admissions,</p>

<p>This is certainly a privilege and an honor for me to write a letter of recommendation in support of XXX’s application for admission to Harvard. XXX and I have enjoyed a number of one on one conversations beyond the restraints of a regular class period. XXX is smart, articulate and personable. He is wise beyond his years. His growth in poise, independence, and maturity at XXX High School has been phenomenal. XXX’s academic record speaks for itself, and his extra curricular activities set a standard for others to admire. XXX is well prepared to meet the demands and challenges of higher education.</p>

<p>XXX was at the top of the class in my American Literature course. He demonstrated scholarly understanding and appreciation for the literary works we studied. He is clear in his thinking and has a keen knowledge of an author’s use of literary elements and techniques. XXX is always willing to tackle the difficult questions and encourages his peers to do the same. Needless to say, XXX works well in groups and offers leadership that allows participants to reach their full potential.</p>

<p>XXX’s writing is a triumph of creativity, analysis and sophisticated language that offers pleasure, insight and a sense of discovery in every paragraph that also transcends the strictures of the assignment.</p>

<p>XXX is the youngest of two children. His dad is an XXX and his mother is a XXX. His role model is his older sister who attends XXX. XXX works hard to achieve academic excellence and has a real sense of purpose for his academic pursuits and career endeavors. XXX is leaning towards computer science, but is leaving his options open. Whatever he decides, he will excel well above the average expectations.</p>

<p>One of XXX’s main interests is sports. He has been a member of XXX’s Varsity Baseball team for the past two years and was on the JV team during his freshman year. He also enjoys skiing, volleyball and soccer. XXX immersed himself in a martial arts program two years ago, and took multiple classes in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He earned a yellow belt in under a month. He delights in watching younger kids study the martial arts, and helps them see the connection of discipline and personal respect to the sport. This is the kind of dedication and commitment that has made XXX such a special young man to be admired by both faculty and students.</p>

<p>XXX has become a celebrity of sorts, if you will. He enjoys creating and editing videos, some of which are posted on YouTube. His love for video game design has led him to create a relatively complex fighting game with eleven different opponents. Now that is quite an accomplishment.</p>

<p>XXX has been an example of academic excellence and moral responsibility. He has high standards for himself and others, and is a young man who is destined to make a significant contribution to our world – home and abroad. It has been my pleasure to have this young man, whose light will always set a path for others to follow.</p>

<p>XXX has made us all so very proud of him. He is a marvelous human being, with a great mind and a delightful sense of humor. He can achieve anything he sets his mind to. XXX certainly has the makings of a dedicated scholar. XX deserves every consideration for admission to Harvard. I recommend him with enthusiasm.</p>

<p>Sincerely,</p>

<p>XXXX
English Faculty</p>

6

<p>^ I’d say he is screwed if it is meant for Harvard and then references Yale.</p>

7

<p>Ahh ok! Makes more sense! My apologies! Congrats!!</p>

8

<p>That was my bad copy-and-paste; I corrected it. BTW: He’s a current student at Y, his sister is at H. (Never saw her recs, otherwise I would have posted that one.)</p>