Harvard Hopeful

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi everyone, I'm going to be a junior in high school in the fall, and I REALLY want to go to Harvard. So bad. Here are all of my assumed credentials when I apply during my senior year. Chance me? (:</p>

<p>-Grades/scores: as of now, not THE BEST. ~3.75 unweighted (supposedly Harvard's mean GPA is a 3.7); ~4.35 weighted. But I really will do my best next year, and hopefully receive all solid As (in all honors/APs [most rigorous courseload my school offers]). So more than likely I'll hike this up. I mainly only get As and some A-s, with a rare B+ or something. I'll also probably do well on my AP tests (5). As for the ACT, I'll probably get AT LEAST a 30, hopefully higher (on my PLAN test it said my score would qualify me for elite colleges). SAT, I'm not too familiar with the scoring yet, but I'll probably receive some sort of equivalent.
-ECs: Editor-in-Chief of my school's yearbook for 2 years; took a summer journalism workshop at Michigan State University.
Varsity Forensics Team for 3 years (for those of you who don't know what Forensics is [I think it's kinda a Michigan thing], it's basically competitive public speaking. My sect on the team was the Broadcasting event, where I prepared several news broadcasts (complete with an editorial of my views on a controversial story) each with 30 min. of prior preparation, then deliver each to a judge, who ranks me. I've finaled at several tourneys, and will hopefully go to Regionals/States next year. (For the record, I know a kid from another school who did this - I think as his only main EC - and did in fact get into Harvard!)
Tennis Team for 4 years (top of JV frosh & soph years; hopefully Varsity jr. & sr. years)
Babysitter/tutor; will get a legitimate, steady job once I turn 16 (by the end of the summer) and work part-time throughout the school year.
Local Youth Symphony alto saxophonist; was first chair when I actually did it in my school's band.
Youth Group.
Hospital Internship this/next summer (I may be interested in medicine as a career).
May join the Debate Team in addition to Forensics next year.
French Club.
Environmental Club.
"Interact" (basically a volunteering club).
Volunteer Africa: I don't think I'll actually go on the trip there, but I'll help fundraise/be a part of it.</p>

<p>-Honors/Awards: "Principal's List" (meaning I received one of the highest GPAs [unweighted] at my school) for most, if not all, trimesters.
National Honors Society.
French Honors Society.
Art Honors Society.
MIGHT do math/science olympiads next year.</p>

<p>-Volunteering: About 100 hours for 2 summers helping with the city of Detroit's maintainence/entertaining little elementary schoolers (I'm from the suburbs).
25 hours for the past 4 summers being a Safety Town instructor; teaching 5-year-olds safety skills.
50 hours for 2 summers helping at the local Farmers Market, with the arts and crafts area for kids/the package pick-up area.
Hope to spend a lot of time going to the Detroit Gleaner's Food Bank throughout the year (weekends; maybe summers as well) to help for the next 2 years.
Might do some fundraising for charities as well. I wanted to start a nonprofit environmental charity, but my dad says that'd be too difficult/costly.</p>

<p>-Other interests/hobbies: Guitarist (4 years), photographer, drawer/painter, skiier, certified lifeguard.</p>

<p>-Also, I'm a great writer and can write an outstanding admissions essay.</p>

<p>-Caucasian female; from the Midwest.</p>

<p>-Public school, albeit the fact that it's supposedly well-regarded (live in a pretty prosperous area), and does have its fair yield of Ivy-goers with each graduating class.</p>

<p>Thanks so much! I know it's not ideal that I don't have any precise standard test scores, sorry. :(</p>

2

<p>Am I really not that qualified? Do you know what I can do to better y
chances? Thanks! (:</p>

3

<p>Hannibalxx is a bitter little person with no hope in their heart. I don’t know who they think fills up most of Harvard if not people like you. We can’t ALL have won Intel. Just read their post history. It’s like “oh my god, you’re asian [they don’t capitalize, ever] and you didn’t get an 800 on the sat math? the ivies will all reject you.”</p>

<p>You have a chance. Maybe double or triple the chance of the average applicant (10-20%), but make sure to get KILLER LORs, write a good and original essay, and apply to lots of matches and safeties.</p>

4

<p>Harvard’s ‘mean GPA’ is skewed by athletic recruits, legacies, etc. Take a look at the Results thread in the Harvard forum to get a better idea of the kind of applicants they accept and deny. The UW GPA of the average admitted student is a 3.9/4.0. </p>

<p>Your ECs aren’t jumping out at me and an ACT score of a 30 does not qualify you for Ivies. Come back for chancing at the end of your junior year. Meanwhile, try to focus on a passion or two (music, communications?) and strive for straight A’s. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>Like what was said before, your academic stats will most likely invalidate you as an applicant. Your ECs aren’t impressive enough to compensate. Unfortunately, I think that you definitely not qualified for Harvard.</p>

6

<p>“Varsity Forensics Team for 3 years (for those of you who don’t know what Forensics is [I think it’s kinda a Michigan thing]”</p>

<p>…Forensics (aka speech and debate) is in every state…
In fact, showing how clueless you are about this topic, yet so knowledgeable about harvard makes me doubt your real dedication to harvard, considering Harvard HOSTS the largest forensics tournament besides nationals (which was in kansas city this year…)</p>

<p>even with this, i dont think your EC’s are your problem, the fact that you arent from a farm in the middle of nowhere, black, a quadruple legacy with millions in donations, a recruited athlete and scoring 2400 on everything is what will prevent you from getting into harvard.</p>

7

<p>I don’t want to contribute to the negative tone of the thread, but there is something that has to be said.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Don’t do this to yourself. So many tragedies have begun here.</p>

<p>Apply, but don’t tie your happiness to the outcome. Contrary to what CC might lead you to believe, there is more to life than getting into Harvard.</p>

8

<p>Yeah, I hate to break it to you but you should probably reevaluate your goals for Harvard. I don’t think you’re really their type. Sure, apply, but don’t expect much.</p>

9

<p>I think you also need to think about why it is you love Harvard so much.</p>

<p>If it’s because “it’s Harvard,” then that’s a problem. There are colleges around the nation that can provide you with a great education (and not to mention ones that are a little more in reach for your stats).</p>

<p>If you have legit reasons that really separate Harvard from all other schools in your mind, then I don’t think your profile should stop you from applying, regardless of what other people’s opinions are here.</p>

10

<p>Thank you, YeloPen. Part of it’s the name, but it’s also because I know I wanna be a doctor or a lawyer (probably in this economy a doctor), and I’ve researched harvard enough to know it’s simply my best Ideal option. I’m going to do my best to greatly raise my grades, and I took a practice ACT today and got about a 33 at this stage, and Im going to do my best to pursue additional “impressive” ECs/contests.</p>

11

<p>Oh and Lirazel, your post made me happy :slight_smile: not just cause you were optimistic but because you actually seemed to have a legit answer/reasoning. Are you really going to harvard next year!?</p>

12

<p>“Forensics is NOT “speech and debate” in Michigan so f u. Not at all. An thanks everyone for either your optimism or honesty, except for you, Extemp.”</p>

<p>Yes, yes it is.</p>

<p>I do recall meeting a very nice group of people from Michigan at the Harvard Forensics Tournament (obviously you were not in this group), They also seemed to be very educated on the fact that speech and debate and forensics are exactly the same thing. (another indicator you were not in this group)</p>

<p>My Team(debaters included) were invited to a University of Michigan tournament forensics, we chose not to go however.</p>

<p>NFLonline.org
Forensicsonline.net</p>

<p>You can most likely search yourself on the points database of nflonline (<a href=“http://www.nflonline.org/points_application/reports.php[/url]”>http://www.nflonline.org/points_application/reports.php&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>On Forensics online, you can see that every state has a forensics chapter, with forensics encompassing both speech AND debate.</p>

<p>My name is a forensics category, you can find it in the “limited prep” section of the forensics online forum (in case you cannot figure it out, Extemp is short for Extemporaneous Speaking)</p>

<p>Next year when you join the debate team (if it is a legit one), you will most likely find that it is also hosted by the national forensics league, which also oversees forensics</p>

<p>So yes, Forensics and Speech and Debate are synonyms in all 50 states</p>

13

<p>Okay I understand you’re in the extemporaneous category, As in you prepare a speech on a topic in 30 min with resources, however forensics certainly is not debate; we have a team for what (although it’s supposedly not legit). And okay fine it’s the same as yours but I’m sorry my coach led me to believe it was an exclusive Michigan thing. And besides for the interp sect of the team that’s more drama and acting; thus I certainly would qualify that as “aka speech and debate.” and how on earth would
my lack of knowledge about harvards FORENSICS team make me unqualified/stupid? I’m
going there for the ACADEMICS, to better myself as a person as well as society, and don’t have time to bother researching in my sophomore year of high school harvards little clubs and organizations.</p>

14

<p>Okay so becuse my schools forensics and debate teams are not conjoined, nor are any in the state of Michigan (as at states there are no debate teams present), therefore thank you for making this up, I’m not knowledgeable/dedicated about harvard. Yeah that makes sense. I appreciate that little add-on a few mins ago.</p>

15

<p>“and how on earth would my lack of knowledge about harvards FORENSICS team make me unqualified/stupid?”</p>

<p>I never meant that it makes you stupid, i think im doing you a service actually.</p>

<p>Now if you were to get into harvard, in the time around the middle of february when teenagers being showing up in the hundreds for a forensics competition you will not be inclined to believe they are all from michigan.</p>

<p>Maybe when you do go to harvard you should sign up to be a judge for the tournament
(i believe they pay), then they might have you judge both a debate and speech category, and realize they are two sides of the same forensics coin.</p>

16

<p>Okay no one on my school is on that site; we check tabs on ie.hirelesmana.com, which is exclusively Michigan. So sorry to offend you. And nothing you just said made sense.</p>

17

<p>You certainly have close to no chance.</p>

<p>Rethink your “hopes” or you will be a depressed person next year.</p>

18

<p>Thanks helpwithschools, any suggestions on how i can better my credentials?</p>

19

<h2>Can anyone tell me how to start a post? I’ve got a question</h2>

<p>Okay so I don’t know how to start a post so I’m replying to
this one. Sorry! </p>

<p>I was wondering if taking 5 ap exams senior year is suicide.
I’m taking:
Physics B
Comparative Gov.
Literature
Calculus BC
Pyschology</p>

<p>I know some of them aren’t that bad but I don’t want to
risk overloading and not passing. And do colleges care if
you get 3s senior year?</p>

20

<p>I don’t think it’s impossible, if you’re smart and up for it I’m sure you can do it. And it doesn’t matter if you get 3s if your college accepts them for credit. Did you read my original post?(:
and it should say near the top left (once your under a certain topic/section): “startnew thread”</p>