<p>Hi, I just finished my Junior year and have decided that, due to its fantastic medical school, Harvard will be my #1 college. Unfortunately, I have no "hook."<br>
I currently have a 4.0 (unweighted) and will, hopefully, have a 4.53 by graduation (top 1% of class). I am shooting for a 2300 on my SAT and 750+ on SAT II's. In addition, I am ACTIVELY involved in 12 clubs(BUT, they all tie back to what I want to study in college- math/sci and international studies); I have a total of 10 leadership positions(including senior class president), and I co-founded a summer camp to teach kids about several ethnicities and plan on founding my school's chamber of Science National Honors Society. Unfortunately, although I have over 25 awards, I do not have many outstanding ones, except for placing 2nd in the nation at the Health Occupation Students of America National Leadership Conference and getting my poem published in a book/ winning a poem contest. I also do individual research at the local university and plan on entering it into INTEL ISEF and Siemens...but, results don't come back until after college applications are done :( (except for if I qualify for national for Siemens).</p>
<p>I hope to study neuroscience as an undergrad and major in neurology and minor in Spanish as a graduate student. </p>
<p>Even though I lack a true "hook," but let's say my essays are great, do I STILL STAND A CHANCE?? pleeease help. I am thinking about applying in the Early Action round, so any opinions would be very helpful. Please no "Harvard is a crapshoot for everyone."</p>
<p>Do you have a chance? Seems like it. Your GPA is in the right range. Nail your SATs and then go for it – but I’m sure you know, practically no one has a good chance.</p>
<p>You do have a great chance. If you have any other hooks (URM for example) you’d be even stronger. Write a great college essay and be yourself at your interview, and I’d say you have a very decent shot.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I am not a URM. I’m middle eastern, which is considered white on the common app :(</p>
<p>Oh and here is a more elaborate list of my EC’s:</p>
<p>ooops, it’s actually 10!
I switched schools after freshman year, so I joined Mu Alpha Theta, SGA, Science Club, FANS, and Spanish club in 10th grade b/c they weren’t available at my old school. Everything else is since 9th grade. I plan on continuing with these clubs until I graduate.</p>
<p>-Health Occupation Students of America (placed at regionals, state, nationals)
National Junior Honors Society/National Honors Society(volunteered a lot & Vice president)
Mu Alpha Theta/math honors society (competitions & Secretary & president)
Science Club/Science Bowl/Science Olympiad (placed at regionals and state for Olymp(overall 2nd in region); 3rd in state for Bowl)
Student Government Association (Representative since junior year. senior class president)
Spanish Club/ Spanish Honors society (volunteered)
-FANS(served as mentor for incoming freshman since sophomore year)
Persian Cultural Association, 2006 (The University chapter. Involved with cultural celebrations at two universities)
Research intern at the University (Since Jan of Junior year & I’m doing it on my own time this summer, as well)
Hand-In-Hand: summer camp for those interested in learning about different ethnicities, 2011(co-founder & camp counselor)</p>
<p>…and hopefully, will found my school’s chamber for Science National Honors Society this year!</p>
<p>Okay I looked it up. Bump, for those of you who didn’t know what it means (like me), is something people post when they want the topic they’re posting it to get “bumped” to the top of the topics list (since most topics lists are ordered by most recent post). I guess it doesn’t really look like that on CC. More like “yellow bubble” a post.</p>
<p>After looking at the actual results thread for the last SCEA round of Harvard applicants, I did not find a single person accepted who was not a First generation, URM, legacy, or recruited athlete who was accepted. Oh wow :(</p>
<p>Should I apply early there or not bother?? </p>
<p>One more question: why is the deferred–> accepted rate SO low?</p>
<p>^
Well, for the class of 2011 (wasn’t this the last SCEA class?), my son and two other kids from his high school got in early with none of these attributes (“first generation” means “first generation to go to college”, right?). The 4th to get in early was a legacy. I don’t think the people who post here necessarily represent a large percentage of actual applicants or accepted students.</p>
<p>Yes, that is what I meant by “first generation.” I thought the class of 2010 was the last SCEA, but you would know more if your child was accepted. Regardless, that makes me feel a bit better about my chances, so thank you :)<br>
Was there anything else that REALLY set them apart? Well-known national awards?</p>
<p>Just a small point, but is the associated medical school really your main/only reason to want to go to Harvard? If you’re more a Princeton person, for example, you shouldn’t be any less likely to get into HMS. You might be more likely to get in if you are happier there, and so do better. You’ve probably left off your other reasons for the interest of space, but if you haven’t, I would warn you to at least do more research about possible options.</p>
<p>Princeton was my first choice until I repeatedly found sources that indicated the importance of participation in a certain sport and artistic talent in the admission process. Unfortunately, although I have been playing the violin since 5th grade, I have no “major” accomplishments in that area (I only participated in one competition in 8th grade, where my quintet got the blue (Superior) ranking at the state level). As for sports, I have participated in several (gymnastics, swimming, dance, and tennis) on and off. I’m afraid that this looks REALLY bad in the admission process b/c it makes me look like I give up when something is hard, which is not the case at all. (I actually became allergic to chlorine and had to quit swimming my first year). As for tennis, I played last summer and I plan on picking that up this summer again. </p>
<p>Should I bother mentioning my sports at all??</p>
<p>Why Harvard? After researching some of their undergraduate programs, I really do like them the most. For example, their Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program is one of the best in the nation and allows for undergrad research in neuroscience, which I plan to major in There are also other reasons, but I won’t bother boring everyone to death on CC w/ those.</p>
<p>Also, another major reason I feel Harvard would be the right undergrad college is b/c it is a lot harder to get into medical school as a transfer student than it is if you have attended Harvard and can get some professors to write you great recommendations/ back you up.</p>
<p>For my supplement essay, I was thinking about writing on my experience as a researcher at the local university and connecting that to the aforementioned opportunity that Harvard provides for its undergrads. Would that be a good topic to write on? too cliche?</p>
<p>Applying to medical school is a whole separate endeavor. You wouldn’t be a “transfer student” if you came from a different undergraduate institution. Harvard medical school admits students from many different undergraduate programs.</p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure what you mean by “major in neurology and minor in Spanish as a graduate student.” There are no majors and minors in medical school, and Spanish isn’t in the curriculum.</p>
<p>Can anyone assess my chances of admission? I know it’s very little, but could someone give me some advice? (what they look for–besides “passion”)</p>
<p>I still don’t understand.
You want to be a medical doctor?
Who specializes in neurology?</p>
<p>Or you want to get a PhD in neuroscience of some kind?</p>
<p>Neurology is a specialty of medicine. To be a neurologist, you need to get a doctorate in medicine (M.D. degree), and then complete residency training in neurology after graduating from medical school.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you mean by a minor’s degree in Spanish either. Maybe you mean you want to minor in Spanish while you are getting your undergraduate degree? This would give you a bachelor’s degree with a major in [whatever] and a minor in Spanish.</p>
<p>I think it’s probably easier to stand out and get great recommendations at a school where you are one of the top students, rather than at a school where really, really smart kids are a dime a dozen.</p>
<p>Yes, I plan on earning my MD degree at Harvard while earning a bachelor’s in Spanish. Sorry if that wasn’t clear!</p>
<p>So are you saying I shouldn’t apply to harvard EA, even though it’s my first choice? :(</p>
<p>I know I will apply to Harvard regular decision, but I’m still thinking about EA. If I get deferred (which happens to most applicants according to the Crimson), do I still get evaluated as though I were a RD applicant? Or does applying regular season give me a little boost?</p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but I am from TN. I heard harvard is going to pay special attention to my state this year since we’re so under-represented, so that should help, right?</p>
There are also other reasons, but I won’t bother boring everyone to death on CC w/ those.</p>