<p>I mean, you can be forgiven for grade aberrations as long as you give a satisfactory explanation of your special circumstances. If the rest of your transcript is consistently A’s, then the adcom can assume that you would have gotten A’s in those classes under normal conditions and will treat your application as though you did get A’s. Otherwise, I don’t think it’ll really “boost” your application to have those special circumstances, if that’s what you mean.</p>
<p>Wow… even for harvard?</p>
<p>Do any of you perhaps know anyone who was accepted who had similar circumstances without hooks?</p>
<p>What if you had special circumstances, but they didn’t affect your grade - is it still worth mentioning, and will it add much weight (in that despite this, you managed to still get the required high grades)?</p>
<p>Its just out of interest for a friend really, so it will help give her some direction…</p>
<p>^idk really but what i think is that if you got high grades, theres no need to explain such circumstances…im doing it to explain why i had a drop in my grades but if you have high grades and do it then you might just look like you’re looking for sympathy…thats what i think</p>
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<p>Interesting question… I’m not sure, but I think the “Special Circumstances” field of the Common App only asks you to provide information in cases where something negatively affected your academics. You could theoretically argue, like, “I would have been doing this epic independent study project, but then X, Y, and Z happened” if you have similar things on your transcript. If not, it might be a good basis for an essay or something.</p>
<p>So in other words. Have great grades with hard classes. Have an above average SAT or ACT score. Write a killer essay, do a great interview, and show passion in life and your EC’s. </p>
<p>To put it simply, be a great all-around student. </p>
<p><em>Contrary to popular belief, URMs have to have great stats and ECs also. No top school accepts a student that they believe won’t succeed.</em></p>
<p>I understand where the maker of this thread is coming from, but it has the same calm, cool, collected air that I use to tell the incoming runners on my cross country team how to succeed- (eat well, try as hard as you can, etc.)
but really, the only answer is to frantically work your butt off (literally). I took me sooo much effort to get to where I am now, and you have to want it. I know this is Harvard, and I have no experience with this- here I am rambling about running- but this tone is really familiar. There’s no formula, and it really is about passion, but you do have to market yourself (I think). It’s a competitive world out there. I might be completely wrong, but I’m not quite sure if starting an advocacy club with a lower gpa/sat score is going to get you into an institution with an acceptance rate under seven percent. Will it?</p>
<p>^^^ I have to disagree.
I’m a current Harvard student and no one would ever say that I frantically worked my butt off. I chose extracurriculars that I enjoyed, and did them as much as I wanted to. I took classes (admittedly APs) that I found interesting and challenging, and just overall tried to perform well. Some days I spent no time on homework- other days I crammed in all the work I’d procrastinated on until 2 a.m. But I always found time to chill out and see friends. I think that it’s crucial to find a balance.</p>
<p>banjo- that was mainly intended for running 
as i said, i might be completely wrong. apparently i am
a social life is actually really important to me, so don’t judge! and i enjoy everything i do. i just meant that i’m pretty sure colleges look at grades over extra curriculars, and that no one should feel safe if one of the two isn’t complete… it’s important not to slack, i guess… i just meant that the advice had that tone, so i was wondering if it was toned down after experience and time to ponder over why the OP got accepted. sorry if i offended you though 
again, every word i type could be wrong…</p>
<p>Sorry to shut you down so hard. You’re right in that you have to have a strong basis in both academics are extra-curriculars. I just have a knee-jerk reaction to when people say that you have to constantly work yourself to the bone to get into top schools. Don’t deliberately make high school just a means to an end.</p>
<p>Yeah i agree with Banjo. It’s equally important to say, enjoy the journey than just reach the destination. And if you work with that philosophy throughout life, you’ll never enjoy anything. So what’s the point of the great grades, ECA’s etc…</p>
<p>it’s ok i enjoy life, but it can be hard at times… i guess that’s what my philosophy is. for those difficult times, i just think of my parents and a promising future… and it helps me make the right choices. i think that’s what i was trying to get at, in an awkward, strange way. and yes, this requires sacrifices on my part, but they’re usually moral ones.</p>
<p>Is leadership really really really crucial?</p>
<p>I moved to my school at the end of a sophomore year and don’t really have that much leadership roles :(</p>
<p>Nah. I never really led anything, and I got in. Don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>First off, thank you so much for your thread. It was both very helpful and inspiring. Congratulations on getting in!</p>
<p>I am a rising senior who is very interested in applying to both Princeton and Harvard, just like you did. I have one question though:</p>
<p>Why do you think you would not have fit in at Princeton? Also, what do you think about yourself and about Harvard that makes you a good fit for Harvard? </p>
<p>Thank you so much!
Ariana</p>
<p>sorry, kind of late considering you last post was in 2006, but im a freshman and really want to go to Harvard for many reasons.right now my gpa is 4.0 and i havent taken my sats yet but im going to take my psats this week. what should i aim for to shoot and say i dont do too good on my real SAT would i have any chance to still get in with a 4.0 gpa and i plan on playing basketball baseball and becoming the school president senior year. if i keep up my grades i will be recognized by the National Honor Society. do i have any chance</p>
<p>Awesome, i read this with huge interest. I understand alot better now what it actually means to be a Harvard student. Thanks for this article dude</p>
<p>Dear lowellbelle,
I am a 15 year old, 10th grader Turkish student born in the States going to a french school in Istanbul. I lived in Boston for 9 years. I have a GPA of 15.9/20, it’s always been between 15.5/20 and 16.9/20. I want to be a bio-medical engineer, and I have done an internship at Robert College’s Bio-Medical Engineering Institute. I’ve been playing the cello since 4, and I am in the Turkish National Radio’s youth choir. I am class delegate, vice-delegate at the senior-high council, vice-delegate at the school council and vice-president at the schools socio-educationnal organization. I know English, French, Turkish, Spanish and Latin.
My biggest wish is to get into Harvard, and I feel I have an interesting background but I am scared that my GPA is not very good even though I am class 2nd.
Help!
Thank you,
Ilerie</p>
<p>wait is your SAT score reading+math+writing?
or is it reading+math/math+writing?
Just curious…
Thank you for your advice,lowellbelle!</p>
<p>Hi idonthaveany,</p>
<p>In 2005, the College Board switched from the SATs being scored out of 1600 (Reading+Math) to being scored out of 2400 (Reading+Math+Writing).</p>
<p>Since lowellbelle wrote her original post in June 2006 and took the SATs as a high school sophomore, she took the test when it was scored out of 1600 (only reading and math).</p>
<p>Hope that answers your question!</p>