I Want a Piece Too!

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey, I just wanted to get an estimate from you people who know so much about Harvard admissions. I will apply RD.</p>

<p>SAT 780M, 770V (1550)
SAT II (800 Physics) (800 MathIIC) (690 Writing) (oops!, should I retake?)
AP Physics B (5) (Technically not allowed to take any my junior year. I convinced them. Only one to take an AP as a Junior in my school in many years. Harvard will know this.)</p>

<p>Straight A’s but due to Phy ED, ranked = 6/160
Just got straight A’s in my current classes. GPA is like 4.0 weighted, but AP’s only weight to 4.33, and this is already more than ALL my classmates!</p>

<p>However, I come from a public school that has seen no apps to HYPSMC in the past many years, ut don’t include any comments on amazing research, cuz, well, I don’t have any. I am teaching myself AP Physics C, and will also complete my own research project later this year. </p>

<p>Two “best in years” recs from govt and phys teachers.</p>

<p>Am taking 4 APs (english, chem, calc, and self-taught physics C), WHICH IS ALL MY SCHOOL HAS. We also have no honors classes. </p>

<p>3 years German (I did the third year to appease good colleges)</p>

<p>EC’s
Big into drummin’ </p>

<p>Tenor Section Leader of top 3 drum line in 5 state region (40 hours a week)
lead jazz drummer for school 3 years, 4 years total
play jazz set, latin percussion, and vibes
3 Superior Solo Awards at State Competition for Marimba solos
Pep Band (Tenor Leader), volunteer for church (drummin and started youth band) lots of hours</p>

<p>NHS, lots of Frisbee playing, Moderated a debate for school board candidates, 2003 simpson college jazz camp, 2001-2004 church camp, 2004 Leadership Camp, Volunteer at school in music, Lessons with 1994 WORLD TENOR DRUM CHAMPION</p>

<p>Big into job,
3+ years at grocery store, manual labor, earned way into Customer Service, help manage (somewhat) a dairy and video dept. 15+ hours a week. Top fundraiser in region for Diabetes through employer ($3000) Have a short essay written about it.</p>

<p>The bad stuff
White, not disadvataged, Dad graduated from Stanford with a MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering.</p>

<p>The good
rural town (a pretty big disadvantage), not an intravert, from MN,
I want to major in physics or engineering. </p>

<p>You guys are the greatest!</p>

2

<p>You're misinformed; we know nothing.</p>

<p>You're qualified academically, but you're not a superstar. Things could go either way.</p>

3

<p>I'm pretty sure being rural isn't an advantage as much as it just gives the person an excuse not to have 10 AP scores. </p>

<p>I mean it's an advantage in the sense that you do not need to have all the APs taken or the best ECs, but that doesn't mean they want you over someone with that superstar from Mass, you guys would be more equal.</p>

<p>That's why I have no idea if you'll get in.</p>

4

<p>Thanks. I would rather have had the opportunity to take 10 AP's than to have to make excuses, but it is impossible. What else can I do?</p>

5

<p>you've got a fine shot, stop worrying</p>

6

<p>Just a question for my own benefit (btw, you've got as good a shot as anyone here), why is it that the main reason a lot of kids seem to not be valedictorian (again, top 10 is great) is because of phyed? Seriously, I'm the most unathletic person I know, and I always saw P.E as an easy A+. Does your school actually grade by skill/speed/etc? I'm just curious is all, because normally good effort and basic activity comprehension are all you need to ace the class.</p>

7

<p>Actually, despite my lack of sports, I would consider myself to be somewhat athletic. I can easily run the mile in under 7 min, am considered to be one of the top frisbee players out of 20+ young frisbee addicts, and I was actually pretty decent at dodge ball.
Politics. Period. Small town, and my parents aren't friends with the gym teachers parents. No athletics, and although I participated plenty, I probably gave the teacher the vibe that I thought I was too smart for PhyEd. (Probably because I was good at band, the PhyEd Foe!) She stuck it to me by arbitrarily assigning a B- no grade sheets, nothing. Heck, I even came in on the first day of summer vacation at 7:00 in the morning to make up the mile cuz I was gone the one day we ran it. </p>

<p>And, yes, I am bitter. But enough about that, I want to know my chances. BTW, will this PhyEd thing hurt me. I had heard that it is a good idea to include such things as Frisbee on the app cuz it shows I care about fitness/not lazy and that I enjoy life. Hopefully that will help. Which reminds me of the gamble I took by using one of my 5 MIT allowed EC slots to talk about frisbee. My other EC's were alluded to in letters of recommendation.</p>

8

<p>My school doesn't include phys ed in the gpa! Which is good, bc I get consistent 85-89s in that class...ugh...
oh, and i totally agree w. just<em>forget</em>me...apply, have good essays, and see what happens!</p>

9

<p>how exactly do yall get graded for gym? at my school, anyone who dresses out and participates automatically makes an A. One would have to try to make a B in gym. It is, however, a general class so an A in gym is equivalent to a B in an AP or Honors course, but I think it's like that everywhere.</p>

10

<p>i have no idea how they grade us. maybe people don't really pay attention bc it doesn't go into the gpa...</p>

11

<p>my school has the best gym grading in my oppinion. If you show up you get a pass, if you cut you get a fail.</p>

12

<p>Many schools have unfair GPA policies that disadvantage top students who didn't learn from older siblings how to game the system: at mine, class rank is determined at the end of 1st semester 12th grade, so people who know this while in 8th grade arranged their schedules to take health (only a 4pt class) their last semester. Others get the 4pt class while the knowledgeable ones take honors or AP classes and get ahead.</p>

<p>jerew - I have no idea what your chances are, but what do you mean you're self-teaching Physics C? It's the SAME THING as B! Calculus just makes it a lot easier to understand and work problems...but the material is no different.</p>

13

<p>abcd, theres a policy like that at my school where everyone is required to take health, which is a general class. this guy managed to get the administration to let him take health by correspondence. he did it all in around one week during his freshman year, but he waited until the very very last moment to turn in the health grade (which was an A). By last moment, I mean as in the final hour at the end of senior year that the school accepted grades. This was after my school calculates gpa and stuff like that, so because he lacked that general course he became 1st in class rank, which he shouldnt have gotten had he had a health grade. Essentially he figured out a loophole freshman year that would greatly increase his gpa and followed through on it. no one else at my school has done it because it was seen as pretty sneaky, but it was still genius.</p>

14

<p>dude </p>

<p>what is wrong with people these days? just because your gpa is a slight higher won't mean anything. if you're one of the top 1%, i'd say that's good enough? i doubt harvard is that picky. people would say i'm the smartest person at school...i took calc bc soph year and physicsap junior year, and have taken every ap possible, and have all A's, and yet I'm rank 3 out of some 360ish. why? because i take orchestra (unweighted), and the other two people who don't take elective classes get a slightly higher weighted average. honestly, which is better? having a 4.8ish with solidly acad classes, or my 4.74 with orchestra?</p>

<p>would any good college like someone who's 'gaming the system' for a difference of about a .05 gpa and a difference in rank by about 3-5? i thought they liked people who liked to learn.</p>

15

<p>Since I'm in marching band, I've been exempt from gym for all four years, Whoohoo! Ha ha.</p>

16

<p>I agree...but it's a flawed system that won't let a musically AND academically talented student be valedictorian. Not so much for colleges, but just for the recognition. It sounds like you deserve to be #1, and though it doesn't make a huge difference, it's still clear you're getting the short end of the stick...</p>

17

<p>To the post on AP Physics C. </p>

<p>I am teaching myself AP Physics C, in addition to other projects. I will be learning optical matricies and will be doing a research project. The AP Physics C thing only takes about 1 1/2 trimesters. Maybe I should make this clearer to colleges. This is some difference, such as calculating moment of inertia, Gaussian surfaces (not quite there yet) and the like. My transcript actually willl show that I am taking a science research class, I am just choosing to research something that will help me in college through both knowledge and credits.</p>

18

<p>bubchub, ap physics junior year is pretty standard--please don't be so braggadocious.</p>

19

<p>OK, lets not quibble. I just want to know my chances. AP Physics junior year is a big deal at my school because in order to take ANY AP at a junior level, you have to really impress a teacher enough. I am the only one that was able to do this in years, so I realize that although you guys have awesome schools with 15 AP's offered, we now only have 4 AP's, and due to Minnesota Grad Rule and Course offerings, I was unable to take one, AP German. I just want to know what kind of a shot I have, say on that inaccurate but tangible scale of 1-5. 1 is no way, 3 is 30 - 50% and 5 is 80%+.</p>

20

<p>actually at my school its standard to take phyzap in senior year.</p>

<p>and actually my school awards valedictorian by unweighted gpa - so we usually have multiple valedictorians since they all have 4.0s. but on the college yeah its different, but im sure the adcom will figure it out or whatever.</p>