Lately I have been feeling depressed about being a good applicant for Harvard. I am currently a sophomore and would like to become an mechanical engineer/entrepreneur in the future. I want to start my own company and become as big as Google or Microsoft.I want to get a professional degree in engineering to first work for google and then start my company.I would like to know if Harvard is a good option for me or should I strive for a school like Binghamton
My freshman weighted gpa was 3.64
I took Algebra 1, Honors Biology,English 1,World history 1,Health, and Gym
My sophomore year I have weighted a gpa of 3.88
I took Honors Chemistry,Honors English,Study Hall(free period to study),Honors Geometry,AP world history,Native Spanish,Advanced visual arts, and Computer Science
Next year I am scheduled to take
Ap US History,Ap Literature ,Ap Chemistry,Honors Trigonometry,Portfolio(art),and Spanish 4
As for my extra-curriculum activities and summer programs
I have attend
-Blue Stamp Engineering
-Got first in a STEM competition
-went to Harvard Science Conference
-accepted to the Harvard Pre college program
-played varsity football
-played varsity wrestling went to city championship
-starting a robotics club in September
I don’t if I should apply to Harvard my senior year since I am not yet a 4.0 student and have perfect scores?
Try a fortune telling forum. No one knows how you will do in junior year and what test scores you will get.
If you want to be an engineer, there are many other better schools in that field.
I appreciate the feedback What schools would you suggest?
For starters, glance here for mechanical engineering.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/engineering-doctorate-mechanical
But you shouldn’t really choose which ones you want to apply to without knowing how you can pay, what your junior grades are, and what your SAT/ACT scores are.
It’s a bit early to tell since we don’t have your standardized test scores to analyze. Furthermore, with the two years you have completed so far in high school, your extracurricular activities seem pretty generic of many Harvard applicants except that you have participated in their conference and pre-college program, which MAY (I don’t know for sure) put you at a slight advantage. That said, I suggest you study as much as you can for standardized tests to ace those, and get involved in many more activities that are related to computer science and engineering. Perhaps create a website, join your school’s robotics team, create an app or two and publish them, create other software, or patent something to boost your application profile in the EC section. You currently have an upward trend in your GPA so keep that up and try to get as close to a 4.0 GPA next year as possible. I think you are on the right track as of now, and definitely have a decent shot of getting in. You know what they say: you never know until you apply. So apply!
Chance me back here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20694149#Comment_20694149
It isn’t clear why you want to go to Harvard if your interests are in engineering. I suggest you rethink your plans. It sounds like you should be applying to schools with strong engineering programs like MIT, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Caltech.
I am confused by your post. You want to do mechanical engineering but want to start off at Google. Wouldn’t that mean computer science or software engineering?
You are only a sophomore. Maybe wait a year before thinking about this.
Scores and grades need to meet a benchmark for top schools, and after that it is about other things.
If you live your life during high school in order to “get in,” whether Harvard or another school, you will regret it. Please try to enjoy these years, work hard, make friends, explore interests and in a year or so try to learn about the best school that fit your interests. Don’t fix on Harvard. Do you know much about other schools?
In the Boston area, I would look at Olin, UMass Lowell, Northeastern, possibly MIT. Actually Olin is probably as selective as MIT.
You are very ambitious. Wanting to start a company and grow it as big as Google or Microsoft is a big dream. As is going to Harvard. I hope you can temper these a little and also think about service, being useful, that kind of thing. If it’s only about prestige and money, you may not be as happy as you think 
Thanks for the feedback and support I am gonna start a robotics club in my school next fall as for your recommendations
If you want to be a mechanical engineer, again,why is Harvard your top choice, and why do you want to start a company to rival Google, which is in the tech industry? Starting a robotics club in your school may not increase your chances at Harvard but sounds like a cool thing to do and a good experience to have regardless.
Hate to pile it on, but it’s really not obvious why you have your sights set on Harvard. It’s hard to tell whether you’ll have teacher recommendations of the sort you’ll need, if you write a compelling essay, if your activities will come together in a way that seems interesting. I know people who have done robotics and loved it. My kid did the robotics activity in Science Olympiad one year, but decide it was not for him
BTW he got into Harvard, but chose Carnegie Mellon because he was much more interested in the kind of nerdy vibe and stellar comp sci department he found there. Another more well rounded kid could have done very well in CS at Harvard even though it’s a much smaller department.
^ All of this.
On the off chance that the reason you’re fixated on Harvard is that you’ve done a couple programs at the school, then I’d urge you to read up on other schools and allow yourself the chance to fall in love with them.
It wouldn’t hurt to apply to Harvard. If you don’t apply, you may regret it.
But this kind of ambition for Harvard can really affect the high school experience…Much better to live high school life in the present and not let college admission worries cause anxiety for the future.
Unless you have a hook - legacy, urm, private boarding school, athlete, first gen, the de facto chance of getting into Harvard is more like 1-2%, so you don’t want to apply for the sake of applying.
Unless you have a hook - legacy, urm, private boarding school, athlete, first gen, the de facto chance of getting into Harvard is more like 1-2%, so you don’t want to apply for the sake of applying.