Finding My Path to Harvard?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hello All! This is going to be a bit long, so please read on if it interests you :)</p>

<p>I am in junior year in highschool (Grade 11) and have been pursing the dream of going to Harvard University ever since early in middle school years. Challenges excite me and I wish to go to a school where most, if not all, students are passionate and self-motivated to learn about topics that interest them. I clearly understand that Harvard does not guarantee success, nor will my life "collapse" if I don't make it in. I have done everything in my power, yet somehow I feel like there are countless candidates more competent than me. I'm worried that all my hard work may come out to nothing. </p>

<p>To begin, I live in Toronto, Canada. And I'm asian. But I'm not sure if I'd be your typical cookie-cutter asian because I barely spend time doing homework, but still have high standards for myself. Anyhow, compared to the United States, our courses are very limited. There are no such thing as honors courses, or even AP courses (for most of us). My school does offer AP, but only in 3 courses, and students must be seniors in order to take them, which in my opinion isn't much of an advantage. IB exists, but a very vigorous french exam must be taken in order to get in (during 8th grade) and I can conclude there is absolutely no way, looking at how middle school french teachers teach the same tense for the whole year.</p>

<p>Although I do not have AP or IB or Honours courses, I have tried acceleration courses. 8 Courses per year.</p>

<p>In grade 9, no acceleration. Eight grade 9 courses. Grades: 85, 91, 94, 95, 96 ,97, 97, 100.
In grade 10, took four grade 11 courses (bio, accounting, chemistry, pre-calc) and four grade 10. Grades: 95, 96, 98, 99, 99, 99, 98, 97, 94
This year (grade 11), took five grade 12 courses (advanced functions, calculus and vectors, accounting, writers craft, bio) and three grade 11 courses. Grades: 99, 97, 94, 95, 95, 96, 97, 97</p>

<p>I'm planning to apply early action.</p>

<p>As for my SAT, I took it the first time last October and received a score of 2320.
No SAT subject tests yet, and no ACT. None of this is normally offered in Canada, nor does anyone take it, unless they plan to go to the states.</p>

<p>The 85 in grade 9 was physical education. Somehow I wasn't strong enough to serve a volleyball and my gym teacher decided to give me 20% in that unit... so that's how it turned out. 91 was in geography, and was also the highest grade in the class. Canadian transcripts do not show class averages though, so I suppose a 91 would look pretty bad.
Would these things affect my application in any way? In addition, I did not take 4 years of foreign language and language is not one of my passions. Stopped after grade 9. </p>

<p>ECs and Volunteer:</p>

<ul>
<li>3 years at retirement home</li>
<li>Founder and leader of UNICEF club at school</li>
<li>Founder and leader of french committee at school</li>
<li>Student Council/Body President</li>
<li>3 years of writing book reviews at local library</li>
<li>Various camp leader experiences</li>
<li>Rogers Cup tennis volunteering</li>
<li>Youth Ambassador at United Way Non-Profit Org.</li>
<li>3 year volunteer at Red Cross</li>
<li>Women's College Institute Hospital 2 years</li>
<li>Mackenzie Health Hospital 1 year</li>
<li>Student Trustee of School Board, representing 200 000 students. Weekly meetings with Director of Education, Superintendents etc. (probably my best bet)</li>
</ul>

<p>I understand that there are probably hundreds of students with better SAT scores, and a million AP or IB courses. My weaknesses are strong. </p>

<p>If I were to apply for University in Canada, I would not have to worry about my grade 9 or 10 grades or even 11 grades. We only submit 6 grade 12 courses to the universities we want to apply to. However, in the states you look at GPA, and I feel as if that 85 and 91 and possibly even the 94s are enough to kick me out of the pool of possible candidates. </p>

<p>For anyone who knows someone in Harvard, graduated from Harvard, or actually goes to Harvard, what would be your view on my position and situation?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance to everyone, and I'm looking forward to any responses.</p>

<ul>
<li>Fellow Student</li>
</ul>

2

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you read the above thread, you will understand the path you need to take and your chances.</p>

3

<p>Generally, I know my path, and my chances. I would simply like the opinions of others. I will however, read the threat :slight_smile: Thank you very much.</p>

4

<p>I’ll add two things:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I would assume that Harvard gets enough applications from kids in Toronto that they know how to read a Canadian transcript and to evaluate your performance in context. They certainly don’t expect kids who go to schools that don’t offer APs to take 15 APs.</p></li>
<li><p>There is one (and to my mind, only one) serious problem with your record: Your failure to take more than a year of foreign language. Now, I am pretty certain Harvard does not do much to enforce its “ideal” of four years of one foreign language in high school; it regularly accepts students with only two or three years of language, especially when that’s all their school offers. But only one year? In a bilingual country where French is offered at an advanced level everywhere? That’s a very concrete demonstration that at some fundamental level you are not in tune with Harvard’s educational values. Maybe it would be OK if you are already bilingual with another language spoken at home, that you have studied in a systematic way outside of school. But otherwise, it looks like you have not pursued the kind of secondary school education Harvard expects its candidates to have, and to WANT.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I wouldn’t presume to say that your application would be doomed as a result, because that’s not how Harvard admissions works. But it’s a definite negative to overcome. And it seems more negative because of your utter failure to recognize how much more important that is than your 85 in gym in 9th grade.</p>

5

<p>I think you’re quite right. And I’ve also realized that myself. However, I’m already in 11th grade. If I wanted 4 years of foreign language now, I’d have to go back and take grade 10 french and then grade 11 french next year, and somehow fit grade 12 french in too. They’re all per-requisites of each other. I’m not sure what to do :(</p>

<p>And yes, I do speak another language at home, but I think being asian as I am, being able to speak an asian language isn’t impressive at all.</p>

<p>I’m not sure what I can do now.</p>

6

<p>“I’m not sure what I can do now.”</p>

<p>Exactly! Which is why you just have to send your applications out into the universe and see what happens. Asking for the opinions of random internet strangers is a zero-sum game. Best of luck to you!</p>

7

<p>Being defeatist isn’t impressive, either. There ARE some meaningful things you can do. </p>

<p>For starters, don’t just say, “Language isn’t one of my passions, so I dropped it after 9th grade.” Say, “I am fully bilingual in _____ and English, and I also took (4) years of French in middle school and high school.” Doesn’t that sound better? Think about how you are presenting yourself.</p>

<p>Second, does your high school offer courses in your home language? If so, take the most advanced one they will let you take next year. If not, find a class somewhere else that you can take so that you can read well, and you have some systematic knowledge of grammar, syntax, and adult vocabulary, not just the ability to argue with your mom. Put that on your application (and see if you can get it onto your high school transcript). You won’t have taken four years of study in one language in high school, but you will have shown that you understand what Harvard wants and have done what you can to comply.</p>

<p>Note that my critique was NOT that you were unimpressive. It’s that you failed to demonstrate that you understand Harvard’s educational values. No one is “impressive” in every area. Like all other applicants, you will be impressive in some ways and not in others. Sometimes what matters is that you acknowledge what other people consider important, even if that’s not what is most important to you.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the suggestions :slight_smile: I will see what I can do. I have also been considering learning the language through a private class (out of school). Although I most likely won’t get credit for it on my transcript, I suppose the university would still see that I’ve tried to comply. The real purpose of learning a language is how to speak it afterall, not only seeing the course code on paper. Perhaps it can assist me in my ECs?</p>

9

<p>“Challenges excite me and I wish to go to a school where most, if not all, students are passionate and self-motivated to learn about topics that interest them.”</p>

<p>If you want to go to a school with passionate and self-motivated kids, you should probably try to be passionate and self-motivated. Reading your blurb, I didn’t really get the feeling that you are excited about anything in particular. </p>

<p>Like JHS said, don’t worry about the curricular limitations of the Canadian system. Worry more about what you can do outside of school to pursue your own interests. From what I’ve seen, the most reliable way to get into Harvard is to be really, really interested in something and get good at it.</p>