<p>Hi all! There are so many qualified applicants already and as an international students my chances are even worse. So far, I have several national/international poetry contest awards but those aren't too impressive compared to most of the people on CC :(</p>
<p>Also, I can't apply for most awards that are prestigious in the US because they are only for US citizens. Gahhhh! Life sucks. </p>
<p>So, should I just accept that admissions are a crapshoot or should I attempt to find some way to boost my app? If yes to the latter, do you have any suggestions for how I could do so?</p>
<p>All advice is appreciated. Thank you very much for your help!</p>
<p>All students apply to Harvard on equal footing. You do not apply as an English major; majors (or concentrations) are decided at the end of your sophomore year. Harvard asks for an intended major on their supplement, but Admissions Directors understand that most students change their interests and intended majors at least once during the course of their 4 years at college, so they don’t pay strict attention to whatever you write down. </p>
<p>So, you need to distinguish yourself from all other international students! Your awards help, so do your essays, EC’s and teacher recommendations. At this point in the process, the best way to ‘boost’ your application is to write killer essays. Most students spend more time preparing for the SAT/ACT than they do working on their essays – when in fact, your essays are going to define who you are in your own voice. So, the best advice is to start writing, re-writing and editing – as someone interested in English, you should know how time consuming and arduous a process that can be!</p>