Hi CCers!
I am an international student from eastern europe (close to Russia) and I wondered if that might help me with the following stats:
SAT I:2300(1570/1600 CR+M)
SAT IIs: Math II 800, Physics 800, US History 800
GPA:3.82/4.0
IB:40-41/45 predicted grade
My concern is the low IB score, and is this going to look really bad academics-wise?
Harvard, more so than other colleges, seems to place MORE weight on curriculum based tests than they do on the SAT or SAT II: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/
Bottom Line: Many other students have been in your situation, so you should read through their threads to figure out where you stand: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=low+IB+predictd+score&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=low+IB+predicted+score+harvard+site:talk.collegeconfidential.com&safe=off&rls=en
Thank you for the reply gibby! I knew people who got in with a 37 and got rejected with a 45, an outstanding EC resume is definitely a prerequisite if someone’s score is that low (either that, or development donations)- my question was do SAT scores in the top percentiles coupled with an IB predicted in the low 40s give a bad signal-something like “capable, but lazy”? My junior year results were heavily impaired by my mother’s illness and this is something my counsellors know about and are going to mention in my recommendation, I was just wondering if a 40 is sufficient-especially for someone from Eastern Europe.
Selective college admissions does place more emphasis on a student’s transcript, as it’s a 3-year window into an applicant’s scholastic potential, whereas an SAT/ACT test is just a 3-hour window into that same potential. So, yes AO’s might think “capable, but lazy.” I think Yale says it best: http://admissions.yale.edu/what-yale-looks-for
It’s difficult to say without reading your high school profile. Every high school sends a “Profile” to colleges with a student’s application that details the grading system at your high school and how students have done. If your predicted IB score of 40 places you at the top of your high school class, I think you would be okay. However, if your High School Profile details that a 40 places you in the mid-to-low range of your class, then I don’t think that would bode well for you.
If you don’t know where your predicted IB score places you in your high school, ask your GC for a copy of your high school profile.
My transcript shows a top 5% 3.82 in my previous school and a top 10% 40 at the new IB school I transferred to, is that considered top or does “top” only mean top 5 by rank? I also won national-level competitions in the old school-does this account for anything? One or 2 IB subjects might be a bit subpar on my app-if my subject test scores show a really high positive discrepancy after my junior year (during which the transition to IB and the family situation happened), would that be taken into consideration? Thank you so much!
http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2013-14.pdf
If you go through Harvard’s Common Data Set (above), C10 Data, you’ll see that 95% of accepted students were in the top 10% of their high school class. So, if you are in the top 10% of your class, then you would be considered a competitive applicant from your school. That said, Harvard recruits students not countries. How many students from your country are represented at Harvard College (the undergraduate program)? See: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/statistics
Zero (10char)
^^ That speaks a lot towards your chances. By all means send in an application, but you would be the only student in the last four years to be accepted to Harvard from your country. That’s a bit like buying a lottery ticket, no matter what your grades and test scores.
I understand that it’s a crapshoot, and by no means am i expecting to get in, I was just wondering if it would be a complete waste of the application fee haha. Thank you so much for the feedback gibby! 
No, it would not be a waste.
On element that has not been discussed is the essay. The fact that you are from an under-represented country probably carries little weight. However, your life in this country, particularly with the events of recent years, can make for a meaningful and interesting essay.
I was going to write it on my experience living here and pursuing interests many people from my town have never heard about, I was just concerned about my low IB score and if it would close all possible doors ivies-wise
A 41 is in the top 3%, so to call that a “low score” is off-putting and disingenuous at best. So no, that will not close all doors.
@julien13 Actually, the fact that 0 people from your country attend Harvard is a huge plus. Harvard seeks geographic diversity-- both from different US states and countries around the globe. You have perfect SAT II scores so you are therefore clearly capable. If you apply early action, I think you will have a very, very good shot!
Thank you skieurope! I was worried since I was told the minimum for Ivies was 38, thought it’d be even higher for Harvard. jwong that’s what initially made me really consider Harvard