<p>Attend a highly-selective (32% admit for my class) Jesuit prep school, with institutionalized grade deflation. I am a realist, so I don't in any way expect to get into Harvard, but I am applying EA. However, I do have a few things going for me. Firstly, I've met with the Dean of Harvard College, as well as my admissions officer for where I am from and received positive responses. Secondly, the President of The Crimson is supporting my application (she knows the Admissions Director quite well)--which she has never done for anyone before (I worked for The Harvard Crimson over the summer, as you'll see). Given that, I'm still not expecting (or thinking that I will) to get in, nor am I planning on placing all my eggs in one basket. </p>
<p>I thrive on picking the low odds of sucess, though. Witness my experience as one of over 250 applicants for 24 spots at The Crimson this summer--most of those people were editors of their school papers, I hardly even wrote for my paper! But I was more interesting, motivated, had demonstrated an ability to lead in areas outside of the newspaper world, and had great writing skills--and that's why the Crimson editorial staff picked me. </p>
<p>Also, no need to tell me that my test scores are in the far low-end of Harvard's mid-50th percentile, I realize that. However, it is important to realize a 3.9 GPA at my school is no where near equivalent to a 3.9 at most other schools, generally in the early pool a 3.8 (provided the person is interesting, motivated, good EC's etc.) is good enough to get into an Ivy from my school. I've seen non-URM people get waitlisted at Dartmouth with 3.5's, and get into Columbia with 3.6's, no joke. As you will see, anyway, I've never gotten a grade lower than an A in a college-level class. Besides Harvard I will be applying to Brown, Georgetown (legacy), Northwestern (entire family has gone there, father was on faculty), Columbia, Yale, McGill, NYU and GW. Oh yes, BTW my passion is International Relations. Sorry that this thing is so long, but it needed to be for you to get the full picture! ;-) Finally, I will not reply to this thread, I will merely read it. </p>
<p>Subject of current essay: My experience as a survivor of an extremely rare chronic autoimmune disease and how that completely changed my outlook on life, and turned me into the self-starting, driven, and passionate person I am today. (Don't worry it's not a sad tale of the past, but really more about the future and present and how it relates to college)</p>
<p>Harvard Classes this past summer:
Intro. International Relations A
Spanish Oral Expression (4th semester level) - A</p>
<p>Current Classes:
AP Spanish Language
AP Statistics
AP Modern European History
AP English Literature and Composition
Faith and the Catholic Tradition (this class is required and is not a joke, theology courses are generally the most difficult at my school)
Music Appreciation & History (needed a fine arts elective, this class isn't a joke either...try memorizing every piddling fact about Mozart or Brahms)</p>
<p>Why am I not taking a science this year: My Freshman and Sophomore years I completed our Integrated Science Program which is the equivalent of one year each of biology, chemistry and physics, condensed into two years and taught as a unified subject. Last year I took AP Biology, and I have a semester of credit on my transcript from Northwestern University in Environmental Science which amounts to 4.5 years of science in total. Finally, due to the nature of our curriculum we are limited by the school to three AP courses in one semester--I had to get permission from a Vice Principal to take four--and five would probably have killed me. </p>
<p>Grades: </p>
<p>Note: the H's don't really mean anything, all classes whether AP, H or required tend to be of equal difficulty to attain an A, or really a B in in most cases. </p>
<p>Most recent semester grades, Spring 2005:
AP Comparative Government and Politics A+
AP Biology - A
Images of the Human:
Philosophy, Christology, and Ethics - A<br>
British Literature - A-
Pre-Calculus H - B+
Spanish 3 H - B+ </p>
<p>Junior Research Paper: </p>
<p>Puerto Rico: The Growing Case for Statehood
Grade: A+ ; the mean was about a C+ for my section. </p>
<p>Cumulative GPA: 3.9 -- Top 10% of Class (we do not rank)
Honor Status: First Honors with Distinction
Graduation: Sufficient credit, GPA for Honors Diploma. </p>
<p>My School's Grading Scale:
A+ - 98-99
A - 95-97
A- - 93-94
B+ - 91-92
B - 87-90
B- - 85-86
etc.
No weighting, and no extra credit. Yes a 92.5 will still be a B+! </p>
<p>AP Scores:
-Biology (A in class) 5
-Comparative Gov. & Politics (A+ in class) 5
-US History (A+ in class) 5
-English Language (no corresponding class) 5</p>
<p>PSAT: I am a national merit semifinalist (top 1%). </p>
<p>SAT II Scores:
-US History 780
-Biology 750
-Literature 680 (grr!)</p>
<p>SAT I: 690/710/730 (re-taking in October, most likely)
ACT: 31 (re-taking in September, definite)</p>
<p>ACTIVITIES:
MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAM
YEARS ACTIVE: FALL 2002 TO 2006
--Elected to the Executive Board in 2004, the team has over 100 members!
--Moved to a new position, which I pushed for to be created, as Director of Conferences in 2005, in charge of planning our 200-plus delegate regional Conference at my school next April. The theme is Global Trade and the Environment.<br>
--Have won Best Delegate awards at conferences at McGill and Northwestern Universities.<br>
--Have chaired several committees in the past, including the US National Security Council, at our own conferences at my school. </p>
<p>VARSITY FORENSICS TEAM
YEARS ACTIVE: FALL 2002 TO 2006
--Most-senior member of the team (we have no executive board).<br>
--Have competed at the Varsity level in speech since freshman year, beginning with original oratory and then declamation.<br>
--Currently compete in extemporaneous speaking.<br>
--Numerous awards won at Catholic League competitions.<br>
--My school is one of the Host Schools of the 2006 National Forensic League National Championship...so I'll have a hand in that. </p>
<p>THE HARVARD CRIMSON
ACTIVE: JUNE-AUGUST 2005
--Intern for Crimson President (over 250 people applied for 24 spots in one of The Crimsons six boards).<br>
--Responsible for launching The Crimson Alumni Mentoring Program. Matched 80 Crimson writers and editors to Crimson alumni who are leaders in their fields of interest; this necessitated contacting about 200 Harvard alumni on an ongoing basis over a period of several weeks.<br>
--Helped to create the curriculum guide for The Crimson Summer Journalism Academy, a one-week program for 15 Boston-area high school students which culminated in the production of their own paper.<br>
--I served as a mentor and chaperone to the students throughout the week of the Academy, and edited a substantial portion of their paper, The Crimson Academy News, and also completed a large portion of the lay-out for it.<br>
--Received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award for outstanding and lasting service to The Crimson. </p>
<p>STUDENT NEWSPAPER
YEARS ACTIVE: 2002-2003, 2005-2006
--Staff writer in Entertainment, formerly News. </p>
<p>PIANO
YEARS ACTIVE: 1994-PRESENT
--Currently studying Classical Piano at a local consortium of music, dance, and vocal instruction.<br>
--Was asked to perform a Chopin Polonaise at the center's recent 30th Annual Benefit Concert.<br>
--Love to compose and create my own music creations, which is an excellent outlet to escape from the demands of taking six rigorous classes and being highly involved in time-intensive extracurricular activities, while maintaining a social and family life. </p>
<p>SERVICE:
OVER 200 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE
--Worked as a volunteer camp counselor at an overnight camp for mentally disabled teens in the rural portion of my state.
--Volunteered for the Community Nurse Association in my town, helping to staff a thrift store on weekends that helps to fund the Association (over a period stretching from November to April).<br>
--Worked as a volunteer clearing the invasive Buckthorn tree from a local forest preserve.<br>
--Served as a mentor, chaperone, editor, and newspaper design volunteer during The Harvard Crimson Summer Journalism Academy (a one-week program for underprivileged Boston-area high school students), during my time as a Presidential Intern. </p>
<p>SUMMER EXPERIENCES:
2003:
Northwestern University Center for Talent Development:
--Took a one-semester course in Ecology/Environmental Science and received an A. </p>
<p>2004:
Georgetown University International Relations Summer Program:
--One-week intensive introduction to IR, culminating in a two-day national security crisis simulation. </p>
<p>2005:
Harvard University Summer School:
--Completed two 4-unit classes: Intro. International Relations and Spanish Oral Expression (4th semester level).<br>
--Received an A in both classes.<br>
--Also was a Presidential Intern at The Harvard Crimson. </p>
<p>AWARDS:
--National Merit Semifinalist (2005).<br>
--Winner at my school of the National World History (2003) and US History (2004) Olympiads
--One of the five highest scorers for the National Science League National Biology Olympiad at my school (2005)
--Best delegate awards from Model U.N. Conferences at McGill and Northwestern Universities. </p>
<p>EMPLOYMENT:<br>
A Medical Billing and Consulting Firm:
JUNE AND AUGUST 2003 AND 2004
--Worked as an office assistant updating and maintaining patient databases of medical billing software.</p>
<p>Abercrombie (Kids)
January 2005--Present
Will get a job at the real A&F once I'm 18.</p>