I currently study in the IB program in an Ontario school, and will begin my 10th Grade in a few weeks. Last year I just moved from Quebec, french-speaking environment, so I screwed up in a few courses, and I didn’t try which is even worse. Based on calculations, I got a quite awful 3.25 GPA which I don’t think represents what I can do and I know that if I just try a little bit I can get a 4.0. I didn’t do any ECs last year as well.
My question is, do you think that if I get in some ECs and awards from 10th to 12th I might stand a chance at Harvard? And by the way, for any former Ivies grads, do you have any advice on what I should focus on to make it to any HYPS school?
There are many wonderful colleges in Canada and the US that don’t have the initials HYP or S. And I think you should consider them when the time comes.
Although I do acknowledge Harvard might not be the most competitive school (but one of the most at the least), and that a lot of great universities are yet to surprise, Harvard really is what I want to reach.
Also, what do you think is the most important thing to work on to have better chances? (ECs, grades, relationship with teachers, etc…)?
Colleges are academic institutions, so they are most interested in how you do in the classroom. Admissions Directors nationwide will tell you the MOST IMPORTANT part of your application is your transcript. So, to better your chances, you must try to ace all your classes, as grades (and course rigor) are most important.
When I give info presentations for my Ivy alma mater, I generally give this rule of thumb to the curious students/families:
“In general to be even considered viable in the broadest sense, are you one of the handful of the most academically gifted students in your grade, in your school at this moment? Are you among the half dozen kids that your principal woud immediately indentify as his/her top students? Are you one of the singularly topmost students from your HS in the last few years and the principal would firmly agree?”
I say “principal” vs. a teacher expressly because that role is removed from the faculty. If one gets his/her notice, then those are truly the topmost students. Are you that today? Will you be one at the end of your junior year? Among upperclassmen who are getting admitted to selective schools, what do you have in common with them?
I’m not saying this to discourage you. But simply to give you a rough measure once you approach the end of your 11th grade year and to allow you to re-visit your college target list, especially if schools that have less than 10% admit rates still are on your mind. Roughly 15,000 kids enter HYPMS as freshmen each year amongst the millions who are entering college for the first time. Not getting an HYPMS golden ticket is nothing to be feared; upset about.
The problem is that when you don’t do well starting off, it’s hard to be recommended by your teachers to take the hardest courses going forward. Colleges such as Harvard expect that you take the hardest schedule your school offers (and ace the classes as T2 and gibby said). Unless, you can get into the top academic tract in your school going into 10th grade, doing well in an easier tract won’t cut it,
As of 10th grade, I am following the hardest courses possible in the school, acknowledging that if I do make a difference in the way I study I will ace these courses (grade inflation is surprisingly high). But based on the opinions I received here, the first step to take would be to ace my 10th and 11th grade classes. I also have another question. Does being in the IB program makes any difference to the eyes of an admission officer?