<p>I'm a prospective harvard student. my grades are very good(all A1's till now). I was never very good at co-curricular activities, sports,etc but i am good enough in speeches and debates...my sat scores are in range 2200-2300 with a very good school record and teacher's recommendations...but i am not very sure about my chances for harvard...can you guys just give some suggestions?</p>
<p>I think you have to be a little more specific in terms of what suggestions you would like…</p>
<p>As so much of the applications process is subjective and comes down to how an admissions director “feels” after reading your teacher tecommendations, guidance counselor report and essays and compares them with all other applicants, it’s impossible to predict anyone’s chances – even when they do provide more detailed stats. So, what exactly do you want to know?</p>
<p>Chances are usually binary (and probabilistic) – that is to say, “you probably stand a chance” or “you probably don’t stand a chance”.</p>
<p>You probably do.</p>
<p>guys…actually my counsellor is crap…and i’m seein all people indulging in all kinds of activities in which they are not even good,so,i got a little nervous and so i wanted to know if taking up loads of activities helps 'cause i don’t want to mess it up nor do i want to make my chances dimmer…so guys if you can help, it’d fantastic…</p>
<p>Are you purposely trying to use poor grammar? No offense, but you read like a 5th grader. I am stumped by your purportedly high SAT score.</p>
<p>scarlett9 was probably typing too fast to give a sh**. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.</p>
<p>Taking up loads of activities does not help, as Harvard (and other selective colleges) are looking for depth, not breadth. Admissions officers are interested in students who are passionate about their activities – that requires devotion, time and commitment. It’s better to be heavily involved with a few activities, rather than dabble in a dozen activities. To quote William Fitzsimmons: [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>"The term “extracurricular activities” covers an enormous amount of ground. We are interested in whatever a student does: in addition to school extracurricular activities and athletics, students can tell us of significant community, employment, or family commitments. There are many who spend a great deal of time helping to run their household, preparing meals and caring for siblings or making money with a part-time job to help the household meet expenses.</p>
<p>Unfortunately many schools have had to curtail or eliminate extracurricular activities and athletics, or they charge fees for participation. In addition, many students cannot afford expensive musical instruments or athletic equipment — or have families without the resources to pay for lessons, summer programs and the transportation networks necessary to support such activities.</p>
<p>Admissions Committees keep these factors in mind as they review applications, and are concerned most of all to know how well students used the resources available to them. Extracurricular activities need not be exotic — most are not — and substance is far more important. A student who has made the most of opportunities day-to-day during secondary school is much more likely to do so during college and beyond. This applies to academic life as well as extracurricular activities."</p>
<p>@lelyke- thank you for supporting me!!
@gibby - Dude! thnx a ton for helping me out there…you have been a great help…now i am much more clear about my plans…
have a nice day!!</p>