Harvard SSP

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I totally bombed the two classes I took at SSP.
Got C- in both of them.
They were Economics classes. (This was after Sophomore year.)</p>

<p>But after Junior year, I realized my passion for Physics. And have decided to major in Physics.
I'm generally a good student. (IB predicted: 39/45, ACT: 33 M: 35, S:35, R: 32, E:30)
And I fancy myself as an intellectual which I've tried to show in my essays. But I digress.</p>

<p>What I want to know is: do my SSP grades completely destroy my chances of getting into Harvard?</p>

<p>(I have applied to Harvard for a place in the class of 2016 and did send my SSP grades.)</p>

2

<p>Bump!!! Someone please answer this!</p>

3

<p>“do my SSP grades completely destroy my chances of getting into Harvard?”</p>

<p>Many students who go to SSP get A’s and a recommendation letter from their Harvard professor to the college – that’s what my daughter did, at least. Not sure if your C’s will destroy your chances, but I would think it would not enhance your application either (sorry).</p>

<p>“And I fancy myself as an intellectual which I’ve tried to show in my essays.”</p>

<p>You should NOT try to sound intellectual in your essays. You should write something in your own voice – something that sounds like you reading out loud, something conversational, as if you were standing in front of the admissions directors actually talking to them. See: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1373892-how-can-i-strike-balance-between-sounding-literary-conversational-my-essay.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1373892-how-can-i-strike-balance-between-sounding-literary-conversational-my-essay.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>The secret to being “an intellectual” is show, not tell.</p>

5

<p>I’m confused as to how you derived that axiom. If an intellectual is one who is characterized by his intelligence. Then there might be a problem with your platitude. Intelligence is inherent. Meaning, it is within in you. It isn’t as simple or obvious as height, eye color, etc. </p>

<p>your statement implies that that to if one does not show that they are ‘an intellectual’ then they are NOT ‘an intellectual.’ Yet, how can one show what is within? I mean truly show, not hint at the existence of? You may look at a clock move and realize it is a clock yet not know how truly intricate it is unless you open it up. You cannot ‘open up’ an individual to see his or her intelligence. </p>

<p>From that, if one cannot truly/fully expose their intelligence but merely hint at it through one’s work, writings-other words- one’s application of intelligence in the natural world then no showing or demonstration can show you just how much of ‘an intellectual’ you really are. Even if a clock did not tell time, (suppose it stopped working) it would still be just as complex. </p>

<p>Socrates was known for going around questioning basic assumptions of the Athenian citizenry; he didn’t even record his own thoughts or philosophy (Plato, his student did) yet he is universally considered an intellectual.</p>

<p>Furthermore, It’s fair to say that Socrates intelligence was “different” from say Beethoven’s so you couldn’t put some sort of value, grade, integer, etc. on the degree or form of intelligence they possessed to truly prove that they were ‘an intellectual.’ </p>

<p>Sorry, if my post sounds a bit combative. I’m more so curious as to how you came to that conclusion.</p>