<p>Can my EC's make up for a relatively low GPA and test scores?</p>
<p>Asian male. I have a 3.8 unweighted (4.6 weighted) and am on the borderline of top 5% in my class. To give you a little more information about my specific courseload, I have taken 17 AP/IB classes in high school. I scored a 2260 on the SAT and have scores of 800 on SAT II Math 2 and 780 on SAT II Physics. </p>
<p>My EC's are pretty strong, so I was wondering if they could make up for my relatively low grades/test scores?</p>
<p>The other worry for me is that Harvard seems to take mostly recruited athletes, URM’s, and academic superstars in the SCEA round, but I am not any of these. Do you think I have a shot?</p>
<p>“My EC’s are pretty strong,…” is kinda vague. Tough to offer an opinion based on that.</p>
<p>Your scores and grades and course rigor seem to put you into that set of applicants that I’d say you’re not whistling past the grave yard. In other words, you’re competitive based on the objective measures. I agree that, especially for an Asian, your objective measures may be a little weak. Although 2260 is right about at the average for incoming freshmen this year, my understanding is that the average for Asians is a little higher. As has been pointed out elsewhere, the average GPA of admits is around 3.94 unweighted. But lots of folks get in with 3.8 (including my younger son, who was a little better than that).</p>
<p>That you’re only in the top 5% of your class isn’t the greatest thing for you. Many accepted applicants are top 1% - 2%. But it sounds like you go to an academically-competitive high school, and I suppose that will be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you did quite well among a group of students who are all pretty darned good. On the other hand, some of your accomplishment will be taken for granted because, well, you probably had superior opportunities to those available to kids in less-competitive schools, and that doesn’t accrue to your personal merit.</p>
<p>“Do you think I have a shot?”</p>
<p>Yes. You’re far from a lock, but look - you’ve got great test scores, great grades. You say you have great extracurriculars. I don’t know how your essays and recommendations will/have turn/ed out, but based on what you’ve reported, you have as good a chance as most (but remember that the admit rate, ultimately, is only around 6%), and better than many. If you are accepted, I would guess it would be after being deferred in the early round.</p>