<p>I don't think Harvard wants average kids; I think they can forgive averageness in a few areas in return for excellence and demonstrated passion in other areas. Find those areas (medicine? religion??) and show your love for them. You want to come across as someone who really does things, not someone who mentions a few things they've done offhand and then asserts that they're really a great person even though they haven't done whatever other things their friends have done. good luck with your applications :)</p>
<p>Why should Harvard admit average kids? It's widely regarded as the top university in the world. It does worldclass research, has professors who are internationally famous. Why should Harvard pass over someone with top scores, achievements, etc. to make room for someone average? That's like saying that average athletes deserve to be in the Olympics because they tried hard and took the risk of participating in an activity that they didn't have much talent for. </p>
<p>While Harvard isn't for average students, and the adcoms are not likely at all to respond with an acceptance to the plea of an average student, there are wonderful colleges designed to meet the needs of average students.</p>
<p>Well, I totally agree with you, it just seems like they would want all kinds of people, not just 1600's, olympic athletes, actors, etc.</p>
<p>They want all kinds of people who are extremely smart, and who have the grades and scores to prove that they have the work ethic to handle Harvard's courseload.</p>
<p>Harvard gets as many as 20,000 applications a year, and 85% of those students clearly have the grades and scores to do the work if they are accepted. Where Harvard looks for diversity is in things such as countries of origin, regions of the US, type of community students live in (urban, rural, etc.), whether or not students are first generation college, income level of families, types of ECs, career interests, etc,</p>
<p>When it comes to things like ECs, Harvard gets many applicants who are excellent in some kind of ECs.</p>
<p>Here are stats on the students who were accepted to this year's freshman class:
"For example, 56 percent of the candidates scored 1,400 or higher on SATs; 2,700 scored a perfect 800 on their SAT mathematics test; nearly 2,000 scored 800 on their SAT verbal test; and 2,800 are valedictorians of their high school classes. "</p>
<p>There were 19,750 applicants, and 2,029 were admitted. Clearly, Harvard could fill its class with valedictorians and still not accept all valedictorians. The same is true of students scoring a perfect 800 on their SAT math. With so many excellent candidates, why should Harvard select any student whose claim to fame is that they are an average student who tried hard?</p>
<p>take the risk and go for it!</p>
<p>I see this same subject all of the time and have yet to see it work. It is, in my opinion, not a risky essay, but a common one. It does not impress the highly selective schools that only accept a truly stellar achievement in lieu of a top academic record, and risks calling undue attention to a lack lustre academic record that just might pass muster in schools that would consider you well within their parameters. I have read 8 essays on this subject already and it is only October.</p>
<p>I agree with Northstarmom about your interesting work experience. That is something different and something someone would be interested in knowing more about. Explanations and rationales for not achieving as highly as most students applying to HPY are not interesting at all unless you did some earth shattering.</p>