Harvard Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I'm a white, Jewish male and I go to school in New York at Stuyvesant High School, which is a powerhouse in terms academics and just sending kids to the Ivy's in general. We don't have a rank system and we scale our GPA out of 100. We also don't weight scores at all, so APs and honors classes are worth the same as any other class (except gym, which doesn't count at all unfortunately =P).</p>

<p>So here are my stats:</p>

<p>GPA - 95.6%
Class Rank: top 10%
Class Size: 786</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>SAT I -- 2360 (Math: 800) (Critical Reading: 770) (Writing: 790)
SAT II U.S. History: 780
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 800
SAT II Chemistry: 800</p>

<p>AP Euro (5), AP US (4), AP Language and Composition (4), AP Chemistry (5), AP French (didn't take exam)</p>

<p>I'm going to be taking AP Government, AP Calculus, AP English Literature and Composition, and AP Computer Science, CISCO Computer Networking, and Acting.</p>

<p>For extracurricular activities, I've been dancing for the past 13 years in assorted styles (ballet, ballroom, and modern). It's been a cherished part of me for a significant portion of my life, and thankfully still is. I'm the leader of my modern dance group, which is one step below the actual teacher/choreographer. I've done a lot of volunteer hours through my dance group, because we perform at various public and private events to celebrate a holiday or service, and to give the audience a good time! I think I've done well over 200 hours at these various shenanigans.</p>

<p>I'm also on the Speech section of the Speech and Debate Team. I've been somewhat successful, more in my junior year than anytime else, but I'd venture to say that as of this point, I've done even better as a senior (I recently won a national tournament in my category). I also help the underclassmen with accustoming themselves to the team, picking speeches, and perfecting themselves and their oratorical skills.</p>

<p>My last major extracurricular activity is my position on the Events Committee of our sector of the National Honor Society, ARISTA. Through it, I've been the leader of several major events and have organized for the passage of many more. With it I've had over 50 hours of volunteer hours.</p>

<p>In my summers, I've done many programs that have helped expand my horizons and let me dabble in various subjects, such as the Manhattan Multicultural Program, which had a focus on broadening our knowledge of the United Nations and understanding the idea of tolerance in an ever changing world. This summer, I took math classes in Advanced Problem Solving and Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry at the Macaulay Summer Honors Institute.</p>

<p>With all this in mind, what are my chances at getting in?</p>

2

<p>I don’t think anyone can really tell your chances; many people with a 2400 SAT, all 5s on APs, blah, blah get rejected. But you look like a very extremely competitive candidate at least to me :p. You go to a GREAT school - even I know about it, and I don’t know about much lol :confused: - and great academics - but so do a lot of other applicants.</p>

<p>Probably what will really separate you is your extracurriculars and your personality conveyed in your essays. You seems really passionate and focused, especially in your dancing!..which I guess is unique because I’ve never met a male dancer before :p…and I hope you conveyed your uniqueness in your application and the admissions people recognize it. Anyways, Good Luck !!! :)</p>

3

<p>bump^^^^^^^^^</p>

4

<p>I guess you have a good shot … try …</p>

5

<p>The fact that you attend arguably the most prestigious NY high school, and that you’re in the top ten percent of your class, gives you a HUGE boost. Since Stuy, Bronx Sci, Thomas Jefferson and the like are ‘Ivy Feeders’ per se, you have, in my opinion, a fantastic shot at acceptance to an Ivy. As for Harvard, it’s a little more difficult to predict. As they are the most selective school in the nation, you might not have as great a shot due to the increased competition. All things considered, because of your great SAT scores and GPA, class rank, and wonderful ECs (passion for dance is a monumental plus), I’d actually say you have a really good shot at getting into Harvard. Just be sure to make your essays meaningful. Good luck!</p>