Getting into Harvard?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Okay, so to start off... I am only a freshman. This is more like "What does it take?" discussion. My freshman year I got A's and B's and I only took part in minimal extra curricular activities. So obviously, not a good start.
Some back round information: My dad attended Harvard and Harvard Law School. We are well off financially, but we haven't donated a cent to Harvard. Not sure if that means a thing, but I just thought I would add that. </p>

<p>So, having had a parent who attended Harvard I have obviously asked him what he did in high school to get in- and he didn't do that much. He got all A's for all four years, and he was the president of a club that focused on volunteering at different events and raising money for charity, he was treasurer of his class for two years, and he got great SAT and ACT scores, and lastly, he was the leader of the school paper. Now, this was a while ago so I assume that attempting to get into Harvard is a lot harder currently. I have heard that leadership will get you in, I have heard that "doing what you love" will get you in- I know that there is nothing you can do to guarantee a spot at Harvard, obviously. Although leadership is a great skill, and I also plan to run to treasurer next year, I really love helping people. So I have thought about how can simply "helping people" set me apart from other applications and make me look dedicated. I had a lot of medical issues as a child and now that I am older I have set every weekend to volunteer at Children's. I have also been trying to start a foundation that focuses on raising money for children with brain illnesses. I am also Icelandic, so I have started setting up internships at a hospital here in Iceland, and I plan to get a paper published on "America vs Iceland Medical Systems" as you might be able to tell, I plan to be in the medical industry. Next year I also want to start a club that focuses on volunteering, and I hope to promote my foundation in my school as well. There are certainly a lot of "I hopes" and "I wills" in this paragraph, but that is what I am really passionate about. I don't know if this will be thought of as a perk on a college app or not, but I thought I would tell you guys my plans and see if there is something more that I can do. I have a very obsessive personality, I set a lot of goals that I work hard to achieve. Last year I didn't want to set my goal as Harvard because I was afraid I would fail, but I have decided that even if I do fail it will only make me stronger. Thanks for reading this far if you have. My concluding question is, other than succeeding academically, in terms of EC's- How can I do what I am truly passionate about, while making it useful on a college application?</p>

<p>Other info that might be completely useless: I am Icelandic, that makes me different I suppose, I speak the language fluently; My language in high school is Mandarin Chinese (might set me a little apart idk;) I am a Harvard legacy; I plan to attend the Harvard summer program (These are probably completely useless. note: I would love to get into Harvard. Who wouldn't? But I do know that not everyone gets in, obviously. I plan to shoot for the best, and if I get stuck with something only mediocre, I am not going to cry over that. I obviously have other schools I am interested in, some not as tough or not as ivy league, and that is okay.) I also plan on trying out for Basketball, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Track next year. </p>

2

<p>You need two things above all else: a high GPA and high test scores. </p>

<p>Every kid with a 3.9/35/2370 might not get into Harvard, but you can bet they’ll get into a top school. </p>

3

<p>@literaturemajor college admissions are “holistic” it’s not just based on GPA and test scores; it’s also based on college essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and a variety of other factors. </p>

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<p>Why are you pretty much following what your parent did to the nose…? Just because she or he ran for treasurer doesn’t mean you have to to get into Harvard. (By the way, as for as I know, ASB doesn’t do much of anything, really… At least for us.)</p>

<p>How can you do what you’re truly passionate about while making it useful for college applications? By doing what you’re truly passionate about, of course. As long as what you do is meaningful, then it’s fine for college applications.</p>

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

6

<p>@tola2015‌ True, the essays are important, and a lack of extra curriculars can hurt- but generally a high GPA and ACT can get you into some top tier schools if you cast a wide enough net. And possibly ivies if you’re international or from a prestigious school.</p>

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<p>Asking your Dad what he did is only of family interest. The admissions criteria and selectivity have changed. Read the Harvard admissions pages very carefully. You can also read The Gatekeepers, a very interesting read and there is some discussion of the admissions landscape for selective colleges–but it might freak you out.</p>

<p>Also you should understand that the Chances area is for people who want guessing games about their admissions chances and they already have a summary of qualifications, gpa sat etc. This keeps such threads from mucking up the more general discussion forums. Many people don’t come to this section because it is mostly ridiculous.</p>

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<p>@capitalamerica am very aware that doing what my dad did won’t get me into Harvard by any means. I do look up to him, and somehow he managed to get in. I can always do research about how someone else got in and look at their scores and so on, but I live with a Harvard grad so I might as well take advantage of that. I want to run for treasurer because I want to run for treasurer, although my father may have inspired me, I am still doing what I want to do for me and no one else. Thank you for your opinion, and thank you for reminding me to do what I am passionate about. I will definitely make sure that I do just that. </p>

9

<p>If I were you I would do something to make me stand out. Most students who apply to Harvard have
great score and grades yet most of them get rejected. I got into Stanford and Harvard I had a 32 on my ACT and I got a 2210 on my SAT. But one thing I did was I did cancer research at my local University. Most admissions officers want to see a student who is passionate about something. Whether it be sports or research. But one thing you have going for you is your a legacy student. So your chances of getting into Harvard are much higher. By the way I majored in microbiology and premed and I went to Stanford currently I’m a medical student at the University of Minnesota going to be a surgeon.</p>

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<p>Though you are legacy, keep in mind that being an international student puts you at a significant disadvantage. </p>

11

<p>Every college today is much more selective than they were in the past due to more applicants and more outstanding students.</p>

<p>Your transcript is the most important factor, EC’s come next, and then Standardized tests. Make sure you get a job or an internship and start volunteering.</p>

<p>Also start your own club and make sure you have a few teachers that really know you well</p>

<p>Legacy always seems to help</p>