Woop! The 2024 thread is almost a year old now, time for this one to launch! Feel free to vent, post stats, ask questions, or anything else you talented folk can think of!
Have any of you made adjustments to your plans for applying to Harvard this fall? I’m hoping to apply REA but everything with COVID-19 has made things so uncertain. Do you think Harvard might adjust to these changes?
I too am planning to apply for the fall of 2021. I think the early decision should be extended by a month. All this uncertainty is overwhelming me! Please share your plans!!
Due to this COVID-19 situation, many students may not be able to submit SAT/ACT and also subject tests , if they had not taken yet. In a situation like this, more weighted might be given to GPA ,LOR ? Also many students are missing valuable internships this summer. I agree that accepatnce for SCEA is higher because many applicants will have hooks such as URM, First generation, Athletes etc.
H admit here. As a general rule of thumb, remember that standardized test scores are only one part of a large list of criterion admissions uses. Furthermore, scores are mostly used as a benchmark – hence the name “standardized” – and the lack of an SAT score shouldn’t be discouraging, but instead encourage you to beef up other aspects of your application while still displaying significant intellectual prowess.
Good luck, and feel free to reach out with any other questions!
- Ethan (AimIvy)
Hi guys should I submit my SAT?
Here are my stats
SAT- 1500
UW GPA-4.0
class rank - 1/77 ( small public, rural school)
AP exams (5)s: World, Biology, Calc ab, Macro, Micro
AP exams (4)s: US and English literature
Senior Schedule:
AP phys 1
Ap phys C
Ap CSA
AP CSP
AP Stats
English 12
Extra curriculars
Football varsity -2X captain, MVP, all conference, all county, Kalamazoo dream team
Powerlifting- 194lb. State runner up, regional champ, 5 school records
Track varsity- all conference
Student council- Class president
NHS
Interact
Job
Three years at McDonalds … worked my way up to manager
race
Chinese American(adopted)
gender
male
Your scores are fine. I think you 3 years at McDonald’s really distinguishes you.
Thanks! I just do not have anything special as far as academic extracurriculars … like science Olympiad or anything like that.
You don’t need an Olympiad etc. Try to convey who you are in your application. Colleges like Harvard are trying to honor experiences of working at jobs like fast foods, as I mentioned before, and becoming a manager is an achievement. Maybe your essay could be about your experience at McDonald’s.
Your stats are great, you are an athlete, president of student council.
I am not sure why you wouldn’t submit your scores. Are you under the impression they have to be perfect? There is no difference between a 750 and a 780, for example, in admissions.
Anyone who applies has a slim chance at 5%. You are no different. Your chances are slim like most people (unless you are being recruited for athletics).
I just want to make sure that you understand that your fast food job can be an asset. Write about it either in the main essay or a supplementary one.
Wow why is this thread so dead this year?
HI! Our son just applied SCEA over the weekend and received an interview invitation yesterday. Wondering if anyone knows if the interviewer will have reviewed his application data? Or is the interview entirely separate?
Also! Open to a chance me! This is a wild ride and we’d appreciate any insights anyone might have
ACT: 36
submitted two 800 subject tests
GPA: 4.56 W, 4.00W, will graduate with 17 APs, all 5 scores so far
Class president 10th, 11th & 12th grade
NMSF, NHS, National AP scholar etc
school doesn’t rank
tennis team captain, #1 singles, etc
works as a tennis coach for kids
community service etc etc
We are from a 130ish kids -per-grade private school in Ohio
And he’s a very very nice kid:)
Interviewers do not have a copy of the application.
Do any of you guys know when interview invitations/requests will start being sent out?
They have already started to go out to those who have submitted their applications.
Your son certainly meets benchmarks to get into the pool for consideration 
Apart from that, noone can tell you his chances beyond the 5% or so admission statistic. He is extremely well-qualified and wishing him good luck!
Do they schedule interview if teachers’ recommendation and official school transcript have not submitted ?
Yes
Hi did you self reported your score in the portal and uploaded unofficial copy of your ACT scores at all.
Hi, did you self reported your ACT score in Harvard portal or just common app and did you also uploaded unofficial copy also.
it’s kinda weird that this thread’s so dead this year