<p>Decision- Owned
SATS- 720M, 740V, 750W
GPA- 4.2
Rank- (5th of 300+) (School got 5 into Harvard last year)</p>
<p>Essay- It was alright
Recs- Good (I think.. one was from a past Valedictorian of Harvard)
EC's- Decent.. nothing too spectacular
Why didn't I get in? Probably because I am just not good enough. So many people put in a lot more effort. I get good grades because I am there and I might as well, but I don't work that hard.</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted!</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I: Only Taken Once: 720V, 780M, 770W
[</em>] SAT IIs: 760M1, 630US Hist, 600Bio, 650Lit
[<em>] ACT
[</em>] GPA: 3.53
[<em>] Rank: No Rank, Top 5%
[</em>] Other stats: Debate Club President + Numerous Debate Awards, Natinoal Honors Society Treasurer, Business Honor Society Vice-President, SGA Vice-President, Voice of Democracy Essay Regional First Place, Habitat for Humanity work, State Senior Center volunteering, AP Scholars
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] Essays: Great - Very Creative
[</em>] Teacher Recs: Unbelievable (one of them said I was the most outstanding student in 20 years of teaching...)
[<em>] Counselor Rec: Don't Know. I hope it was good. Only known me for 3 months.
[</em>] Hook (if any):
[/ul][ b]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: FL
[</em>] School Type: Small, 95% White, Less than 1% Asian
[<em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[</em>] Gender: Male
[<em>] Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: Leadership, humanities
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: um...don't mean to offend anyone but I guess I was probably the only asian without any math or science awards? and also, not many asians do debate and stuff like that so I guess that made me stand out.
[/ul][ b]Other Factors:
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
Congrats to all of you who got in! I can't wait to meet you all!</p>
<p>i've known many asians active in debate, just so you know.</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted</p>
<p>Stats:
SAT I: 620 CR, 630 M , 660 W
SAT IIs: 630 MathII, 610 US History, 650 Lit
GPA: ~4.4 (have gotten all A's in every class in high school with 14 APs (including present classes))
Rank: Valedictorian (1 out of 288?) #2 is like a 3.8!!
Other stats: Many National Latin Awards (including Gold on NLE and bronze on Medusa), Numerous student of the Year awards from Governor's School program, many track and cross country awards and medals, MVP,etc. 2 Certamen state titles (3rd place).</p>
<p>5s on AP US, AP Calc AB, 4 on AB Calc BC, AP Gov't, AP Euro, AP Environmental</p>
<p>EC- Cross Country (Captain), Indoor Track (Captain), Outdoor Track (Captain), Envirothon (Co-Captain), Latin Club, Certamen (5 year captain starting in eighth grade), Academic Team, National Honor Society (Vice-President), Virginia Math League, Major Volunteer Work with a Community Center (300 hours?)</p>
<p>Subjective:
Essays: Good--->Great, but not perfect. Showed my determination and ability to progress against certain doom.
Teacher Recs: One was amazing and extremely well written (nearly perfect), the other was shining--- but poorly written.
Counselor Rec: Amazing!<br>
Hook (if any): Conducted a 4 year research project on early foreign language introduction (Latin)/language accquistion/teaching methods. Created a lesson plan for a elementary Latin program---- Presented my findings to the school board (they accepted my proposal) ---and I will be working with the school board this summer to officially design the program in my county.
I also overcame a hip condition to become one of the best distance runners in my area and at the state level. (But I am NOT a recruited athlete)
Location/Person:
State or Country: Virginia
School Type: Really crappy public high school for half the day, prestigious, nationally recognized Governor's School for the other half of the day
Ethnicity: White, middle-class
Gender: Male
Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: Strengths: extremely well-rounded, many many awards (even if they are not national), perfect GPA, overcame potential disability to become the best, strong research project, Nearly perfect interview ---Weaknesses: SATs (need I say anymore, I am a BAD test taker-- but who cares if I can't do geometry if I can get a 5 on the AP Calc Exam)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Above
Other Factors:
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: CONGRATS to all those accepted! I can't wait to meet you all!</p>
<p>I hope my acceptance goes to show that colleges do look beyond relatively low SATs scores. I don't think SATs show actual intelligence in a lot of cases (other than those people who flat out get 800s without even studying :) ), rather time to study and resources to prep classes/courses... I didn't have the time to study for SATs at all and I expressed this in my interview! (but I wouldn't suggest that anyone else say this in an interview,,, it was just appropriate in my case and interview situation)</p>
<p>I forgot to mention that I think my acceptance proves that affirmative action/URM programs really aren't as prevalent as it would seem. </p>
<p>I am a white, middle-class male w/ alarmingly low SATs. If I made it in, affirmative action isn't that extreme. I really think that the admission's process is extremely individualistic. If it wasn't, I doubt I would have received an acceptance letter. </p>
<p>Anyone else agree, or disagree?</p>
<p>Wow, those test scores are definitely low but you prove that they're not everything. Well done!! :)</p>
<p>knight_miler: Congratulations. They would have been crazy NOT to admit you -- even if you had lower SAT scores! Your other qualities make you a much more attractive applicant. Again, congrats!</p>
<p>"EC- Cross Country (Captain), Indoor Track (Captain), Outdoor Track (Captain), Envirothon (Co-Captain), Latin Club, Certamen (5 year captain starting in eighth grade), Academic Team, National Honor Society (Vice-President), Virginia Math League, Major Volunteer Work with a Community Center (300 hours?)"</p>
<p>Is it normal for Americans to have this number of ECs and awards and things?? Or is this just Harvard applicants? I don't think I know a single person in my entire school (1300 people) with that amount of ECs. *****! :p</p>
<p>lol...I think a lot of people on this board have that many ECs or near that many. Although I don't think Harvard cares too much about ECs after a certain point (and that certain point is the point at which you have shown you are a well-rounded individual). Instead, they want a passion, one area that you are really good at, and work really hard at. Obviously, knight_miller's is linguistics (specifically, Latin).</p>
<p>Hey, Ace, I just got rejected from Cambridge :p Damn you Brits and your 6th form colleges, so much more advanced than us mere American liberal arts high school students...;)</p>
<p>I thought the oxbridge universities accept only about 6-8 American high school students each year.</p>
<p>Actually, somewhere over 900 this year, but few to none are in Natural Sciences (my chosen course) since the British students are so much more advanced than we lazy Americans ;)</p>
<p>The Fiske Guide to Colleges hath lied to me once again. Vile paper!</p>
<p>dont curse the holy fiske</p>
<p>Curse? Nay, I shall not end thither. I shall carry forth the ultimate sacrilege, and commit the vile volume to righteous fire! By immolation be purged, thy bearer of false witness!</p>
<p><em>dives in front of fire to save holy fiske</em></p>
<p>Guitarman - bad luck mate :) Did you get an interview?</p>
<p>What is the Fiske Guide?</p>
<p>Nope. Emmanuel doesn't require interviews for overseas students and going to England was just too difficult to be worth it. Probably hurt me but oh well ;)</p>
<p>i got accpeted</p>
<p>[ b]Decision: ACCEPTED **</p>
<p>[ b]Stats:**[ul]
[<em>] SAT I: 800,800 I took it twice and got perfect both times
[</em>] SAT IIs: writing, lit, both maths, bio, both hists, latin, both frenchs, chem, physics
I got a 800 in all but the bio, which I got a 770 on
[<em>] ACT: 36 (36 in all sections except science, only got 35)
[</em>] GPA: 4.26 unweighted (out of 4.3), 7.26 weighted (out of 7.3)
[<em>] Rank: valedictorian, about 500 kids in my grade
[</em>] Other stats: 21 APs in all (i started taking APs as a freshmen, which isn't usually allowed at other high schools and I'm the first in my school to do that too) I got fives in all but 3 (physics, french lit, and latin vergil)</p>
<p>[/ul][ b]Subjective:**[ul]
[<em>] Essays: about how i got into a ivy league
[</em>] Teacher Recs: not good
[<em>] Counselor Rec: he thought i would get into ivy league
[</em>] Hook (if any):a couple of my awards and extracurriculars are good:
EAMS- Engineering Contest and my school's team always scores highest in the state
Scholarship to High School
Elementary school tutoring- tutor at local elementary school and help slower kids catch up with the rest of the class
Work at Retirement Community
Soup Kitchen service
Volunteered at the Bush reelection campaign
1000 plus community service hours
job at stop and shop
captain at cross country, hockey, and baseball, all-state in all three, all-america in hockey and baseball
i've contacted hyp coaches in all sports</p>
<p>a senate page</p>
<p>worked part-time at a law firm</p>
<p>I was a westinghouse finalist, with 2 patented innovations</p>
<p>the following i have done for 4 years, and pres in all but 1
Debate team - state debate champ
NHS
Amnesty International
United Way
young republicans
FBLA
model congress
model UN
student gov (only VP)
history awareness club
science club
HJKL Club
[/ul][ b]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: Alaska
[</em>] School Type: private but i won a scholarship
[<em>] Ethnicity: native american
[</em>] Gender: male
[<em>] Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: I think i had some good extracurriculars so that could have helped. I was afraid they wouldn't like the 3 ap s that i didnt get 5 on and the 770 sat ii
[</em>] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: probably because of my work at retirement home but im not sure
[/ul][ b]Other Factors:i wasnt a legacy at any ivy leagues so i was afraid they dont want me
**General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:i got into ivy league im so hhappy :):):) people didnt believe my stats the first time i posted but i guess i showed them
to others: this shows sat ii's aren't everything, you can still get in without perfect sat ii's all you need is leadership and ingenuity
good luck everyone</p>
<p>oh ya im gonna apply to princeton and yale and all the other ivies to see if i can get in there because they are my dream schools**</p>