Could I Get Into Harvard?

Applying to College
1

<p>I was ranked 1st in my class out of 180 this year as a freshman. I know that if I keep it up, I could be valedictorian.</p>

<p>However I know with 37,000 high schools there are 37,000 other students in the country just like me.</p>

<p>I really want to go to Harvard University. Would being valedictorian improve my chances? Would it help me get scholarships?</p>

<p>Extra Information:
Besides being valedictorian, I will also be the first one ever in the history of my high school to take an AP Biology course that I designed, and take the exam. I want to study medicine (be a medical writer), so I'm also taking chemistry (honors and AP next year. ) And almost all accelerated/ AP classes except for gym/health (mandatory.)</p>

<p>I'm doing a robotics camp in Vermont this summer, and a political science camp in Princeton.</p>

<p>I'm class president, president of FFA (I do public speaking), student council, soccer, basketball, track, science olympiad medalist, peer tutor, and in young writer's club.</p>

<p>I also am starting a Newspaper Club at my school, since I was editor in middle school, but was shocked when I came to high school and we didn't have one.</p>

<p>I am also a published author.</p>

<p>I also took the PSAT and ACT this year, and besides the math section I scored in the 90th percentile or better.</p>

<p>I have about 20 hours of community service, mainly from peer tutoring.</p>

<p>Both my parents are also from Africa, so I am an underrepresented minority.</p>

<p>Could I get into Harvard? What else could I do? What are your honest opinions?</p>

2

<p>It’s just the end of your freshman year - there is very little anyone could reasonably tell you in terms of a “Yes! You’ll be a great applicant!” Or “No, go to tech school.” Assuming you get Ivy-league test scores (Mid 50% range for Harvard is 31-35 ACT, and 2080-2380 SAT) and keep your class rank to within the top 5% (probably top 2-3%) and maintain an ivy level GPA (91% had GPA’s above 3.75), and that you keep doing unique EC’s/showing all of that leadership the top schools like to see, I’m sure you’d be a competitive applicant. The fact that you’re a URM also helps your case out a lot.</p>

3

<p>Is this a joke? You designed an AP Bio course? What was wrong with your school’s already established AP Bio course? And what exactly did you publish?</p>

4

<p>How can you be the first one to take a class? That means you are the only student…?</p>

<p>What did you get on the PSAT? Math is like the easiest section for most people and it isn’t hard to get in the top 90%, honestly.</p>

<p>I think you need more community service hours. 20 hours in all of Freshman year is quite low.</p>

<p>and why Harvard…?</p>

5

<p>Did you design the AP Bio course? Or did you just design the curriculum?</p>

<p>Also, you have a lot of EC’s. That’s definitely a good thing, but lots of colleges (including Harvard to some extent) want to see that you have some sort of passion in a particular area. Having a lot of EC’s isn’t bad, but it usually looks better to have one or two impressive EC’s/fields of study rather than ten EC’s with little to no involvement in each.</p>

<p>You are an URM, so that helps. However, being valedictorian doesn’t really help a whole lot at the top universities.</p>

<p>Overall, you got a decent shot. Work on finding what your true passion is (whether it be medicine, robotics, engineering, literature, etc.), and don’t join clubs just because it looks good on the college application.</p>