<p>Hi, I really want to go to Harvard. It’s been my life’s dream (so far). I’m also applying to other Ivy League and top schools such as Berkeley and Stanford. UCLA and UC Davis will probably be my backup schools. Thanks in advance. Also, I want you all to be brutally honest.</p>
<p>Here goes:</p>
<p>Asian Male
Attending National Blue Ribbon High School
Living in Southern California</p>
<p>SAT I: 1550 (780V/770M)
SAT II: 790 Writing 780 Biology 760 Math IC
National Merit Finalist</p>
<p>GPA: 4.67 (UW) 3.85 (W)
Rank: Top 5%</p>
<p>Varsity Water Polo (Most Improved Award, Team Leader Award)
Varsity Swimming</p>
<p>Piano for 12 years.</p>
<p>Key Club 9-12 (Treasurer, Council, and President)
Science Club 9-12 (Head Researcher, President, Counsel, Board)
Junior Statesmen of America 9-12 (International Leader, Official Middleman)
National Honor Society 10-12
Cancer Research Institute 9-10
Cancer Research Institute 11-12 (Young Scientist of the Year)</p>
<p>PSAT National Merit Finalist
Who’s Who
Siemens Westington Regional Semi-finalist
Bob Thompson Athlete Scholar Award
All-American Schlar Award
AP Scholar
Young Scientist Award
Congressional Honor Award</p>
<p>Summer student at City of Hope National Research Center
Summer student at Children’s Hospital of LA</p>
<p>I’m sure I will have AMAZING recs and my essay should be pretty good as well. Thanks again everyone!</p>
<p>Well ... it's very hard to judge your recs and essay, especially if we don't have your recs in front of you. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are all very hard to judge, unless you're nationally accomplished in at least one field (possibly two) and extremely strong in all the others. I can't really say that I see true national-level accomplishment that shows you are a tremendous standout in a particular field. I'm not dumping on your chances at all. Fewer than 5% of the admits are even at this level. I'm just saying that to be sure, we'd have to see some absolutely stunning stuff, especially since you're talking about the University with the highest yield in the nation. </p>
<p>If your recs are as strong as you think they'll be, I would say you're an admit. But the recs are going to make a major difference. Passion for learning and intellectual inquiry needs to come across. Loads of very high achieving and high scoring kids are dumped into reject piles at HYPS because of this. Your teachers are really going to have to go to bat for you, and your counselor is going to need to stress that you are really a superb student that would stand out even in an applicant pool as qualified as Harvard's.</p>
<p>Your essay is also at least going to need to be well-written and personal. There are some applicants that are so qualified (see the top 5% of the admits, aka the clear admits at Harvard) that they can afford to be rather boring and impersonal. This is tolerated in favor of supreme accomplishment. If you come across as uninteresting in your application, then that is not good at all. I only need mention that any issues of academic integrity or school discipline will probably disqualify you at Harvard.</p>
<p>If your recs are very strong or unusually strong, and if your application is a good reflection of you as an interesting person, well, your achievements can then speak for themselves. If you do your application the right way, I'm sure even the Harvard Admissions Committee could say, "Let's admit this fine young man."</p>
<p>You have a record to be proud of. If it shines the right way once you're done, then you should certainly have a wonderful chance at Harvard. And if Harvard doesn't want you, the record speaks for itself. There really is a better place that's just right for you. I don't say that as a lousy consolation line if you don't get in. I say it because you are just as good as, if not better than many untagged Harvard admits I have met. It's not at all because you're lacking in what Harvard is looking for.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply.
My recs should be from two of my favorite teachers.
One of them has known and taught me since freshmen year. He takes pride in calling me his best student ever.
The other was the one who got me involved with cancer research and Siemen's-Westington. She let me use her lab for my projects.</p>
<p>Lastly, I am sending an optional rec from the doctor I studied and worked under as a summer student at City of Hope.</p>
<p>More comments would be greatly appreciated. Be brutally honest please!</p>
<p>Oh yeah,
I've already contacted the water polo coaches at my "target" schools.
Most of them seem interested, but I haven't spoken to them yet. Just e-mails so far.</p>
<p>Are you really All American, like in swimming? Cuz if you are, you are a definite shoe-in with the stats that you got. I know one guy who is all american in swimming, like the 3rd best in the nation, who got letters from harvard and princeton, and would probably get in if he applied to yale. You should def. get in with ur awesome stats, just make sure to contact the coaches and perform for them. GL!</p>
<p>Iwish.
I could have been All-American Water Polo, but I broke my arm halfway into the season. 3 of my teammates got All-American. We have on of the top high school water polo teams in the US.</p>
<p>But I did get all-CIF 1st Team. And we won CIF.</p>
<p>Doesn't matter, I'm currently contacting the coaches of my schools.</p>
<p>you guys are full of crap. I think his chances are very good at getting in. only thing is, he's asian. its all in the luck of the draw of the adcom.</p>
<p>wow ur one of the best candidates ive seen thus far, i do HOPE u get in. i cant say if u'll get in or not, cause im not in admissions, but good luck though. i hope u get into harvard, cuase ur actually not boasting about ur stats, good job though. and dont u mean siemens westinghouse?</p>
<p>I have two friends who got rejected EA this year from harvard. Aarlo - 1600 SAT, 98.3 gpa UW, 8 AP's (7 fives), President of class, 3 high school musicals, 4 years of intense choir, accomplished computer programmer (started his own club), exceptional essays/rec's. Marcel - 1570 SAT, 96.54 gpa UW, recruited for soccer by Harvard, lots of clubs, excpetional recs/essays, with a recc. from the harvard soccer coach. It's ridiculous how hard it is to get in this school; no one can be sure of getting in. Being asian certainly does not help, considering so many apply. By the way, early action is much easier to crack than regular.</p>