<p>Hey i'm from South Africa and i really want to attend Harvard
of all the schools i've looked at in the states Harvard has the most culture and history and the grounds are stunning
can anyone explain the basics like what a GPA and SAT is and do i need it because we don't have those here</p>
<p>He guys I am applying to Harvard and these are my SAT 2's:</p>
<p>Biology E 710<br>
Latin 660<br>
World History 740 </p>
<p>Critical Reading 730<br>
Math 670<br>
Writing 600 </p>
<p>Should i bother retaking the SAT 1?</p>
<p>isn't it too late to sign up for the January SAT?</p>
<p>to lowellbelle...i am a freshman at a school which is predominantly asian...i am currently the top in all of my classes (which are all honors) but they are not far behind...and im in a lot of civic-minded clubs but so are they..im in the orchestra but much of the student body is part of that too so i joined basketball to give me another advantage but i read that harvard does not look for athleticness...is that true? i want to stand out but its practically impossible at my school! im also an accomplished pianist but guess what? so is practically all of my classmates!! any advice?</p>
<p>Reading through this thread about "passion" etc, made me realize something about my essays...
I spoke about diversity through my growing-up in personal statement, and about my appreciation for arts in supplement essay. Now I've realized that I never mentioned anything about my passion for learning in Harvard app... Also, now that I think of it, my EC's seem to reflect my out-of-school passion than my passion for learning :/
My grades are good and my teachers have written I am very interested in their subjects etc but would I be at disadvantage if I didn't personally show my intellectual curiosity?
I know I can't make any difference now since my app is in, but just out of curiosity, I had to ask.</p>
<p>Oh, and thank you for this insider-thread! :)</p>
<p>lowbelle...i was wondering ...u talked somewhere on this thread about using gpa to eliminate students and then using motivation...
you see, im pretty motivated...passionate about the piano learned since i was 6 and have gotten superior ranking at national confederation of music 6 years consequetivly... i can even ace the sat right now (im only a freshman, see so i cant give official score) but my gpa is on the really low side right now like 3.2 or something on a 4.0 gpa scale... so im not sure ...how i chance up..im only a freshman ...but our highschool is extremely tough ...and i dont know with that gpa is it possible to be accepted in harvard?</p>
<p>emma312, it depends a bit on what the GPA of top students are at your high school. Except for academic magnet schools and some well known private schools, as a rule of thumb, most kids who get accepted will be in the top 5% of their class, unless they have some pretty spectacular hooks. However the good news is that freshman grades will count less if there is an upward trend. Your grade in school doesn't mean you can't have an official SAT score, but it is likely to go up from whatever your current scores might be.</p>
<p>I don't know why students feel that they "have" to get in to the top schools especially students who don't like to work, this is puzzling.
You should only apply if you have a passion-trite, i know- for learning, otherwise you are just creating more stress for your life. I know many that feel that if they don't get into a top university they won't do well in life, that's not true, because the people that are successful are the people who enjoy what they're doing.
Do whatever feels right to you in regards to your high school career, explore your interests, develop new interests, and most importantly have fun.</p>
<p>I have many diverse interests, but since the views which matter to me are the ones belonging to those working in admissions offices, I was wondering: Which awards/contests/scholarships give me the best chances to be accepted to Harvard?</p>
<p>I think people might want to go back and read the original post, because so many questions that follow, including today's, represent attitudes that are totally different from the original poster.</p>
<p>Our daughter, like many, got in w/out stellar SAT's and she has never checked on her GPA or class rank. She does have things she loves to do, mainly music, but she has never done anything with getting into a school on her mind. She would have been fine going to any number of schools, and may yet choose another school over Harvard. </p>
<p>The anxiety on this thread is disturbing. You guys need to live your lives in the present. You can be happy at many schools. I am going to a state university (in my 50's) and love it: the classes are small and the teachers are focused on teaching. My husband, who went to Harvard, actually liked this same urban state university much better.</p>
<p>You only go to high school once. Please enjoy it!</p>
<p>How to get rich quick: sell nonsense about how you got into Harvard. It's like every other get-rich-quick scheme, but has a more gullible target audience!</p>
<p>this thread got out of hand, probably because of its google-friendly title.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I joined the google bandwagon :/ I want to go to Harvard too and the easiest way to get in would naturally be to type "How to get Into Harvard" into google.</p>
<p>I sincerely believe that I could get into Harvard, but for some reason I doubt myself getting in.</p>
<p>Reason why?</p>
<p>800 Math
780 Writing Skills
700 Critical Reading</p>
<p>Is this 700 CR hampering my Harvard bound dreams? =/</p>
<p>On my SAT II's I have</p>
<p>800 Math I
800 Math II
760 Biology Molecular</p>
<p>My GPA is not perfect: my history teacher gave me an outrageous B with a 92.1 when a 92.5 is required for an A, and I believe that I had a 92.5, but thats not whats on trial here anyway. My weighted GPA is ~4.5 though.</p>
<p>I've taken the most rigorous courses available, and this year (Senior year) I have Spanish AP/Calc BC AP/English Lit AP/Computers AP/Statistics AP/Chemistry AP/Lunch/Gym for my schedule. I'm also self-studying physics (C?) in order for an easy AP 5.</p>
<p>Last year I received a 5 on Calc AB, English Comp, Biology, and U.S. History AP tests.</p>
<p>I have many extracurricular activities: way too many to name. You think of a club? I'm in it. FBLA, NHS, Mock Trial, Model UN, whatever, everything you can imagine. However, I have not done athletics since middle school... From kindergarten until 8th grade I played baseball/football/soccer continuously every year until I just decided to stop...</p>
<p>I do however maintain physical fitness: I lift weights regularly (3-4 times a week for the last 2 1/2 years) and I run daily. I would LOVE to get involved in the athletics program at Harvard which I would make clear.</p>
<p>I am great with interviews, and have good social skills (both thanks to my father, no need to explain why on here) with a good sense of humor. I believe I could easily breeze through the interview no problem leaving a mark.</p>
<p>Another week area? Job experience.</p>
<p>I don't have time for a job. I'm constantly doing school/activities/studying/<em>watching my sisters</em> (A LOT of the time. Should be considered a job. My dad works a job so I have to watch my 2 and 4 year old sisters)/hanging out with my best friend/hanging out with my girl friend (spent waaay too much time doing that this summer)/playing football.</p>
<p>My job experiences? I have only done 2 years of State Fair Parking and a Child Safety Passenger Seat thingy. The State Fair Parking is only for two weeks once a year for ~10$ an hour and I do it for about 50 hours those two weeks. Then my CSPS I had to take a 2 week class on and then I can work every wednesday for as long as I want putting in Child Seats for $35 an hour. Dream job for a 17 year old. Especially since I learned from putting in my own little sisters'. This is another area of weakness, however.</p>
<p>Another area of weakness would be my volunteer work. I USED to volunteer more often when I had CCD. Once a week I'd do something at least 2-3 hours long. Now however I only go out about once or twice a month to a place about an hour away and paint homeless shelters and the like for a few hours.</p>
<p>I have an uncle and his wife who both went to Harvard, and I became friends with a counceler at New Jersey Boys' State who goes to Harvard currently. That's the only Harvard individuals I am acquainted with, however =/.</p>
<p>So do my weaknesses make it difficult for me to be accepted? Although in general I know it is difficult to be accepted. I know I want to go to this school. I know I would fit in. It's perfect for me. I don't like the name I like it. I want to become a doctor but I would prefer Harvard over Johns Hopkins as it has been my dream college since I was young. I know I could write an outstanding essay as well, that isn't a problem, nor are recommendation letters.</p>
<p>Would love any input :/</p>
<p>this advice comes two years too late for me but I'll try my best and see where I can get in</p>
<p>I am a high school senior with a 1350 on my SAT's, a 3.7/4.0 GPA but with an insane amount of EC activities as well as many leadership positions, i am also African American...what are my chances of getting into an IVY league college</p>
<p>What really annoys me is when people do random activities, join BS clubs, and have random BS leadership positions because they think "it looks good". Seriously, laundry lists do not look good. People should start learning that and not waste time on stuff they don't even like to do, but do for the sake of "looking good". Half the BS clubs at my high school advertise themselves as "looking good for college apps". Most adcoms would say they look bad.</p>
<p>no one cares guys</p>
<p>who can be categorized as URM?</p>
<p>does it always have to be w/ race/ethnicity? </p>
<p>let's say a student is asian ethnically/racially (both parents are asian) but she was born in a foreign country other than her parents' and the U.S... and lived there for pretty much her entire childhood and came to the U.S. during her teens. and this student's first language is not english nor her parents' language.. basically this student is a foreigner living in the u.s. </p>
<p>would nationality be an 'edge'? </p>
<p>for example, both of my parents' are korean but i was born and raised in brazil. i came to the u.s. a few years ago and english is not my first/native language. i still speak portuguese fluently but i'm also fluent in english. i'm still a 'foreigner'... (not an u.s. citizen/permanent resident yet)</p>
<p>my name (both first and last) does not sound asian at all... my first name definitely sounds brazilian due to the spelling nature of it and my middle name is my korean name but the spelling of it can throw people off since it doesn't follow the whole korean romanization system at all.. and people always mispronounce it. (it gets annoying but at least it's 'unique')</p>
<p>tia!!</p>
<p>AS far as URM's go...how do they measure as far as academic survival goes at Harvard. I expect that there are brilliant african americans/ hispanics there that were accepted regardless of there ethnicity. But really, is there a noticeable difference in the academic performance of african american/ hispanics at such an institution. Me myself...i am a black male...my dad is in jail and my mother is a single parent. Ive worked hard to not be considered just an URM. I was a page for the House of Rep's and now i go to an international school in Italy. And yes...i am from what would probably be considered the "Ghetto". My gpa is about 3.9, i take all IB classes, and my SAT scores are about 1800...i know i need to retake them...expecting about 2200. But with those circumstances would i be admited because of my blackness..or because i can handle the course work...and have worked hard to focus on my education despite great "distractions". Or would i even get in at all??</p>
<p>Okay, so I would really like to go to MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or John Hopkins University for undergrad. I am currently a high schooljunior in a very rural area. </p>
<p>** PLease not that I come from a VERY VERY VERY <em>humble</em> economic background. I am white, but does being poor help my chances at all.</p>
<p>Essential stats:</p>
<p>4.0 unweighted GPA(4.7 weighted)
Ranked number 1 in my class
I will have taken 9 Ap's at the end of junior year, and about 16 by the end of Snior year. THis is more Ap's than my school even offers, as two are online. WAY more Ap's than anyone else in my school</p>
<p>2200 SAT 1, but that was early soph year so I assume it will be at least 2300 when I retake it.</p>
<p>EC's:
President of Key Club (VERy time intensive)</p>
<p>Captain of academic team three years running (* forst freshman from my county to have ever made the state competitive academic team)</p>
<p>President of Student council for three years</p>
<p>Founder and president of a poverty awareness club taht raises money for a particular homeless shelter. We also visit the shelter and do other things.</p>
<p>Independent research at UF since sophomore year</p>
<p>founder of "Cyber Buddies" program at my local library that teaches old people how to use computers.</p>
<p>I teach computer programming calsses at teh local library</p>
<p>That is pretty much it. I know that this is not much in comparison to many other Harvard hopefuls, but do come from teh humblest of economic backgrounds and my mother has struggled with mental illness. She is a single parent. </p>
<p>Also, I will not write some stupid sob story essay for my app.</p>
<p>What are my chances???</p>