Harvard University Class of 2022 SCEA Applicants Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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At my high school, IB is offered and AP is not offered.

Would it significantly hurt my chances at Harvard (and other Ivies/top schools like Stanford) if I didn’t take IB at my high school, even though it was offered? Less than <10 students are in the IBDP program at my school of 870+ students. There’s no GPA here in my province in Canada, but I have a 98%+ average (out of 100%), and I’m taking the maximum amount of honor courses my school offers.

For IBDP, I had to take it in Grade 11, so I can’t take it for my Grade 12 year.

However, I asked my guidance counselor if I could take IB certificate courses half-way through their 1.5 year course in Grade 12. But, even though my guidance counselor said students in the past were able to take those courses, no student in my particular year could take the courses because of a change in staffing at the school.

Therefore, my guidance counselor can vouch that I tried to take IB certificate courses for Grade 12 year on my application, but couldn’t get it due to staffing issues at my school.

Also tried to take AP courses in my province’s online school, but was rejected as I had to take it at a particular high school. My guidance counselor can vouch for this.

Therefore, my guidance counselor can say that I tried to take IB courses and AP courses for Grade 12, but couldn’t take them due to issues in my high school (IB) and the online school (AP).

The chance of admission for an international student (Canadian) is already low. However, no one has told me yet if not taking IB courses (even though they were offered) were significantly detrimental to my chances of admission. Can anyone answer that please?

I currently have SAT Subject Test scores (USH - 800, Math 2 - 730), and will be taking the SAT I in August.

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@acomfysofa take what I say with a grain of salt, as I am an applicant myself:

One thing that I have come to understand about the college admission process is that test scores mean relatively little once you are in the 25-75 %ile range. What is far more important is course rigor and grades.

Once you meet the academic benchmarks, the rest of your application is examined. I would say that not taking the most advanced curriculum at your school would definitely hurt you, and I would guess the extent is probably similar to if someone had low scores (below 25% of the class).

Here’s a link to a study; it is the most comprehensive study of this nature to date. I think it provides more insight than anything I have yet to see on College Confidential. It will give you a real glimpse as to how elite colleges will examine you as an applicant.

http://www.todayscience.org/IER/article/ier.v2i2p01.pdf

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@FreePariah Just read the study! Seems I won’t have to worry too much about my SAT I test score then, haha.

Where did you get the “not most advanced curriculum = low test score equivalent” conclusion? I think not taking the most advanced curriculum would affect my application more than a low test score, as the rigor comprises a much more significant aspect of institutional merit (76% claim as more important) than test scores (4% claim as more important).

Therefore, it would make it very important (more so than test scores) to push my guidance counselor to say on my application:

  1. Even though I didn't take IBDP - due to pressure from my parents as lower-rigor courses were the safe option for scholarships in Canada, as we would have financial difficulties paying for university otherwise - for Grade 11, I tried very hard to take IB certificate courses but was rejected for Grade 12 due to staffing issues.
  2. Even though there were AP courses available on my province's online school, I tried very hard to take these AP courses but was rejected as these courses were only available at select schools; my school wasn't one of those select schools.
  3. I'm taking the highest-rigor courses afforded to me despite these circumstances, which are a mix or honor courses and regular courses.

Basically, I’d be making it sound like I rejected the only opportunity (IBDP) for higher-rigor courses due to potential financial difficulties in the future - which is what actually happened - and then was rejected from every future attempt to take higher-rigor courses. So, it would make sense to make it sound like I wasn’t afforded the best opportunities (which, again, was what actually happened).

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Also, I hope Harvard prioritizes institutional fit over academic merit!

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haha @acomfysofa I just drew my own conclusions about how much not taking IB would hurt you. I’m not really too sure to be honest. I hope the study helped regardless!!

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woah this thread was started early! I’m retaking the ACT in September and shooting for a 32+. I’m interested in Environmental Science and Civil Engineering.

Does anyone know if strong AP scores can act as a substitute for Subject tests? I got a 5 on AP Calc but I only score in the upper 600s for Math 2. I just don’t have the time to reteach myself concepts that I learned in 9th grade. My US subject test score is pretty strong but I feel like I should either send two scores or none at all.

I’m really excited to apply early! The wait until the end of March seems brutal.

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Hi guys! Lovely to see some of you very ambitious students here! I’ll also be applying SCEA to Harvard University, hoping to make mathematics my concentration. If allowed, I’d love to combine it with CS or Physics (or both hehe ;)), but if not that’s not possible, I’ll just take the classes I wanted to take anyway and perhaps get a minor in CS or physics. As someone asked for stats/ECs, mine (+ status):

  • International student (Europe)
  • 2 SAT Subject Test (math & physics) scores both >700
  • GPA: 4.0/4.0 unweighted
  • 28 ACT (my parents separated right before I took it (and also before the SAT Subject Tests, which were only 1 week later))
  • 3 national honors from Olympiads (Math Finalist, CS Bronze & Astronomy Top 10)
  • 1 'regional' honor (1st prize category Mathematical Kangaroo)
  • 5 languages
  • First in school's history to skip a grade in HS (well, partially 9th grade and partially 10th grade: went to the other halfway through the year) & finished 2 course series early (grades A+ and A-)
  • Probably high TOEFL score (I passed Cambridge English: Proficiency) but I have yet to take the TOEFL test
  • About 10/14 subjects per semester at the highest level
  • Columnist/Editor for a national paper aimed at students
  • Member of a student organization. We alerted the The Minister of Education when some schools in the country forced some of their students to sign illegal contracts, and we also kept advising the students with this issue until it was solved. We got national recognition for it lol.
  • Translator for Khan Academy etc etc. More of these types of ECs.

Other schools I’ll be applying to: Princeton, Yale, Caltech, MIT, Columbia, UPenn, UChicago and Stanford.

Btw, Dietcig, AP courses may not act as a substitute for the SAT Subject Tests. However, Credit towards graduation is granted for Advanced Placement exams only if a student activates Advanced Standing (source: https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/apexams). While scores in the upper 600s may not be the greatest, lots of people get admitted with scores in the upper 600s, so don’t worry too much about it, and focus as much as you can on the other parts of your application! :slight_smile:

Anyway, I hope you all get acceped into your top school, or one of your top schools if not admitted to your top top top top top school! :slight_smile: Extremely excited to see others here that are also very excited hehe!

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It’s so great hearing from more and more of you who will be applying with me :slight_smile: I am so excited to go through this process with everyone!

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Any thought on supplemental essay for Harvard? It says it is optional but I feel like it shows interest in Harvard to do it. However, I’m not sure I have much to add because my common app essay covers outside activity that might not be highlighted by rest of app. I worry that if it is not amazing, it might hurt me. Thoughts?

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Hi jpm1234! I agree, I think submitting an optional essay is indeed a way of showing you put a lot of effort into your application and that you care about the university, in this case Harvard. However, I do not think submitting it harms your chances a lot if it’s not perfect, as long as u not write lyk dis. All it could do, in a negative sense, is take up some of the admissions officer’s time when reviewing your application.

If you will also be applying to Stanford, you’ll have to write a note to your future roommate. Because Harvard gives you the opportunity to write about anything you’d like, you could submit your note to your future roommate (edited, of course, if necessary). Harvard even suggests it! Right below “You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the following topics:” you see “What you would want your future college roommate to know about you”.

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What are you guys writing your main essay about?? I’m in a pickle because I wrote an essay about how I’ve always been compared to my brother and how I’m not like him… yet I’m sending this essay to his alma mater!!! :))) Is that a bad plan?? Should I use a different topic? It’s kinda cliche anyways…

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@anxioswreck: Without even reading your essay, I’m going to say it’s a** BAAAAAAADDD idea** because . . .

  1. Admissions **LOVED** your brother -- after all they accepted him! If you are NOTHING like your brother . . . then why should Admissions accept you too?
  2. One trap or pitfall student's often fall into when writing an essay like yours: When comparing yourself to another person -- especially a person Admissions already accepted -- sometimes Admissions becomes enamored and MORE interested in the other person in your essay, resulting in an AO looking thorough their files for the more interesting person.

IMHO, your idea is a quick trip to the reject pile. My recommendation: Choose a different topic or submit at your own peril.

If you’re stuck for an idea, google “Harvard 50 essays that worked slide share” and select the first entry that comes up. CAUTION: USE FOR REFERENCE ONLY. Many colleges, including Harvard, scan essays though a plagiarism detector such as Turnitin. Please USE FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND DO NOT LIFT A PHRASE, A SENTENCE, A PARAGRAPH OR A IDEA FROM ANY OF THE EXAMPLES. See: http://turnitin.com

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A 5 on AP Calc is harder than a 800 on SAT Math II. A 600 on Math II shows you have a shaky foundation in math.

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are any of you guys getting a third teacher rec? does anyone think it would be helpful to use the optional rec or would it just negatively effect my app?

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Using the optional rec for another teacher may not be optimal. Use a non-teacher if you want to have a positive affect.

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Does any know how significant the on campus interview for an athletic recruit is at Harvard? Is it at the same caliber as alumni interviews or much more serious?

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@Noahdutch The common app requires 2 teacher recommendations and allows 1 optional teacher rec. On top of that, it also allows 2 optional “other” recommendations.

@mli701 It probably would help, but I don’t think I am.

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@MattyCRaps I’m aware, but having three teacher recs is often warned against.

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This is super random and way too early…but do you guys think that decisions will be released on December 13th again?

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@yayaylearner Probably somewhere around that time