<p>I want to know from all you smart CC people what is the path I should take in order to get into Harvard, I’m a sophomore currently. I know its early but I want to prepare!!!
Its early but here are my stats thus far.</p>
<p>ACADEMICS
Well, I haven’t taken any of the big tests yet, but I got a 204 on the PSAT as a sophomore. I am currently enrolled in AP Chemistry and AP Calculus AB this year. I have a 4.0 so far but that might change. I plan to take about 12-14 AP’s approximately throughout high school.</p>
<p>EXTRACURRICULARS
Quiz Bowl(2 JV district titles)
Model United Nations(Secreatary already)
Debate Team
Teen Court
Forensics
International Club
JV Tennis
National Honor Society(probably, I’ll know if I got in after break)</p>
<p>What do I need to do from here on out??? My biggest concern is with grades as I am going to take insanely hard classes(will have to go to UofM for math senior year since finished all available math courses in school). Is a 3.8 too low of a GPA if I took all AP’s? Please feel free to rip me apart and be as critical as possible. I would rather the members here in CC do it than a Harvard admissions officer several years down the line. Any insight would help, thanks!!!</p>
<p>Are you particularly good at Debate, MUN, Teen Court, Forensics, Tennis, or Quiz Bowl?</p>
<p>If math is your thing, try to go to a math camp or something. Try out for the USAMO (take the AMC and AIME, if you qualify).</p>
<p>Yeah, I'm pretty good at Quiz Bowl and Tennis, but I'm not going to win some national award doing them though!!! I've been doing Debate for a couple of years and I like it a lot. I have not won too many awards in it but that might change. As far as math goes, yeah I'm prety good at it. I qualified for the AIME freshman year. I have also won some distinction and recognition awards in various math competitions.</p>
<p>National Awards, National Awards, National Awards. That is how you get into Harvard. You MUST have great grades (near perfect), great test scores (1500 ish or higher), and YOU MUST BE GREAT AT ONE THING. From what I have seen of accepted and deferred students, the accepted ones were well-lopsided, while the deferrees were more well-rounded. Although I personally think it is better to be good at many things, Harvard wants great at 1 thing. Obviously many people get in both ways but take this one peice of advice with you that I got from another poster: Harvard admissions requires ultimatly some luck. If you work impossible hard for perfect grades and a 1600, im sad to tell you but your odds will still only be less that 50/50. And in the end you will feel like you wasted four years of your life.
Be who you are. If you enjoy debate and math, do both. If you think doing good in school is important do that. But don't spend the next two years of your life trying to get into Harvard.
Thats my opinion take it for what it is worth. Also a lot depends on your high school and stuff. But if peopel from your school in the past with great grades and great test scores haven't gotten in, then extrapolate what you will. There is a high school by where I live where the valedictorian can never get in, but they have sent 3 or 4 athletes in the last 10 years. I do a lot of activities and have great GPA and SAT's and stuff, and I will probably get rejected from Ivy league schools. A friend of mine has a 1260 and a 3.4 or something. He has gotten several calls from Princeton beggin him to come there. I geuss it pays to be an all-american at something</p>
<p>Yeah, it does pay to be an All-American. I see where you're coming from, grades and SAT scores don't determine much since all Harvard applicants are near perfect in those areas. Food for thought...</p>
<p>Even national awards are not guaranteed to get you in. I know students with the stats, grades and national awards who did not get in, though they got into other top 10 universities.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I know students without national awards or even regional awards who did get in.</p>
<p>Remember, that there's nothing that you can do that will guarantee admission. Do the best application you can, and make sure you also do an excellent application to at least one other excellent school that is not as far a reach.</p>
<p>I think AP classes really help you stand out in the crowd because its easy to get straight A's taking regular classes.</p>
<p>That's where you're wrong. AP Classes are expected of Harvard applicants. They don't make you stand out at all. Maybe if you're an AP State Scholar, but other than that no one cares that you've taken them. They only care if you haven't taken them.</p>
<p>Damn it Elizabeth, way to burst my bubble of hope.</p>
<p>Look who's talking...go see my response to your post on Hopeful's thread.</p>
<p>That said, you've still got time to find other ways to make yourself stand out.</p>
<p>If you've only taken two AP's and plan on taking 12-14 in the next two years, that means you would have to take basically all AP courses and nothing else. Don't do that. It's what I did, and looking back, I realized it was totally unnecessary stress and agony. Whether you take 8 or 14 AP courses is really not going to make that big of a difference in your application, although you may not be prepared to accept that. So lighten up your schedule a bit, because that one extra AP class could be just enough to tip you over the edge...and it certainly won't get you into Harvard. Adcoms can tell when you're doing something just to get into college. </p>
<p>Focus your time instead on developing your EC's and your community service, because that's what they really care about. You'll enjoy yourself more, and you'll have a better chance at getting in.</p>
<p>PS: Not to be your mom or anything, but you really should reserve your opinions when they do nothing to help...please don't tell people that their SAT scores or number of AP exams suck. While those are important factors, they certainly do not determine admission. Hopefully you'll see that as you spend more time on the boards.</p>
<p>Bump. What are some national awards that Harvard would look on favorably?</p>
<p>So do you plan on spending the rest of your HS career trying to get into Harvard?</p>
<p>you don't go to dcc do you?</p>
<p>Is your GPA weighted? B/C if it is--it's kind of low...</p>
<p>No, our school doesn't weight GPA's AT ALL, so a regular English class has the same weight as an honors one.</p>