<p>Ok so basically I'm looking to apply to Harvard EA in november and I have a few questions. For one I have a very low gpa fir Harvard(3.5), but I wanted to know if good ecs, great recs, and unique essays can make up for that. Also just for a little more info I have a few hooks like urm and first gen college student. And I'm shooting for a 2100 sat score in october.</p>
<p>So now can you help clear up some stuff about early admission. So for one I live in new york and wanted to know if I could apply early to public non-binding addmission too, or is it no to any other admission? So for the actually admission process I know you fill out the common app and the supplment, but I wanted to be sure there is an essay on both right? And I'm thinking of writing the common app essay about how my mom is the most influential person to me and how throughout all these hardships she has never given up. And for supplement I want to talk about how my hardships have defined me and also weave in why my grades arent as high. But are these two essays too similar?</p>
<p>Just wanted to thank you for all your help and any advice would be welcomed. Oh and I know this is a really long reach.</p>
<p>Harvard is above all an academic institution. This means that academic strength is their first consideration in evaluating candidates. The single most important document in your application is your high school transcript, so no, good test scores, good ecs, great recs, and unique essays cannot make up for your GPA. </p>
<p>To be honest, with a 3.5, which translates to a 90 average, you are wasting your early slot by applying SCEA to Harvard. My advice would be to apply to a broader range of non-binding schools early (Georgetown, UChicago, MIT, your state school etc) and apply to Harvard RD. In this way, you will hopefully have at least one acceptance from the early round.</p>
<p>“Let’s dispense quickly with the basics of writing how not to write a college application essay. The first rule is, do not dwell on your good grades, top scores, club presidencies and other triumphs. The essay is supposed to reveal something the college admissions people have not already learned from the rest of your application.”</p>
<p>The same advice applies to hardships; colleges want to hear how you have overcome your hardships, not how they have defined you or why your grades are not higher.</p>
<p>Hey thanks for the input, and I had orignally decided on applying to a couple schools EA and wasnt even thinking on applying to Harvard. But I heard of them bringing back EA and I knew I had no chance of getting in RD, but just wanted to see what would happen in EA. And thanks for the college essay help. Any other input would be very helpful also.</p>
<p>Harvard’s SCEA admission rate last year of 18% is skewed because athletic recruits are applying early, as well as legacy’s, under represented minorities (URM’s) and developmental cases (big $$ folks). That could account for anywhere from 300 to 400 students in the early pool. Last year, Harvard admitted 772 students in the early round, so possibly half of those students last year were among this early group.</p>
<p>A non-hooked student with perfect grades, test scores, and rec’s, who has interesting essays, may have a slightly better chance applying early than regular – but it’s not anywhere near 18%. </p>
<p>For students who are less than perfect, your chances early are about the same as regular.</p>
<p>"I had originally decided on applying to a couple schools EA " but will now squander that chance to apply to Harvard SCEA even though I have no realistic chance of getting in and I know it.</p>
<p>You know that right? If you apply H SCEA, you CAN NOT apply to other, more realistic EA schools, right? H’s program restricts you to applying there EA only.</p>
<p>To be frank, take the $90 and donate it to your favorite charity or tell your parents to spend that money on themselves. Don’t apply to Harvard.</p>