<p>Hi,
Im currently a freshman in HS, and at the top of my class. I am part of student gvt, the school newspaper, and interact club (and plan on being in all of the Honor Societies
) I also plan on taking many Aps. Im very interested in how to get into great schools, like Harvard. So basically, from this point and on what can I do to make me look like a competitive applicant when the time comes to apply? What SAT scores? What ECs? Etc
Thanks so much! Also, if you attend Harvard/any great college, what were your stats? Thanks.</p>
<p>Okay, I applied to Harvard for the class of 2014 and though I do not know of their decision for me yet, I can say with confidence that you must involve yourself with things that you like and/or passionate about. Do not become a member of clubs because you want to get into Harvard; get involved in them because you enjoy it! The same principle applies for what kind of schedule you would like to take on during high school; make sure you are taking these courses for the love of learning not for the raise in GPA, rank, and of gaining acceptance to the Ivy League. Though these sorts of things do make you competitive in the Ivy applicant pool, make sure you have passion for what you do. Keep in mind that there are applicants with perfect scores, GPA, and good ECs that get rejected. The whole process is very esoteric but the best advice I can give you is to just be yourself. And you are just a freshman! Make sure you do not sacrifice your social life also! Enjoy your young years and good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks! Just out of curiosity, what’s your intended major and what ECs do you have under your belt?</p>
<p>No problem :-). My intended major is English. For school activies, I do Fellowship of Christian Athletes (non-athletes are allowed to), Students United for Respect and Equality, Asian Awareness, DECA, Health Careers, and Honor Society. My outside activities consist of writing; I even published a novel in 10th grade. But nothing really out-of-this-world like a Siemens finalist or something. I am just a girl who likes to write :-)…among other things lol.</p>
<p>What’s a Siemon’s finalist? And what’s DECA? Thanks. What’s something outside of school that you think I should get interested in? I’m either interested in English, like you :] or pre-law w/ polysci.</p>
<p>It is a MAJOR competition in science, math, and & technology where you or a group can win up to $100,000. It is one of the most prestigious awards out there for high school students. And DECA is a business & marketing club that has competitions at the regional, state, and national level. You can compete in certain areas such as finance, accounting, or retail merchandising. Then you take a test and do two role plays about a certain situation, such as ways to promote a new product. If you are interested in English, I would suggest for an outside activity to just write. Then when you apply for Harvard, you can send a creative writing supplement! As far as pre-law w/ polysci, the only thing that comes to mind is summer programs. I hope I helped :-).</p>
<p>Yes, you did! Thanks! What summer programs can you recommend, if any? I know that this isn’t your area of expertise. Thanks. And what contests do you think that I should enter w/ my writing? Thanks soo much!</p>
<p>Hmm…let’s see. When you turn seventeen, definitely apply for the YoungArts scholarship. You can win up to $10,000 AND you get an all-expense paid trip to Miami to hone your craft as well as to meet other finalists in different artistic areas! And the scholastic awards are very prestigious and you are eligible now! For political science and pre-law, Georgetown has a wonderful program though it is a little on the expensive side. Check it out –> [Summer</a> Programs for High School Students | Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies](<a href=“http://scs.georgetown.edu/departments/21/summer-programs-for-high-school-students]Summer”>Georgetown University Summer Programs for High School Students | Georgetown University Summer Programs for High School Students) University of San Diego has a program where you can take classes in not only political science but marine biology and world cultures –> <a href=“http://academicconnections.ucsd.edu/[/url]”>http://academicconnections.ucsd.edu/</a> If these options are too expensive, I would suggest maybe taking a course in the summer time at a local college/university/community college to follow up on your interest…And no problem, always here to help :-)</p>
<p>JSA and NYLC are also polisci-related summer programs, although both seem to be a bit overdone these days.</p>
<p>Your SAT scores must be a high as possible (>2300 increases your chances significantly) since that is the best objective measure of one’s academic aptitude. But I would not recommend studying until the summer before your junior year (I personally did not start until my senior year). Your extracurricular activities should preferably be linked to your academic interests. Be sure to read the 2012 and 2013 decisions threads (stickied to the top of the Harvard forum) to receive a basic idea of the profiles of admitted students. If you would like me to, I will offer to post my own statistics in the template that is common for decisions threads.</p>
<p>mifune, you might scare him or her off. :)</p>
<p>Oh, dude, when I said join NHS, I was being sarcastic.</p>
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<p>Oh, I don’t know. Regardless of how qualified one believes him- of herself to be, there are several others who have better qualifications.</p>
<p>I can’t figure out this website. I am new to this and just getting started. How do I post a new thread or post? Basically here is my question. Why do I want to go to Ohio State? How can I wow the admission office with a great answer? I’m sure the answer can be the same for any large state school?</p>
<p>Just go to College Admissions and Search and try to find a somewhat more appropriate subforum than this.</p>
<p>Morgan Simone, your first answer was perfect, but dreamingawake25’s further questions kind of show that he/she did not really absorb it.</p>
<p>Worrying this much about getting into Harvard, when still a freshman in high school, is not healthy. Knowing your possible majors is not even healthy. A lot can happen in the next 3 1/2 years.</p>
<p>Please reread Morgan’s post a few times, and really think about it.</p>
<p>Enjoy high school, find things that you love to do, take classes that you are interested in, make friends, and then, in junior year, start thinking about colleges.</p>
<p>If you really need to think about colleges now, go to the library and take out books like “Beyond the Ivies” and “Colleges that Change Lives” and “Cool Colleges,” so that you can understand, early on, that your future happiness does not depend on getting into Harvard or any other school.</p>
<p>“I even published a novel in 10th grade.”</p>
<p>That’s impressive and very unusual, reflecting a passion for writing.</p>
<p>“When you turn seventeen, definitely apply for the YoungArts scholarship. You can win up to $10,000 AND you get an all-expense paid trip to Miami to hone your craft as well as to meet other finalists in different artistic areas! And the scholastic awards are very prestigious and you are eligible now! For political science and pre-law, Georgetown has a wonderful program though it is a little on the expensive side. Check it out –> Summer Programs for High School Students | Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies University of San Diego has a program where you can take classes in not only political science but marine biology and world cultures –> [University</a> of California, San Diego: Academic Connections](<a href=“http://academicconnections.ucsd.edu/]University”>http://academicconnections.ucsd.edu/) If these options are too expensive, I would suggest maybe taking a course in the summer time at a local college/university/community college to follow up on your interest…And no problem, always here to help :-)”</p>
<p>Most of the above advice is bad. If one is passionate about creative writing, yes it would be a good idea to apply for a scholarship program for a writing workshop.</p>
<p>If you are interested in politics and have the money for a summer program, it could be a good use of your time and money. However, such programs won’t open doors to the top colleges that care about things like ECs. They are not impressed by students whose participation in programs was based on having the money to do those things.</p>
<p>As several parents have stated, the best thing to do is to follow your passions with creativity and independence. Trying to do what you think will impress Harvard is a waste of time.</p>
<p>Typically high school students don’t get in if they’ve moved heaven and earth to mold themselves into what Harvard and other top schools want. This includes students who come to CC and ask for advice on what activities to pursue to get into Harvard.</p>
<p>The students are far more likely to get in who have excellent stats and have pursued their own EC or academic passions. This includes students who’ve done those things while working humble jobs to help support their families or to earn money for college. Such students tend to be so busy pursuing their passions that they aren’t spending time on CC asking strangers what to do with their lives.</p>