I am very conflicted about whether I should apply to Harvard EA or if I should even waste my time applying at all.
I have taken the SAT twice, and I got a 1450 super-scored, but I plan on taking it in August which will most likely bring me up to a 1500 super-scored. The only problem is that I might not be able to submit my new SAT score for EA. I’m not sure if Harvard will even consider me with such a low standardized test score, but I have a fairly decent GPA.
I have a 3.96+ unweighted/4.78+ weighted after junior year, and I do plenty of extracurricular activities inside and outside of school.
Please let me know what you think.
What are my chances??
Hispanic on both sides
GPA: 3.96 UW… 4.78 W
SAT: 1450/1600 (hoping to get around a 1500 in August)
EC’s
Volunteering at hospital
Volunteering at food pantry
Research with doctor at NSU
Shadowing a doctor
Highschool Band
Flute Choir Outside of School
Several musical competitions
Beta Club
National English Honors Society
Competitive Weightlifting on-season and off-season
Volleyball and Track (for two years)
11 AP’s + 3 Post AP’s (all 5’s so far)
I’d suggest asking again once you have your new test scores. Wishing and hoping for a 1500+ is not the same thing as actually having a 1500+.
August scores are released in plenty of time to SCEA consideration.
Of course they’ll consider you, but IMO, for SCEA consideration, I’d want higher than 1450.
Once you reach a benchmark for scores and GPA, it really isn’t about scores and GPA. So getting up to 1500 only puts you in the pool, so to speak.
Why are you anxious to go to Harvard? I hope you are looking into the many excellent schools you could apply to as well.
@compmom
Well, financial aid is one of the most important factors for me, and only the very top schools like Harvard and Princeton give me the right amount of aid (after using their net price calculators). Other schools like Cornell, which is still an IV League, take other monetary values into consideration, which subsequently decreases the amount of financial aid.
I plan on applying to other schools, as well, but mainly ones that are generous with merit scholarships, like Wake Forest, Davidson, Emory, UF, UM, Southern Methodist, and a few more. I’m just not sure which schools should be my backup and if I can even get accepted into an IV league.
@compmom
I’m also thinking of applying to a few BSMD programs, which basically ensure acceptance into med school and sometimes allow exemption from the MCAT. I have always been interested in biology and how the world works, but I’m not sure if I am a strong-enough applicant for those very competitive programs
I understand the financial aid need. There are other schools that give really good aid, unexpectedly. I can see you are researching this! By all means apply and your chances are as good as anyone’s if you meet benchmarks Good luck!
Congrats on checking NPCs, which is smart. But now you need the same exploration of what H or P look for, which is much more than stats and ECs. It’s the full picture you present, various attributes, your thinking. Every bit of your app is a chance to show that. But first you have to get a sense of what it is.
And BSMD is even harder. That’s a subset of kids ready for a tippy top.
And it’s not simply your total score. It’s what you got in each part. 1450 isn’t off, but one of your individual scores could be.
@lookingforward
Thank you. I am definitely reconsidering applying to BSMD programs because I don’t want to have to apply to too many schools (probably 15 max), even though I have heard that you don’t need the highest stats for acceptance.
My subscores are:
English 700 Math 750
On the practice tests that I have taken, I normally don’t make any errors on the math sections, but when I take the real test (which I have done so twice), I always make so many careless mistakes. I’m going to try really hard to minimize that on the next one I take, but I’m not sure how much higher my English score can get.
700/750- then I’d say, think about a retest but don’t obsess. If you’re thinking bio/stem, the M score is solid and the other is ok. In the meantime, dig to learn what H and P value and want in their class. The best start is their own web sites, what they say, what sorts of current students they brag about. This isn’t always easy; it’s piecing a puzzle together. The idea is to learn enough to understand how to make a good self presentation.
@lookingforward Thank you for your help!