<p>Hi guys! I'm an International student from a very underrepresented country I have incredible extracurricular s a great SAT >2300, but I have a low GPA (3.0). Now with this stats I don't think I could get into Harvard but I have an exceptional writing talent and am planning on publishing my first thriller novel this summer or at the beginning of next year. As I've heard from most people I let review my book ,they said it excels every thriller book on paper right now in our country let alone books written by authors of my age(if there are any)</p>
<p>But there's one problem, I'm graduating from high school this year and I can't transfer from a local college to Harvard next year (b/c of curriculum rules). I am planning to deffer the coming year from whichever college(local) takes me in to finish my book and do all the publication. Besides It will give me the chance to apply to Harvard and other top schools for freshmen year. So what I want to hear from you guys is what are my chances as an international student and also is it possible to do what i explained earlier in order to apply for freshmen year?</p>
<p>You can clearly see the green and blue dots even under the 3.0 GPA margin line. As I have read these kind of students aren't even compared with the whole applicants they are simply compared with the students of remarkable talents, therefore have a great chance of getting accepted.I am talking about the whole holistic admission thing and how it benefits me more than any body.</p>
<p>It even says ---don't give up hope of getting into Harvard if you don't have a 4.0 and a 2400 on the SAT. Harvard has holistic admissions, and they are looking for students who bring to campus more than good grades and test scores. Students who have some kind of remarkable talent or have a compelling story to tell will get a close look even if grades and test scores aren't quite up to the ideal.</p>
<p>And as of the competition between my fellow international students I don't think they have published a thriller novel with great reviews so far. So don't you think I am more competitive than them?</p>
<p>Who do you think will get admitted to Harvard the Asian with amazing ECs, perfect SATs a 4.0 GPA or the student whose country is extremely underrepresented at Harvard plus with incredible ECs, great SATs,a 3.0 GPA, but above all a critically admired published author from an unexpected developing country? Thank you in advance for all your comments.</p>
<p>OP, mind you, a “critically admired published author” will in Harvard’s eyes be someone with positive reviews from critics affiliated with major newspapers and magazines such as say The Times, Financial Times, The Telegraph, NY Review of Books and so forth. If you match that bar, hat off. If not, I wouldn’t rely so much on this as the sole hook for getting me in to schools such as Harvard, were I you. </p>
<p>I really think I am very different. Even some elder writers have read my yet to be published book and cried in front of me realizing my talents. I don’t mean to be so full of my self but I had to tell the truth. Sorry if my previous post wasn’t a humble one. I didn’t mean it guys. I just madly copied and pasted it from another forum in which I think some guy underestimated my talents. </p>
<p>Honestly I am yet to sell millions of copies in my country when my book will be out. And that will hopefully be soon. I didn’t believe this until the current #1 besseller author in my country told me so ( YEAH FOR REAL!!!) . And all this will be happening in a country of a very low reading habit.</p>
<p>Most people seem to be exaggerating the top caliber of currently admitted HYS students that I won’t have any chance getting in.I am also a big admirer of their rigor,I really am but at the end of the day we all know that HYS will choose to admit the student on the top of a magazine cover eventhough he’s got a 3.0 GPA. And always remember ‘nothing is impossible ; even the word impossible says I’m possible’</p>
<p>Again sorry guys if I sounded arrogant. I am very humble in person.
But I really want to know my chances and whether the thing I mentioned about differing next year and applying for freshmen year would workout. Isn’t it possible or is it simply improbable?
thank you!!</p>
If that’s true, then you should appreciate why Admissions will have reservations about your scholastic ability. Did anyone in your high school have an ‘A’ average? If so, why
did you have a ‘B’ average? Was it a lack of ability or lack of drive? With a ‘B’ average, all super selective colleges will question if you can hack the work load on their campus. Will your high school ‘B’ translate to a ‘C’ or ‘D’ at their school? Are you capable of reading 300 pages a week, writing at the college level, can you (or will you) spend 30+ hours a week on your Psets and contribute to the classroom conversation with thoughtful opinions?All selective colleges will be reading your teacher recommendations carefully to see if they think you could compete with the best of the best. With a 3.0 GPA your teacher recs will be more important than your published book!</p>
<p>You might have some chance they will overlook your grades if they take an interest in your writing, but I see some issues. You say you are “critically admired” but how can you show this when your book isn’t published yet, and may not even be published before you submit your application? Are these the top literary critics in your country or your friends and family who are admiring your work? Is your book in English–will you be able to send an excerpt for them to evaluate? With respect to steinway’s comment above, if your country doesn’t have many authors publishing in that genre in your language, it may well be that the bar to publishing is a lot lower than it might be in the US. It may not be perceived as the same level of accomplishment. It’s certainly a rather different achievement than the usual STEM kind but I think you are a little overconfident that it alone is going to be enough to set your application above those others, especially with the 3.0 average.</p>
<p>You should keep in mind that your chance is still going to be pretty small and is it worth putting off your education for a year? Would you write another book in the gap? </p>
<p>OP- you are banking on the possibility of fame earned from your book. Even if your thriller is published, and somehow becomes a best seller, those events do not guarantee serious notice from Harvard admissions. </p>
<p>A literary masterpiece might garner the attention you seek. A popular mystery, probably not. Financial success does not prove literary merit or talent. </p>
<p>Concentrate on improving your academics and finding a college which matches your statistics. </p>
<p>Dear fauve: what if I tell you it is indeed a Literary Masterpiece(AT IT’S BEST)</p>
<p>And guys I have said nothing about fame and never will. I simply tried to demonstrate how talented I am by selling millions of copies in a country where 2/3 of the people can’t even read let alone go out and buy fictions.</p>
<p>and @mathyone : all the circumstances you mentioned will be met and yes they are the top literary critics in my country.</p>
<p>Dear fauve: what if I tell you it is indeed a Literary Masterpiece(AT IT’S BEST)</p>
<p>And guys I have said nothing about fame and never will. I simply tried to demonstrate how talented I am by selling millions of copies in a country where 2/3 of the people can’t even read let alone go out and buy fictions.</p>
<p>and @mathyone : all the circumstances you mentioned will be met and yes they are the top literary critics in my country.</p>
<p>Dear fauve: what if I tell you it is indeed a Literary Masterpiece(AT IT’S BEST)</p>
<p>And guys I have said nothing about fame and never will. I simply tried to demonstrate how talented I am by selling millions of copies in a country where 2/3 of the people can’t even read let alone go out and buy fictions.</p>
<p>and @mathyone : all the circumstances you mentioned will be met and yes they are the top literary critics in my country.</p>
<p>You described your book as a “thriller”, which may indeed sell millions of copies in your country. Popularity does not guarantee recognition as a piece of literature. In fact, most literary masterpieces are slow to gain popular attention. </p>
<p>Authors of popular thrillers in this country are seen as commercial successes, not literary giants. </p>
<p>If you listen to all yourselves you haven’t even given me one positive comment yet. I really didn’t expect this. I came to this page to get a moral appreciation but as it turned out you all are… </p>
<p>My 2 cents worth:: Go ahead and apply, you have nothing to lose. Just remember all the Ivies are reaches for everyone and have a couple schools as backups. You will never succeed unless you try. Best of Luck</p>
You’re absolutely correct. But that’s because: (1) The title of this thread is arrogant and pretentious – and I don’t think you realized that when you wrote it. Now that so many posters in all four threads have said so, maybe you will start to believe them and tone down the bravado – both in your CC posts and your college essays – as selective colleges are looking for humble students, and (2) because students with 4.0 GPA’s and 2400 SAT scores who have published novels, sold IPhone Apps, even come up with a cure for cancer, have been rejected in the past by Harvard. We’re trying to give you a dose of reality that with a 3.0 GPA you have less of a chance than students with higher GPA’s, student’s that have demonstrated that they are hard workers over the long haul – and you don’t want to hear that. You want a compliment and you’ve come to the wrong place for that.</p>
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Which is basically what I said in my first post to this thread “Send in your application and see what happens.” Best of luck to you. </p>