<p>I'm an international student and applied (and got rejected from Harvard) this year. I'm just about to finish grade 12 and I don't know what to do. I want to try again to get into Harvard, whether I reapply as a freshman or trasnfer part way through university. What should I do... Should I improve my stats and take a year off or transfer from another university? Does Harvard look badly upon applicants who have taken a year off?</p>
<p>I forgot to list my stats.</p>
<p>SAT I: 2060 740M / 710W / 610V</p>
<p>SAT II's: Math I 730 / Math II 650 / Bio 720 / Lit 620</p>
<p>GPA: 4.0 unwieghted </p>
<p>Rank: Canadian school doesnt rank (Straight "A"'s all through)</p>
<p>School involvment: Student Council, Grad Council, CEO of Junior Achievement Company, co-founder and co-editor of student newspaper</p>
<p>Community involvment: Volunteer at hospital and cancer agency, volunteer for the city</p>
<p>Work experieince: Cashier at local grocery store</p>
<p>Sports: rep baseball and soccer (allthough haven't played baseball in two years due to injury)</p>
<p>Any suggestions on how to improve my stats so that I have a better chance to get in? And, which is better gap year and freshman application or trasnfer application?</p>
<p>i'm not sure if harvard looks upon students who reapply with just hs stats if they have graduated already from hs.. i mean, i haven't done any sort of research into it, although i do believe that some people are accepted in their 20s although it's still generally Very uncommon. (someone correct me if i'm wrong please). i would suggest that you go with the transfer. and taking a year off, if you have already gotten into another college (so you're ready) will not hurt you at all! but i would also suggest that you do something meaningful to yourself, such as a research project etc.</p>
<p>Ne other suggestions?</p>
<p>I think a gap year's a great idea -- almost all my European friends are taking gap years (most students do in Europe) and it's a really good experience. But you shouldn't do it just so you can reapply to Harvard. I read somewhere (sorry, forgot the source) that Harvard very rarely admits students for undergrad that they've rejected earlier. Something extraordinary has to happen, I suppose.</p>
<p>If you go into a uni thinking "OK, I'm only going to be here a year before I transfer to Harvard" you're automatically going to start off negatively. I know people who've made that mistake and they're miserable. I don't know.. what other unis have you been accepted to? and do you think that the same application (i.e. same stats) will be looked at differently next year?</p>
<p>Maybe you could call up your regional advisor and ask why you weren't admitted. I'm sure they'd help you out.</p>
<p>Thanks m_c. </p>
<p>I live in Canada and I am very unfamilar with the American admissions process. For applying this year all i did was fill out the forms and send them in. I live in B.C. and there is no information about American schools in my high school so the only way i found out about these schools was over the internet and by calling them. Are there regional advisors in Canada? Or do you know where I could find that out if there are? I know that reapplying with the same stats is not going to help me. If i decide to do this, i'm planning to rewrite the SAT IIs and possibly the SAT I. Also, i am planning on doing some research this summer at a local university for students interested in a research career. Also, i'm planning on going on a trip to Africa with one of the humarinitarian organizations becasue some day I want to work for doctors without boarders and i think a trip would give me the best insight into whether or not i could handle it. So my stats would not be the exact same. Those additions would be present and my grade 12 grades will be much higher than expected. Do you think that would make a difference? </p>
<p>Could you please post or P.M. about the regional advisors. (i.e. where can I find out about them? I think that would be the best idea for me b/c then I can know if there is any point to going through the process again)</p>
<p>Thanks for your suggestions.</p>
<p>You can call Byerly Hall (the admissions office -- you can find their number on the Harvard site) and ask for the email or phone number of your regional rep after you tell them where you're from. Ask him or her if your plans for Africa/SATs would help. I'm still in high school so I can't give you complete info.. I'm not sure if they'd help or not =T</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>By regional rep.. do u mean the person that interviewed me? Becasue I called my interviewer and he didnt know.</p>
<p>No-- I mean the person in the admissions office who is assigned to your geographical region.</p>
<p>if i were you i would attend a different university. there are kids with much much much better stats than you that were rejected. Even if u miraculously bring up your SATs by 200 points and all your SAT II's to 750's, you still at best have a 50/50 chance. please dont bank on doing anything that will guarentee an acceptance to harvard during your year off. you should only take a year off if u believe this is what you will enjoy most.</p>