<p>So I was just accepted into Harvard 2016 :)</p>
<p>But I have a few questions. </p>
<p>I am from a tiny little high school in the middle of rural Missouri. I have always received As, but I have never worked all that hard for them. Things are just so easy here. Now I am going to Harvard, and I have serious doubts that I can make it. I feel like I may be too stupid. I have never taken an AP in my life.... I don't even know.</p>
<p>I am so terrified. Maybe it is just pre college jitters, but I can't help it. </p>
<p>Do you think that Harvard is out of my league. I have been accepted and all, but can I handle the course work? I just dont feel like I deserve this...</p>
<p>From a fellow Harvard2016er who lives in a rural town as well: if they accepted you, they must feel that your are capable of doing their rigorous academics. Harvard also has lots of mentoring and advising programs. You can also get in contact with admissions and ask questions. Contact the URM office for more info–I saw that you are 1st gen Afghan in another thread. You have worked this hard, don’t let it go to waste with a few doubts.</p>
<p>I’m a current 2013er. First of all, congratulations!</p>
<p>Second, relax. You were accepted over thousands of extremely accomplished individuals, many of whom have taken a boatload of APs and come from super rigorous high schools. Harvard puts more stock in you than it does in them, so you shouldn’t worry.</p>
<p>With that said, some students from weaker high schools do find the rapid increase in workload a challenge at first. But Harvard has a very diverse student body, and you are by no means the only one coming from a rural area. My high school was pretty rigorous but a close friend of mine came from an awful urban high school in Miami and the increase in rigor was daunting at first. But she got used to it rather quickly and is now doing very well.</p>
<p>Yes, it will probably be more difficult for you at first than it will be for some of the kids from intense college prep high schools. The people from rural schools do adjust, though–some within a couple weeks, almost all by the end of the semester. That said, college life and college courses are a shocking transition for almost everybody. I went to one of the most rigorous public high schools in the country, and I spent at least the first couple weeks floundering around feeling like I was drowning in the strangeness that was college. I, since I talk far too much when I’m nervous, sometimes expressed this feeling. The reaction I got, every time, was “oh my god I feel the exact same way I was just too intimidated by everyone else seeming to be on top of it to say so!” It’s pretty universal.</p>
<p>That said, there are resources to help. It can be quite scary to admit that you need help. Most Harvard students have problems with this, myself certainly included. What are you interested in studying? There are a variety of writing resources if you’re into the humanities; most TFs are quite willing to help you; other students can try to help. (If you take Ec10 or LS1a, your TFs will probably be on average less helpful. Try to get a study group together, then.) There are a couple current seniors, none of whom I remain close with, who definitely noticed a couple times I was on the verge of freaking out and talked me through it. I remain grateful to them for that. We older students might be less observant of potential freak-outs than we could be, since people do tend to do a good job of acting calm even if they aren’t, but if we do notice I’ve always found us to be pretty compassionate. If you ever need a listening ear who’s not going to judge you (confiding to roommates in the first couple days can be tricky because you’re trying to set the tone for the year, which makes it more complicated), you can always come back on these forums and PM somebody to meet up in real life. If you ever need me to, feel free to send me a note and I’ll buy you a coffee and tell you that everything will be okay, because it will. It would be stupid if I said Harvard admissions never makes mistakes, but I believe it’s rare. I remember your chances thread, and I fully believe that, even if there are a couple “mistakes” walking around out there, you are absolutely not one of them.</p>
<p>^Well said.</p>
<p>Same coffee offer goes out from me too, in a less eloquent fashion.</p>
<p>Thanks guys 
I feel less afraid now. :)</p>
<p>YAY! Here’s to a great freshmen year my fellow 2016er! Are you planning on going to Visitas?</p>