<p>Hello. I really appreciate you taking time to read this. I'm going to be a sophomore at high school next year. I wanted to ask for you advice on what A.P. Classes I need to take, and what things I should focus on (outside of GPA and SAT) to help propel me to Harvard. In 9th grade, I took A.P. World and got a 5 :D Will that help? Because in my school freshmen don't take A.P. classes usually. I have about 20 AP's available, are there any specific ones that I should take next year? I plan on taking 3 10th grade, 4 11th grade, and 4 12th grade. Will that impress Harvard admissions officers? Also... does anyone have a recommendation for SAT prep? I am really hard working and can take time, so even though it might seem like I'm overdoing it with the concern, it's really important to me to get into Harvard. I'm not a legacy or anything, so do you all think that they will accept me? Thanks for your time. :) </p>
<p>"it’s really important to me to get into Harvard. " Why is that? What about H that you can concretely point to right now that makes it the right fit for you besides its fame? I’m not trying to put you on the spot per se. But there are tens of thousands of name-chasers in the college admissions game. Just wondering if could recognize if you were one of those.</p>
<p>However, read this:
<a href=“Chance Threads - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING ONE - Harvard University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one-p1.html</a></p>
<p>There’s no formula to get in, I’m afraid. You could study hard, show passion, and do just about everything right… and could still get rejected in the end. </p>
<p>That said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Taking rigorous courses (I’m not sure specific AP classes make a difference, moreso that you took them), having a developed passion, and demonstrating interest will all help your chances of getting into any competitive college. </p>
<p>A lot of good information [url="<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one-p1.html"]here[/url">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one-p1.html"]here[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Thanks for answering so quickly WooTheDay, WasatchWriter and T26E4, T26E4: I want to get into Harvard partly because of the name, yes, but also because the name is so “honored” that employers will probably be more likely to hire a Harvard graduation than a community college graduate. Some of my senior friends from school went there and I know that I am no worse than they are; at H a lot of people go on to being world-known for good things, and maybe I will do something similar. </p>
<p>@SSundee I think your reasoning for why you “need to go to Harvard” is a bit misguided. Harvard and community college are pretty much drastic characteristic extremes. You don’t need to go to Harvard to be employed. Though there may be prestige, it’s not necessary. People who are world-known may have gone to Harvard; however, people who go to Harvard don’t necessarily become world-known.</p>
<p>You probably go to a very well-connected high school if you can get multiple Harvard admits in a single year. Take as many APs that the top kids take and then do 1 more than them per year.</p>
<p>@foolish Thanks.</p>
<p>So will your parents send you to CC if you don’t get in to Harvard?</p>
<p>Are there any “tips” that you all know that the top school like, because I know about the “Well Rounded Student” yada yada yada, but are there any first hand points of advice that really makes Admissions officers go nuts for you to join? This could be classes, extracurriculars, etc. What usually sets a Harvard student apart from another good student that just didn’t get in?</p>
<p>money, connections, legacy, URM, athletic recruit, low income, 1st generation</p>
<p>@SSundee : ^That would be the question everyone is asking…</p>
<p>@SSundee Win a Nobel Prize, patent an important invention, write a best-selling novel, start a Fortune 500 company, become an internationally-acclaimed musician, cure cancer, etc. </p>
<p>@SSundee, ask your friends that you mentioned who got into Harvard. What their credentials and courses/grades/activies look like and what they think got them into Harvard. They probably can give you most targetted advice that match your location/school.</p>
<p>@foolish:
1st, 2nd, and 5th would be the bigger factors. 3rd and 4th matter as well. If you look at the stats instead of the speeches, the last two probably do not help you (even if they do not hurt you at a place like H, which they might at other less wealthy privates).</p>
<p>Thanks Everyone, this is really helpful! I will update more news as I get further into this process. Thanks again! 
</p>
<p>Get good grades and high test scores.
Have significant ECs.
Then you will be qualified and >90% of qualified applicants are rejected.</p>
<p>" I want to get into Harvard partly because of the name, yes, but also because the name is so “honored” that employers will probably be more likely to hire a Harvard graduation than a community college graduate. Some of my senior friends from school went there and I know that I am no worse than they are; at H a lot of people go on to being world-known for good things, and maybe I will do something similar."</p>
<p>I can assure you I have seen many Harvard graduates be rejected from a job than a community college graduate.In fact, If I was an employer and had two people, one from a non-Harvard school, and one from Harvard and saw the non Harvard candidate had more qualities/things that I am looking for than the Harvard person, I am dumping that Harvard person’s applicant in the trash and taking the other person. Yes I will applaud someone for getting into Harvard, but at the end of the day, I don’t care what big name school someone is from. If they can’t be a good asset to my company, I don’t want them. If they are book smart,good for them.However, I want to see some knowledge/intelligence outside the books and studying.</p>
<p>And actually very few Harvard graduates become world well known. Most of the well known people I know did go to Harvard for a little while yes…but they dropped out LOL. Though I am sure they had plans set in place first before just dropping out which came to work to their advantage. </p>
<p>And just apply and you’ll see. Though I’m going to say even though you may have like a 4.0, 2400 SAT or 36 ACT or insane amounts of EC’s and whatnot, you can still be rejected.</p>
<p>At the end of the day,go to a school that you know you will do well in, not because of it’s stupid name. That so-called name won’t be there to pay your taxes or possible debt you may have from it or will be there for you when you are sick. That’s just me though. Also…I know many people who used to go to Harvard/transferred that said there are other colleges out there that actually do better than how Harvard is and some regret going to a school that really isn’t all that like it used to be. Everyone has a different pathway and life and what another’s life path leads them to, does not guarantee you yourself having the same thing happen.</p>
<p><a href=“It Has to be Said - Harvard University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1618890-it-has-to-be-said-p1.html</a></p>
<p>@SammyxB has said one of the wisest things I have seen on this board so far and I believe it should be posted for everyone to see. It’s not all about the end result but about the journey along the way.</p>