Do I stand a Chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>wow ok
so sense when did race come into play here? I just wanted to prove the point that just because I don't have "PERFECT" scores like half of you, it doesn't mean that I am any less than you guys...in the end who ends up being really successful...the people who are greedy and only think about themselves or the individual/individuals who strive to help others?</p>

<p>sorry but thats reality.
I haven't taken anything you guys have said to offense but please don't go bashing other peoples chances, when you can't even truly comprehend your own!</p>

<p>I know if I do get in I will do well, cause I won't have the many stresses I do now. I come home everyday working on extracurricular stuff/community service projects up until midnite at times, and guess what I do after? My homework and I still manage to ace all my AP classes.</p>

<p>Please
Thanks for the input anyways, after all only 56 people signed the Declaration of Independence, thats only a minuet amount of people that changed America, thus only a minuet amount of people can truly change the world....</p>

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<p>playerhater
dont worry i used Afghani lol :]
I think it personally sounds better the other way though
thanks for the input:]</p>

<p>also in my above post im not trying to say that u guys are all greedy but i only want to get an education after that, im going to be working for a nonprofit organization/joining the peace corps....its not all for myself but for others....</p>

<p>and im not trying to act like im a special person, i just feel that on most issues I am different than most individuals</p>

<p>after all, i went through a hard life. I was abused up until high school, I would come home everyday to my parents fighting, sometimes even to the point where we would have to take cover at my grandmothers house. My mom attempted to commit suicide last year, just before finals, and finally now my mom has cancer...yet im not sitting here and complaining about it, thats life and it has made me a stronger person.</p>

<p>as of now, I have found that this website isn't meant for the light hearted so I would rather just play the waiting game like everyone else...truly I really don't care if I get in or if I do not, I just tried cause what the heck everyone can apply..there are no restrictions on not applying if you have a low SAT score.</p>

<p>I am sure you guys are all awesome individuals, otherwise why would you be applying. So good luck and I wish you guys the best:] But please remember that life isn't all about yourself, please have the curiosity to explore and meet individuals of other races/countries and help them out as well:]</p>

<p>We are all privileged, thus we should help the underprivileged:]</p>

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<p>"I haven't taken anything you guys have said to offense but please don't go bashing other peoples chances, when you can't even truly comprehend your own!"</p>

<p>Title of thread: "Do I stand a Chance?"
Purpose: ... to get honest opinions of your chances?</p>

<p>You don't seem academically ready for Harvard.</p>

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<p>Don't be discouraged by yout test scores. I think you are an extremely attractive and unique applicant. Person like you should definitely grasp admission officers' eyes. If Harvard automatically rejects you after looking at your test scores, screw Harvard. It is their fault, not yours. </p>

<p>I am saying this after reading many many many chance threads. Most of the applicants have extremely high scores, GPA and amazing ECs, but they rarely seemed "unique" in my opinion. </p>

<p>Although your SAT score is low, your personal character definitely stands out. Remember- SAT score is only one of the factors in the application process. </p>

<p>Even if you don't get into Harvard, I wish you the best luck. :)</p>

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<p>"in the end who ends up being really successful...the people who are greedy and only think about themselves or the individual/individuals who strive to help others?"</p>

<p>Both types of individual may be successful in the end. Life isn't fair.</p>

26

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<p>It sounds like you're trying to convince your reader you deserve to go the your dream school. We're not the admissions officers. Making the posters of college confidential feel bad for you won't heighten your chances. Furthermore, if you're going to live a life of service, what does Harvard matter to you?</p>

<p>Your entire post is sending a mixed message.
You begin by detailing your credentials, and conclude by listing things that really matter in life. Are you trying to convince yourself that you'll get in, elicit sympathy or assurance from your reader, or get people to agree with you that you're a great person whether or not you get in?</p>

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<p>Is this the same argument you posed in your college essays?</p>

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<p>You've gained respect from a person who thinks riots make things better. Great.</p>

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<p>So do about 20,000 other prospective students.</p>

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<p>Ambiguous reference. I'll just assume "that" refers to everything I've posted.</p>

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<p>I say reject at Harvard because of test scores but I sincerely wish you the best everywhere else you apply.</p>

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<p>First, Johnny Bear, you are very insensitive. This forum, in addition to being a helpful tool in the college admissions process, also serves to provide emotional support to its members. What do you have to gain from you attack on pnkpearl502? She already understands that Harvard is a very high reach for her. I don't think your comments accomplish anything except to show that you're an arrogant jerk who thinks he knows everything. </p>

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<p>Remember, the college admissions process is a holistic process. pnkpearl502's test scores are respectable. The 2005 mean SAT for the verbal section was 510 and for the math section was 520. Pnkpearl's 1090 is above the mean. </p>

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<p>That was unnecessary. Riot was used as a figure of speech. Just because I feel like the world is about to end doesn't mean it will. </p>

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<p>There were 56 more, better educated, more determined, and richer individuals during that period. Qualifications without a goal lead to nowhere. It's great to see a determined individual like pnkpearl. Just because there are more qualified candidates doesn't mean that they will accomplish more that her. Both George W. Bush and John Kerry were solid C students at Yale. Succeeding academically doesn't require getting straight A's. </p>

<p>On a final note, pnkpearl502, confusing words like "minuet" and minute leave you open to attacks on your credibility and credentials. Even though this is an informal forum, it is still best to write coherently. Also, understand that even though you are very accomplished and lived a "verrrrry tuff" life there are others who are in the exact same position but still manage to score very well on the SAT and other standardized tests.</p>

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<p>Ad hominem. Statement unfounded. However, if you would look back to this quote:</p>

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<p>Holistic indeed. They want pnkpearl502 to have a good GPA and EC and good SATs. Not GPA or EC or SATs.</p>

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<p>She stopped her friend from starting a figurative riot because she got rejected from Stanford. Because we all know how disastrous figurative riots can be.</p>

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<p>I don't believe that. Name them.</p>

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<p>You mean the ones who care about their futures?</p>

<p>Your chances at Harvard are "minuet" at best. It's no cake-"waltz."</p>

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<p>Johnny Bear, you need to get a life... if you don't have anything productive, supportive, or in any way helpful to say, i suggest you don't say anything at all. You're not adding anything good/insightful to this thread at all, sorry.</p>

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<p>On the contrary, I thought he made some very 'insightful' albeit not 'supportive' comments. Realistically, it's not likely that the op will be admitted into Harvard on the grounds that, academically, she is subpar relative to the rest of the applicants. In any case, this is a college discussion forum, not a 'shower me with flattery and false hopes' forum. I thought his posts were appropriate.</p>

<p>She does have a chance, of course. And I'm sure the admission officers will appreciate the fact that she has had a 'verrry tuff' life. I don't, however, think they will appreciate her attitude of entitlement. Harvard is first and foremost an academic institution. They don't automatically admit people who have had 'verrry tuff' lives and purportedly want to change the world. You have to meet some of the other standards as well.</p>

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<p>I agree with ChenChen. JohnnyBear's a bit abrasive, and might have gone over the top, but the attitude of entitlement isn't a good one to have.</p>

<p>Having said that, I really hope that Harvard will see the other circumstances and take them into account when considering the OP's application...but IMO, the SATs really make it difficult for her to get in. She'd have to be truly unique to do that - but then again, how many Afghans with "verrry tuff" lives are applying to Harvard? I don't know - it's all a tossup.</p>

<p>You can't say for sure the OP will be rejected...but there's a greater than 50-50 chance she won't get in, I think, because unfortunately the SATs still count for something in the admissions process.</p>

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<p>I guess it's a sad story and hopefully you wrote about it because it would probably be the only thing going for you, which sounds somewhat harsh, but it is true. I know dozens of people with similar scores where I live who want to change the world and have done so. Why do you want to go to Harvard? You may tell yourself GPA, rank, and SAT's should not be the judge of someone's academic performance, but they are reliable.</p>

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<p>You should be very proud of the fact that you have overcome difficult circumstances in your life and excelled despite of them. In terms of Harvard however, even though I am sure they will take these circumstances into account, they have minimun thresholds they look at in terms of standardized test scores which they use as indications of whether a student can handle the work load and flourish in their extremely competitive academic enviornment. There are applicants applying with perfect SAT scores. Most of the applicants probably have SAT scores probably between 700-800 on each section. Not to sound negative, but while a school like Harvard may accept students who do not score as high as other applicants but have other compelling things in their application, they are more likely to do this where the applicant scores at least in the low to mid 600's on each section of the SAT. While it may be true that some people do not test well on standardized tests, schools like Harvard still use these tests as some indication of how the student will do there. They will wonder if a student who scores on the low 500's on the SAT can handle the challenges of classes where many applicants scored in the mid 750's and higher.
I am sure you are a wonderful person. The reality is that having SAT scores in the 500's typically probably takes one out of the competitive pool not just at schools like Harvard, but even other compeitive schools that are not as selective as Harvard. I dont know what your guidance counselor recommended, but you should have perhaps included in your list of schools you applied to wonderful schools who have decided that the SAT is not important and do not look at those scores. Such schools include College of the Holy Cross, Bates, and others.
It is not that Harvard will not be impressed with what you overcame. It is just that there are applicants out there who have in the 600's who have overcome great circumstances. There are also applicants out there with perfect or near perfect SAT scores who have overcome great circumstances.
Most interviews neither help or hurt an applicant. A terrible interview might cause the admissions committee to doubt overing admission to someone they were about to take. An unbelievable interview can only tip the scales in someones favor if theye were already leaning to take that applicant, and this was the deciding factor.</p>

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<p>I think you sound like a really fulfilled, amazing human being, and because of this I know that you will be happy and do whatever you are here to do whether you get into Harvard or not. If you do get in, I am sure that you will contribute a great deal to the school--they'd be lucky to have you!</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

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<p>OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!:rolleyes: You guys crack me up...this post is a complete joke. Are you all really that naive? The OP is taking you all for a joy ride and you're all going to waste 45 minutes of your life trying to verbalize a defense for her in response to the comments others made?</p>

<p>This is just too sad. A Harvard education doesn't do you much good folks if you all don't have common sense and fall for every fake sob story out there.</p>

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<p>I think someone has already added this but I wanted to mention that regardless of SATs you have a shot at harvard but its unlikely so put some time into applying to Needs-blind and SAT not required schools such as Holy Cross. Great school, no SAT needed, and needs blind. That fits your situation perfectly.</p>

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<p>evil asian dictator.. (even though I wasn't defending her) you probably spent about the same time writing that comment as most of the other posters.. not to mention you have over 1.5k posts.. wasting time, eh?</p>

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<p>In my personal opinion, you sound like an awesome person, and I would personally learn tons by talking with you, but I still think Harvard is a no. If you are a person who wants to change the world, what about Harvard will help you do that? You sound like someone with bigger dreams, and therefore, dont fret over Harvard's approval of you, and go somewhere that will actually appreciate your academic talents.</p>

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<p>How can attending Harvard help someone save the world??</p>

<p>Yea, Harvard's a great school, but if a person is that set on 'saving the world', whatever that means, then they should be spending less money on their education, and more on charities and other such things.</p>

<p>I agree with ChenChen, and fully with JohnnyBear...I guess that makes me mean. </p>

<p>But I will have to slap myself in the face if this poster (if they are real or not), ends up doing something amazing.</p>