Low stats getting into Harvard?

How do people with like 3.5 and 1500 get into Harvard. Ik there are things like good ec, recs, and essays but do thise even help if you have a 3.5? Please comment what you think (do not mention hooks - urm, recruited, first gen, etc)

Hooks are the only way with low stats. And many hooked students still have higher stats anyway at the very top schools. Some huge accomplishment (like Olympic medal winner in some sport that isn’t a college sport, or writing a best selling book, or making some major scientific advancement before college, etc) might get you a second look. But otherwise, look elsewhere. There are thousands of other colleges to choose from.

Yeah im not going to harvard bc as a pre med Im not gonna survive their undergrad (i want to go their medical school) i was hust curious

Nothing wrong with a 1500. But it isn’t just about gpa. I wish CC could get off this hypnotic notion that elite adcoms only look as far as gpa.

Some of those kids could have gotten a few non-A grades in gym, electives or odd district or school-required courses, and show perfect strengths in cores and rigor. And then had the rest of a knockout app package. But they’re few and far between.

Even Olympians need to have the right academic strengths. And I have yet to see a kid who wrote a best selling book or single-handedly made some great science discovery they purport to.

Yeah, I have friends who don’t have the most competitive gpas but they have good test scores and their ec’s are the “non teenager” ones, but because of their gpa they dont want to apply to yale, mit, etc. I have a friend and she is SUPER talented in literature and law and wants to be a human rights lawyer and she loves yale but isn’t applying because of her 3.4 or 3.5 and it makes me sad because I know that she has SO much potential.

But their gpa may, in fact, be a legit concern. There are few accomplishments that make up for not being academically prepared for the competition at a tippy top, for 4 years. Adcoms will look at a 3.4 and wonder how that kid might fare, whether they have the same level of learning and mastery as their college classmates. There are few trump cards.Not passion,not career goals.

You see her potential. But the colleges look at the record. She doesn’t “have to” go to Yale, to reach her potential. Often, the best fit and best match colleges are what empowers kids, lets them grow and rise- not the school being a tough, top ten.

@lookingforward, I heard a great interview a year or two ago on Science Friday with a young woman (HS student) who had done some amazing original work calculating trajectories through our solar system for unmanned missions. D2 and I were listening in the car, and we agreed that she was likely to get to attend any college she wanted to. Although I’m guessing she had the grades and test scores to be seriously considered anyway. Another HS student I remember from a few years ago discovered something unique about the mathematical dimensions of butterfly wings and patterns. HS students fo occasionally make real, significant scientific discoveries.

There is no reason to feel “sad” just because a student may not be headed to an Ivy, Stanford or MIT. Getting into those schools is absolutely not some kind of absolute measure of potential. And the coursework at these schools is very rigorous and time-consuming.

Good luck to your friends in finding the right fit where they can thrive.

GPA depends on scale used by the candidate’s school. 3.4 could be 93 at her/his school. 93 at most schools in America is an A 4.0. GPA and Test scores are the first gate which account for about 50-60% of admissions score at top 20 schools that value holistic evaluation. Remaining 40-50% account for so many other qualities to make you stand out. But these qualities have to be earned through years of dedication, most started since 6th grade middle school and continued through high school. There is no cooky cutter here. You’re all special. Good luck to you all!

93 is an “A” but when adcoms at a Yale level college see B grades, they can wonder. And you can bet tippy tops are looking at the transcript. And that they have plenty of academically “stronger” candidates.

In straight math, a 3.4 is 85%. If they see that, eg, they’ll look for why. Gym, drivers ed, fine. Kids need to learn how to view this.

Harvard actually does not want a class of all 1600 and 4.0 GPA. They

They want a smart top of the class unique person. Different characteristics different perspectives. Multicultural different races. While numbers are important. Accomplishments achievements and self-awareness are equally as important

But they can still meet the diversity requirements and have half the class with a 4.0. 36 and 4.0 isn’t guaranteed admission but I bet there are few who have lower than 33 and 3.8 except some recruited athletes. 87% had 3.75 or higher GPA. 25-75 for ACT is 32/35. SAT is not broken out by composite but by section the 25/75 is 700(710)/800.

2014-2015 Common Data Set (most recent available)
https://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2014-15.pdf

Agree, Harvard doesn’t have to dip down in GPA or test scores very far to put together a very diverse and interesting class. Even their hooked applicants are usually very strong in those areas, and it takes someone truly exception in some other area to get in with a 3.5. I think the OP needs to look elsewhere.