Chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Now that I have finally decided to make Harvard my EA school, I am interested in my chances for it specifically:</p>

<p>GPA 4.0 UW (no weighted GPA, since school only adds points for weighted classes, so that honors is still 5 rather than 4, but it's not averaged)
Rank: 1/713
SAT: 1550 Old SAT (800 M, 750V), 2290 New SAT (800M, 770CR, 720W)
SAT II: 800 Math IIC, 800 Writing (will this substitute my lower 720 score on the New SAT and make my composite a 2370 or not?), 800 Chemistry, 800 Physics</p>

<p>Awards:
Siemens Westinghouse Western Regional Finalist
Local Science Fair Grand Award Winner (and therefore ISEF finalist)</p>

<p>Highest AMC 12B score in my state (123.0)
6 on the AIME
Silver Winner (89 points) on USAMTS this year and bronze last year (76 points)
4th in State Math Contest (almost everyone takes this contest, it's legit)
Calc BC student of the year
Multivariable Calc/Diff Eq (Calc 3-4 at my school) student of the year
[Note: both of these 'student of the year' awards may sound kinda stupid or trivial but they are a fairly big deal and competitive at my school]
EDIT: I have also won 1st at two local math competitions, which each had about 13 schools participating from my side of the city I live in.</p>

<p>ECs:
Black Belt Karate (7 or 8 years of it, not sure)
Math club (4 years)
Chess club (4 years), President Junior year
Speech and Debate (2 years), cofounded in Junior year, VP Junior and Senior year
Spanish Honor Society (3 years), VP Junior year, President Senior year
Gifted Students Organization (4 years), VP Junior year
NHS (2 years), VP Junior year
Founded Research Science Club (1 year), President Senior year
Attended HOBY Leadership Seminar
Participant in local leadership building program that takes place over 1 semester
Held two internships- One with a biochem professor (made my Siemens project here), one with industrial engineering grad student (made my ISEF project here).</p>

<p>Etc.
Going to RSI this summer (a program at MIT)
By the end of Sr. year, will have taken 4 university classes (Mathematical Structures, Number Theory, Linear Algebra, and Abstract Algebra), all of which, besides Linear Algebra, are Junior, Senior, or Graduate level. I have already taken the first two with an A+, and A, respectively.
Good/Great Recs
Good essays</p>

2

<p>I'd say your chances are as good as any of the best candidates out there. Having said that, you probably shouldn't have taken the New SAT since you already had a combined math, verbal, and writing of 2350. But it's not that big of a deal since it's only a 60 point difference.</p>

3

<p>I'm guessing, math major?</p>

<p>It appears that you are from a traditionally underrepresented state (considering that 123 is highest AMC score), so that might give you an edge...</p>

<p>Sounds like a few too many clubs...they want focus and passion, not spreading yourself thin over a bunch of ECs...</p>

<p>assessment: definite possibility</p>

4

<p>I am probably going to be a math major. Does it really seem that it's too many clubs? From my point of view, it does not seem like those other clubs take too much time. Most of the clubs are like ~20 min per week (besides debate, which is actually very much like chess, if you have ever done it, in that you need to protect your argument and attack your opponents' at the same time), and the main EC I have is scientific research, which is sometimes like 10 hours/week. Should I stress that in my application?</p>

5

<p>And tanonev, I think the highest AMC 12A score was slightly higher than 123, but I had the highest 12B score.</p>

6

<p>If you devote 20 min/week to a club, don't list it as an EC...</p>

<p>10 hr/week, even of research, isn't much EC-wise...(I did 10 hr/week, and my heart wasn't in it lol)</p>

<p>But Siemens Westinghouse + ISEF is pretty impressive...I would probably stress research ability/performance, if not research commitment/passion.</p>

<p>"And tanonev, I think the highest AMC 12A score was slightly higher than 123, but I had the highest 12B score."</p>

<p>Still sounds like a small state...I had 136 on 12B (7 on AIME), and it was nothing to brag about...but then again, I'm CA, so every other state looks small in comparison :p...</p>

7

<p>I'm from Arizona. And I'm probably exaggerating about 20 min/week, but each EC is such that working twice as much in that club wouldn't do much more (so it's not like I'm just doing everything superficially). What would you rank chances from 1-10?</p>

8

<p>I've never said this before but you're pretty much a shoo-in to Harvard. You have RSI/4.0/good SAT scores/amazing research and phenominal math scores, plus you're prob one of the most qualified poster I have seen on CC. You can probably count the number of kids more or as academically qualified you in the US with the fingers of your hand. Enjoy your summer and watch the acceptance letter roll in!!! Anyone who posts and tells you that you are just like all the other applicants applying to Harvard and that you have average chances, well they're smoking something.</p>

9

<p>Wait let me get this straight... you're 15 and a junior AND you've done all of this? o_O</p>

<p>Did you skip 2 grades or something?</p>

10

<p>I skipped one grade and I have a summer birthday (June 27).</p>