Do I have a shot?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Okay so I know there are a lot of those floating around, but I would really like some objective opinions on my chance, and also perhaps some ideas on where my weakest section would be. Thank so very much in advance.</p>

<p>Location: Vancouver Area, BC, Canada
Ethnicity: Chinese</p>

<p>Class size: 450(ish)
Rank: Top 1%</p>

<p>SAT I: 2290
Math 800, Reading 800, Writing 690,</p>

<p>SAT II: Math IIC, Chemistry, Physics, to be taken in October
Confident can match the SAT I score at least </p>

<p>Courses: IB Diploma, with higher level in history, physics and chemistry.</p>

<p>GPA: If calculated in the Canadian fashion it would be 4.0. No idea how the American system works. But my I have two 100%, two 99%, 95%, 92% and 91% on the last transcript.</p>

<p>EC:
-Piano--throughout high school, grade 10 from Royal Conservatory.
-Clarinet---throughout high school, first chair in district band
-Student leadership in school----grade 11 & 12
-Provincial Student Voice----grade 11 & 12 (This is a student advisory group to the provincial Ministry of Education, explained in more detail in the commonapp short answer)
-Work---Library shelving, grade 10, 11 & 12</p>

<p>Honour:
-School champion in Pascal Math Competition
-School champion in Cayley Math Competition</p>

<p>Summer activity:
-Perimeter Institute for Theoretic Physics Summer School
-Preparation as a student representative in the "Nurturing Compassion" dialogue with Dalai Lama.</p>

<p>Essays:
-I am taking the more "creative" route with both the commonapp and the supplement essay, so it might be one of those "hit-or-miss" things. I am myself a bit scared.
(PS, if someone is willing to read my essays and offer a few thoughts that would be great! I am also willing to read your essays and give some humble opinions)</p>

<p>Extra materials:
-Slideshow of Art work, see example at <a href="http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k146/Otherworlder/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k146/Otherworlder/&lt;/a>
Please just look at the serious stuff. I don't think I would send the anime stuff to Harvard. <em>sweatdrop</em>
-A piece of writing that won me the opportunity to speak with Dalai Lama on stage.
-Physics paper on complex small-angle double pendulum system.
-CD of my own musical composition (if possible)</p>

<p>(one question, am I really overdoing this part?)</p>

<p>So what about it? Please be honest and be blunt. I love to hear different opinions. Finally, again, it would be great if someone can read over my essays and offer a few thoughts. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance! <em>deep bow</em></p>

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<p>I think you have a decent shot. I'm from Halifax, NS, and I go to Harvard and I had similar stats. Were you on the national honour roll for either the Cayley or the Fermat? It's too bad your writing score brought you down but your 800's in math and critical reading definitely make up for it.</p>

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<p>The link you sent requires a password or is it just me?</p>

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<p>Nah you have no chance at all...</p>

<p>Dude man...there's really nothing for you to do by now, and the only thing you can gain by posting a "chances" thread is by making yourself feel a littl emore confident. You know as well as I do that you have an excellent chance of getting in. The only real question you have here is about your essay, which you should ask teachers/friends about not random people online. Unless you have a specific question about applying there's really no point in posting a "help me get in" thread.</p>

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<p>I totally agree with Kamikazewave. Just be confident and write a good essay.</p>

<p>sig.
econoverse.blogspot.com</p>

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<p>yea go for it</p>

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<p>I’d say you have a great chance. And Harvard will also take into consideration that you are chinese because the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander is pretty low. Not that you would need it with all that you have.</p>

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<p>^ Way to revive a four-year-old thread :P</p>

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<p>i would actually like to know if he got in and how his experience was… any chance you are still looking at this otherworlder?</p>

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<p>psst. Yeah right about showing teachers your essays. My teacher said my common app essay was funny and very memorable. Guess that got me nowhere: 2 rejections and 2 waitlists : /. </p>

<p>(2200+ SAT, top 2% of class. 200+ hrs volunteering. The only bad thing was that my ECs were not too strong, scattershot but still there!. Only a few State awards)</p>

<p>Truth is, these chance threads are pointless.</p>

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<p>^I’ve only showed my essays to my parents. Now, considering my mother is an English Major, and my father is a Dale Carnegie instructor, this gives me a considerable advantage. I just don’t see the point of showing teachers your essays past correcting grammar and spelling.</p>

<p>Anyway, that was a useless rant. It’d be cool to see what happened to this guy.</p>

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<p>teachers will have an unbiased view of your work. Like an admissions officer, they see you as a stranger and will thus criticize your every word with more weight. Unlike a parent and like an admissions officer, they won’t empathize as well with your essays. </p>

<p>That is why I showed my essay to my English teacher AS WELL as my parents.</p>

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<p>Ah, I forgot to add that my parents sided with my teachers when they accused me of having senioritis (While I had over a 100% in all my classes). </p>

<p>Your point is extremely valid, but in my case, my parents were more then critical of my essays. As an example, my father told me to scrap my U o M honors college essay (Which I did) because he felt it was “unrealistic”. I’ve had admissions officers tell me to my face they really liked the story in my primary essay, so honestly, I don’t feel as though I’ve missed out by not sharing my essay with my teachers.</p>

<p>Good luck in all your pursuits.</p>

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<p>I think OP ended up in UCB.</p>

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<p>

What… DD:</p>

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<p>Whoaaa, wait a minute. South Asians are URM at Harvard?!</p>