Im a permanent resident of US but i have migrated only last year. I attended high school back in Fiji and wish to attend harvard. What are some of the things i should do to be considered for admission if there is a chance even?
You need to give more information, i.e. test scores, EC, grades
My Fiji school leaving marks were Subject wise- biology 85/100, eng 82/100, maths 96/100, physics 85/100, chem 83/100… I dont what they would be GPA wise as i dont know how to convert…
I also know i have to do SAT and subject tests which im planning to do this year. I just wondering what else i should be doing to have chances of being considered into harvard. I know my chances are low.
Or in general maybe to get accepted to any good university what all should i be doing.
Currently im in a community college doing my general AA as i dont want to waste time just incase my high school scores are not accepted in any university
It is really impossible to recommend any schools to you without test scores. I would recommend that you look at other schools than Harvard.
So this test scores are the SAT and subject test scores you are talking about right?
So lets say maybe i get good scores in those, will i than have some chances maybe or is it gonna be still difficult???
Yes, test scores means the SAT and subject tests. Even if you get very good scores it doesn’t guarantee admissions to Harvard or any selective college. At selective US colleges they practice an admissions process known as “holistic review” meaning they look at your SAT score, grades, essays and extracurricular involvement like clubs and such. This means that you have to have a good application overall, not just good test scores.
Last year 39,041 students applied to Harvard. 2,106 got in. Yes, it’s hard.
Also, if you do one year of community college, you can only apply as a transfer student, not a freshman. Last year 1,200 people applied to transfer to Harvard; 12 got in.
Were you the absolute star- one of the top 1 or 2 students in your year- in your school in Fiji? Do you have any other particularly interesting things about you- are you a star athlete, musician, artist, math whiz, community activist or anything else that makes you stand out from the crowd? If not, even with perfect scores on the SAT & subject tests you are not hugely likely to get a place.
Thanks so much
Sorry to sound negative- without knowing more about you it’s hard to be helpful. If you come back with test scores and more info about what you are looking for in a college there are a lot of helpful people around here. One suggestion: watch out with the college courses if you are looking for financial aid there is more for freshmen than transfer students. On the other hand, in most states if you finish your AA with a good enough GPA you are guaranteed admission to a state university.
Speak to an advisor at your community college: if you take too many classes, you may end up having to apply as a transfer student – which decreases your chances dramatically (Some Ivies don’t even take transfers) and makes it much harder financially (there is little to no financial aid for transfer students.)
The grades are on the low side. You should be able to explore the Harvard requirements (and convert a percentage to a 4.0 scale.) Are you just starting cc or you already competed one or more semesters? And are you officially enrolled in the AA degree program or just taking classes? Any cc grades yet?
It’s worse for transfers- “Recently in transfer pools of more than 1,600, the number of well-qualified applicants far exceeded the number of students admitted and enrolled (12) each year as transfer students.”
“Students who will have completed less than one full-time continuous year of study at one college by the anticipated date of matriculation at Harvard should apply as freshman candidates. (All such applicants, if admitted, will matriculate as regular freshmen without any transfer credit.)”
I know I might sound stupid in this
But if im in a college but apply to Harvard as a freshman will they be able to track down n know that im a college student already and should have applied as a transfer candidate…
While applying i wont use any of the college grades or watsoever, just high school n SAT scores…
Aside from the obvious point that lying is simply not a good way to start anything, one of the things about lying on an application is that if you are ever found out can you lose everything: if you are enrolled you can be expelled, if you have graduated your degree can be taken back.
Mathematically the odds of getting caught are small- but then your odds of getting in are tiny and you want to try that!
Aside from the name “Harvard” why do you want to go to college there?
To answer your question: YES, schools CAN find out you attended other schools even though you applied as a freshman. There are databases colleges can check. Don’t try to cheat! Universities take personal integrity very, very seriously. You could get kicked out of the 4-year university if they find out.
I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Our state colleges have added a link to the National Clearinghouse on their student portals so students can print proof of attendance if they need it. I don’t think they can do that if they don’t have a subscription, and if they have a subscription they can see any record they want.
OP, since you’re attending college already, you need to tell colleges that when you apply.
Harvard has been my dream school for like forever… So trying to get in than not doing anything at all will make me satisfied that i tried atleast
Anyway getting all the advices, i guess i have decided to complete my AA degree in CC and tranfer to a state university. I wish to do pre med, so maybe after completing that I’ll apply to HMS to try a chance.
OP, learn what H is about, what they want and the processes. It’s not just about a student’s dream. You have to be their level and show it. In addition to recommendations and scores, you need to be able to both show how you match and why you want them. It’s on you to do the researching, thinking, and the right planning. Put in the effort and apply honestly.
@lookingforward, OP has already decided to stay at her cc and transfer to a state university.
In that case, med school will be more important than you Bachelor’s degree.
I hope you.the best, OP.
HMS received 6113 applications last year and matriculated 165, 15 of whom were MD/PhD students. HMS acceptance rate is 3%.