<p>Karate, Art, HOSA, captain of the cross country team, National title in debate , 4.0 GPA, state robotics achievement, and gold award girl scouts....is my child good enough for harvard....</p>
<p>People could probably respond with a less vague answer if you give SAT / ACT / Subject Test scores, AP courseload, Class rank, etc. I say she is probably “good enough.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’ll get in. Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5.9%. So if her ECs are spectacular <em>and</em> her application as a whole is backed by strong, passionate essays, really good LORs, and a successful interview, then maybe she’ll get in. But maybe not. It doesn’t mean she’s a failure; it’s just the nature of Ivy league admissions that there are way too many qualified applicants to let everyone in.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that while Harvard is the most prestigious university–which everyone interprets to mean the “best” school–that does not mean it’s the best school for your daughter in terms of majors offered, class size, atmosphere, etc. Ask “Is Harvard good enough for my child?” before you ask “Is my child good enough for Harvard?” – From the child who’s parent pushed Harvard, went through the grueling cycle of application and rejection, and then realized (at her current university) that she wouldn’t have been happy there anyway…</p>
<p>Maybe… If there are rigorous hs classes and stellar SATs… then she have the same odds as the many other highly qualified Harvard applicants… about 10% chance of admission. </p>
<p>Welcome to college research 
Stick around, we’ll help you pick some other good schools for The List too. </p>
<p>That 4.0 will also have to be earned in the most rigorous course of study available to her. My D also earned Gold Award. I’m not sure how much scouting helped her admission, but I think it helped a little, at least.</p>
<p>Rather than asking, ‘is my daughter good enough for Harvard?’ ask, what college is the best fit for my daughter. </p>
<p>Is Harvard good enough for you daughter?</p>
<p>1) Without the standardized test scores and without knowing strength of her HS schedule it is impossible to know if she will be a viable candidate for Harvard. 2) Harvard is a reach for anybody (whose last name isn’t Kennedy at least) and a ton of wonderful and amazing applicants who could do well there are not offered spots. A rejection from Harvard is not a reflection of the applicant’s strength, but rather the extremely competitive and perhaps even somewhat random nature of college admissions. Being “good enough” does not always translate into an acceptance. 3) There are a ton of amazing colleges and universities out there. Please make sure she doesn’t feel like it is Harvard or bust. 4) Finding a school that is the right fit is more important that going to the most prestigious school possible.</p>
<p>Many students with top credentials will be “good enough” for Harvard but won’t get in as the supply of such students exceeds the available spots. All you can do is have your D apply IF she is interested in Harvard and the majors match her likely choices. She also needs to look at several other top U’s as well as your state flagships and other schools not at the tippy top of the pyramid.</p>
<p>Sure , your daughter may be “good enough” but that means absolutely nothing as to her real chance of admission. Harvard rejects about 95% of its applicants-- and all of them are “good enough” just like your daughter. </p>
<p>I think that in actuality, the application of the generally excellent student with nothing exotic to offer is even less than the posted 5.9% admission rate… More like half of that </p>
<p>Is she good enough for Harvard? Only the adcoms at Harvard will make that decision. Harvard accepts less than. 10% of applicants. That means 90% are denied admission. In that 90% of rejected students are a ton of extremely well qualified applicants. Harvard simply cannot accept all of the very well qualified applicants who apply. Their adcoms have to make admissions decisions based on what they think will make a good freshman class of students.</p>
<p>So…if your kiddo good enough? Well, she has the start…good grades, and the like. But her SAT or ACT score will also come into play as will her essays and letters of reference…and the strength of her high school courses.</p>
<p>Apply to Harvard…but make sure she also applies to a good variety of colleges including at least two where she is very likely to gain acceptance, where she would attend if accepted, and where you can afford to send her.</p>
<p>This thread reminds me that I wanted to ask this question: for the average Harvard undergraduate (across all majors), what percentage of classroom time is spent being taught by a TA compared to being taught by a faculty member?</p>
<p>I think she is a shoe-in or shoo-in or shu-in.</p>
<p>Many kids are “good enough for Harvard”. Applying to Harvard is the equivalent of buying a lottery ticket–you most probably will NOT win and do not expect to win, but you wouldn’t turn it down if you did.</p>
<p>The only way to find out is to apply. </p>
<p>I agree with everyone else that it’s more a question of “is Harvard a good place for her?” rather than “is she good enough for Harvard (or any college, for that matter)”</p>
<p>MiddKid, in a typical semester, a Harvard student will have 4 courses. 1 or 2 are likely big enough to break into sections led by a TA. In most fields, that’s 3 hours of lecture per week and 1 of section with the TA. In a lab science (if you consider the lab “teaching”), there may be 3-4 hours of lab to go with the 3 hours of lecture. So around 12 hours with the professors each week plus 1-4 hours with TA per course that has a TA. In some cases the departmental tutorials will be led by a graduate student (mine was), and that was 2-3 hours per week. To a significant extent, students can choose what their balance will be; people who prioritize small classes can get them, and people who prioritize subject matter or superstar professors will pick bigger classes.</p>
<p>Put up at least a high 1400/s board score with at least one 750, and have good recommendations and I’d say you’ve got at least a 50/50 chance. I like the national debate title if its legit (not meaning non-false, but from the recognized authorities). My hs had a great debate teacher years ago, and one of our kids won a national title in either debate or extemporaneous speaking. Ithe trophy was about 4 feet tall. He went to Yale and became a Rhodes scholar. </p>
<p>Thanks Hanna. I asked because 25 years ago, my sister had a friend who went to Harvard and was disappointed by how many classes were taught by TAs and not faculty. She felt that she would have received a better education (meaning more direct contact with actual professors) at a smaller but still competitive and highly regarded school, such as Williams or Amherst. I was wondering what the current situation at Harvard was, and whether this might influence prospective students to look at schools that perhaps provide a better environment for student-professor interaction.</p>
<p>Also, in some majors you will have very few TAs and almost all professors. At Harvard I majored in Visual and Environmental Studies and I can only remember one courses that had a TA, an art theory course, it had a 2 lectures per 1 hour with the TA. There was a TA for all the architectural history course I took, but there were no smaller breakout session, the TA helped correct exams, but the professor did everything else including meeting with all the students to discuss paper topics.</p>
<p>In terms of TAs, it isn’t much different now than 25 years ago. The one thing that’s changed is that with distribution requirements rather than a core, it’s a little easier to elect smaller classes for more of the schedule if you choose. A student who was unhappy with the use of TAs was either not prioritizing professor interaction (which might involve strategic major and course selection, like choosing Applied Math instead of Economics) or simply not a match for a research university. An undergrad who feels TAs are inherently negative just shouldn’t be at Harvard. I personally don’t care what someone’s title is; I care whether they are good at their job, and I’ve seen people at all levels who were superb and who were not great.</p>
<p>I person who thinks TAs are inherently bad, even as section leaders, should not go to <em>any</em> large research university. Large research universities train the next generation of scholars and professors. Part of that involves teaching experience. </p>