Since everyone is doing it...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I've been reading these posts and some of them are really really depressing. All these ppl with, in my opinion, awesome ECs are getting shot down left and right, further convincing me that I can't get into harvard, which i did EA. Nonetheless, I'd like to know where I went wrong, so, critique, por favor?</p>

<p>Academics:
Avg: 98.0
Rank: 4th? Def top 1%, (graduating class of around 800)
SATI: Old: M790 + V780 = 1570
New: 2400
SATII: Math IIC: 800, Physics: 800, Chemistry: 800, American History: 780, Biology E: 790, Biology M: 740
AP: US history: 5, Macro Economics: 5, Micro Economics: 5, BC Calculus: 5, PHysics B: 5, Currently taking AP Statistics, AP Psych, AP US gov and Comparative Gov</p>

<p>EC:
Math Team (4 yrs) Captain
All City Band (4 yrs)
School Symphonic Band (eh, system is weird, but more or less 4 yrs)
Model UN (4 yrs) Chair of Legal Committee
Science Olympiad (4 yrs)
BioMed Magazine (3 yrs) Literary Editor</p>

<p>Community Service:
250+ hrs in senior citizen center
Summer internship at Congressman's office in D.C.</p>

<p>Work:
10 hrs 1 on 1 tutoring/teaching class at Math academy
3 hrs Private tutoring</p>

<p>Think I might be leaving out some stuff, but that's more or less the general idea</p>

<p>Awards:
USAMO Qualifier
AIME qualifier since 8th grade
NYC Math Team, Team A, 1st place in States 4 years in a row
a bunch of random math team awards
National Merit Semifinalist (I think i'll be finalist, whenever it comes out)
AP Scholar with Distinction
1st Place Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship Expo
2nd Place Goldman Sachs Economics Challenge, NY State
Passed with Merit ABRSM Level 7 Clarinet
A+ NYSSMA Level 6 Clarinet
Couple of Best Delegate Awards and Honoralbe mentions at various Model UN Conferences
PHysics Bowl State high scorer
and some other random bogus stuff</p>

<p>So stuff i know works against me:
1. I'm asian
2. I come from NYC and very competitive school
3. I don't have good ECs
4. I don't have sweeping leadership
5. I think my essays and recs were crap
6. I don't have research, e.g. Intel or Westinghouse
7. My activities seem all over the palce
8. LOW INCOME?!?! I dunno about this one</p>

<p>Oh yea, and another thing, my school limits us to a strict limit of 7 applications, 1 EA + 6 Reg.
I WAS going to do for my Reg: Yale, MIT, UPenn, Princeton, Columbia, NYU-Stern, but now I need better suggestions, lol. I did harvard EA.</p>

<p>HELP!!!!</p>

2

<p>I would suggest having a safety. Highly suggest it if you don't get into Harvard. It's not uncommon for someone with no safeties to get in nowhere.</p>

3

<p>
[Quote[Oh yea, and another thing, my school limits us to a strict limit of 7 applications, 1 EA + 6 Reg.
[/Quote]
</p>

<p>Why do they do that?</p>

4

<p>So are a super academic asian, and I doubt youre low income (Below 25k a year). You have a good shot.</p>

5

<p>hmm thanks, anyone else? comments on my poor chances? my school has that limit cuz there's too many ppl and otherwise they get overwhelmed, yea crappy system</p>

6

<p>low income is below 40, not 25 dha, and please please stop bashing the upper and middle class because a low income will help but not carrying the dead into harvard.</p>

7

<p>oh yea, and right now, the only thing i got going for me are my academics and USAMO, and as for dha, my family's income IS below 25k, but my parents are separated...so..</p>

<p>yea, any feedback greatly appreciated</p>

8

<p>your truly superb and deserve a spot at harvard, even if your family income had been 250,000,000.</p>

9

<p>My school limits us to 10 applications total, just so our counselors are not overrun with paperwork and recommendation forms to fill out, and to encourage us to apply to where we really want to go.
similar thing.</p>

<p>congrats on the 2400 by the way.</p>

10

<p>they cant restrict your college applicantions. Thats like, against the law.</p>

11

<p>I suppose if we *****ed and complained enough we could get them to reluctantly do the paperwork, but... who really has a good reason to apply to more than 10 schools?</p>

12

<p>true. Its just kinda iffy, you know telling people they cant appy to more than 10.</p>

13

<p>err, lol, thanks guys, but, i'm still lost in senior stress limbo here =[
any more feedback?</p>

14

<p>Maybe you will get in and you won't have to worry anymore about college apps.</p>

15

<p>I could easily think of over ten schools I'd want to apply to if I had unlimited money. Mainly because at least 7 or so would be very prestigious crapshoots where I could see myself being rejected. My friend applied to nineteen, though. I think that's a bit excessive. She got fee waivers, though.</p>

16

<p>cant u only get 4 fee waivers? I got 4 fee waivers and they dont want to give me anymore, but I need to press for more because I am applying to like 9 schools and cant sure as hell afford to pay 500 USD</p>

17

<p>You could get them to handwrite a fee waiver.</p>