Ready for the next round? CHANCES.

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Congrats to ALL you guys who got in this year, you have all completed literally the impossible. I'm a junior now and am getting ready for my turn in the great hell known as college applications. Any help would be appreciated!! (some stats have been adjusted for next year, for example im not prez of model UN yet but will be next year)</p>

<p>Ethnicity: Chinese male
GPA: 4.75 W 3.8 UW
SAT: 2190 (a bit low...)
SATII: Math IIC 800, Math IC 710 (idk what happened), Bio 720
APs: Euro 5 Bio 5 Calc 5 (coming this year: chem, US, stat, physics c, eng lang)</p>

<p>Music (Piano):</p>

<p>-Attended the Juilliard Summer Music Academy, a program that accepts 70 conservatory students worldwide to study at the conservatory in Leipzig Germany, 15 of which are pianists; youngest ever to enter program, selected at age 14.
-Featured performer on NPR radio show "From the Top"
-Steinway Peace Piano Ambassador - Performed and interviewed on Jill Pasternak's NPR talk show
-3rd place in the hardest division of the World Piano Competition
-Finalist in the Philadelphia Orchestra Concerto Competition
-Performed in Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center etc.</p>

<p>School stuff:</p>

<p>-Founded district committee on academic integrity and current student chair
-YAP (school musicians perform free concerts for elderly) President
-Peer Helpers Tutor program President
-Mock Trial Team Captain
-Science Newspaper Editor in Chief
-Debate Team Captain: District champs and 9th in State
-Model UN President
-World Affairs Club VP
-Kids in Crisis Project Team leader (service club)
-Student Council Senator
-Selected by school to be a peer trainer on racism and combating prejudices etc
-Silver medal in PA student journalism competition for coverage of a Nazi/KKK/White supremacist rally at Valley Forge National Park...yes im asian. lol.</p>

<h2>-Writing published in two magazines</h2>

<p>Volunteer:</p>

<p>-Spent summer working with very poor sick chinese orphans
-Created a foundation to allow students to intern at Chinese pediatric hospitals to work with doctors to help these orphans, sponsored and funded by the China Care (started at Harvard) organization
-EMT at local firehouse</p>

<p>Research:</p>

<p>-Alternate for RSI
-Two projects on Alzheimer's currently being worked on at the Thomas Jefferson Hospital of Neurosciences in philly
-One project attracted interest of head cancer research team at University of Turku in Finland, currently working together with them
-Expected publishment in journal</p>

<p>THANKS for any feedback!!</p>

2

<p>I would say you fall in a brackett with a lot of Asian and South-Asian males in terms of how you look on paper, except for seeming to lean toward your passion for the piano. Don't retake the SAT and don't justify 'low grades' (I always see Asian males complain about low test scores when they have the highest averages of any subgroup), what you need to focus on is amazingly passionate essays that will prove that, come hell or highwater, you are a pianist because you love it, not because it will get you into Harvard. Talking about self-expression through the piano and being passionate about academics despite Asian stereotypes could get you far with Harvard, because you literally have everything it takes to get in, you just need to show that you're someone even an admissions reader would want to be around, someone who would fascinate his peers. Does that make sense?</p>

3

<p>yup! Thanks!</p>

4

<p>your gpa and sat score are definitely low, but it seems that you have very strong EC's. a few warnings however, if those volunteerships were in china, then most of the time colleges realize that it was a convenience most likely because you were visiting family there. also being debate team captain without Yourself winning any awards will not stand out very much. however being published is good. i suggest that you focus on your passion for piano also, and in this crazy game of ivy admissions, i wish you best of luck! =)</p>

5

<p>Your GPA and SAT I scores are NOT LOW AT ALL. 700+ is more than better for Harvard.</p>

6

<p>thelittleone:
my son did not do anything much in EC. He got in HYP and Williams. Just be your self and do not waste precious time consulting others. You tried your best on your own thing(not others things), the course of addmission will take care of itself. The stupidest way is to try too hard to impress adcoms. Adcoms are way too smart to impress with false passions. Use your own true passion and wirte it on your essays. Start write essays now.</p>

7

<p>The weakest part of your application, in my opinion, would be your SAT iis. I would say either retake the easy two of Bio and IC, and definitely try to broaden your test fields (ie: Chemistry, History, or a Language). Other than that, you seem very powerful in only a few areas (music and leadership). This might make you seem semi-mundane because there are plenty of kids who are just as spectacular as you in those fields (especially music). My advice would fix up your SAT ii scores, contrary to previous posters, and work really hard on your essays to convey a sense of passion for something more than just music and school. Show you are a person.</p>

8

<p>actually, there is no minimum requirement for harvard (on the website it says usually 600-800 in each section) but on average, as you can see from the stats of people who were accepted both EA and RD, it is higher than 2200+ usually (many in the 2300 range), with exceptions of course.</p>

<p>sunsun - i'm surprised that you son "did not do anything much in EC." perhaps he was an exception and got in another way, but i doubt he just did not do anything and was himself. yes, he was probably really passionate and (presuming) talented at something.</p>

<p>i think your sat ii's are fine. again, overall you are a strong applicant (although subpar in grades in sat's, honestly, check the stats), but like brian said, so are all the other people applying to harvard. and i do agree with sunsun that none of us can judge in the end, but we are here to provide you with suggestions.</p>

9

<p>sphybrid, I thought Harvard looks for well lopsided students who are passionate and excel in a few areas. Shouldn't the essay be on one's passion, in his case music?</p>