<p>I was just wondering after trolling the forums for a while, is there anyone who gets in who's just plain well-rounded with great grades at the hardest course load, near-perfect SAT scores, essays that are good, but not absolutely outstanding, and solid (but none too special) EC's?</p>
<p>“Great grades at the hardest course load” and “near-perfect SAT scores” get you to the door, and essays set you apart from those other great numbers…or so I’ve been told. </p>
<p>I think EC’s are important to make the person seem more unique and “3-D”.</p>
<p>Good Luck Shephora2!</p>
<p>I’m probably applying too and I don’t have stellar SAT scores…I have a few more chances, but I’ll be relying more on my essays and supplements and ECs. ;)</p>
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<p>Sure! Pretty much the entire offensive line!</p>
<p>(Seriously, yes, but there are lots more of those people in the world than Harvard has room for, so what you set out is more often the formula for rejection than for acceptance. The ones who are accepted are extraordinary in SOME dimension, or seem that way to the admissions committee, and/or have obvious “fire in the belly” to push themselves to achieve more than great grades, great test scores, and satisfying the limited requirements of being a high school big shot.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses!</p>
<p>JHS, can you give me some examples of some achievements or activities that an obvious “fire in the belly” candidate would have? Within reason, of course, since clearly any Nobel winners/cancer curers/published authors, etc. have that “something extraordinary” that’s so attractive to adcoms.</p>