<p>Hello. I was just wondering, how important is the Intel Science Talent Search in terms of admittance to Harvard?</p>
<p>Also, I was recently deferred Harvard EA. I have sci oly state medals, sci fair medals, several scholarship awards, math awards, violin awards, varsity debate, tennis, program foundings, six research experiences/three projects (one entered in Intel), research institute stuff, lots of international travel stuff, and various forms of community service.</p>
<p>Between now and mid-march, I basically know that I will do the following:
Qualify for Intel ISEF, win several regional/invitational sci oly medals and qualify for sci oly states, win a few other scholarship competitions (maybe advance to finalist standing in a few, like the coca-cola), and keep up with the community service stuff. </p>
<p>Will notifying the admissions committee of this stuff be enough to get me a leg up in terms of notice? Should I get extra recommendation letters as well? I can get two really good ones from a Sanskrit professor at the Univ of Mich and from a polymer chemist from Exatec Corporation. Would such efforts help or exasperate the Committee even more?</p>
<p>I’m not paying any attention to the Intel STS, assuming I won’t semifinalize. Would not semifinalizing hurt my chances of admission even more…and truly, what are the statistics for deferral admits?? So much variance in posts.</p>
<p>well a grl from my school got into harvard with a 1100 something sat score but she was semi-finalist for intel..then again i go to the worse school in nyc..</p>
<p>I play in a few community orchestras, including one that I founded to play at retirement homes. I have district and state first division ratings for solo & ensemble festivals, concertmaster and director's awards (but those are from my high school), and I teach lessons as well. For math, michigan math prize competition finalist. That just means among top 1000 math students in the state. (Sorry for the over-stating, if it was perceived that way). Ultimately, though, my strength lies in the research/chem stuff I've done. I hope to succeed at the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor. And in fact, perhaps success means just not allowing ambition to drive one up the wall. There's indeed a lifetime for everything...</p>
<p>Wow. I just called the admissions office. Turns out I wasn't deferred. They said that they haven't discussed my case yet, didn't know I applied early action. They apparently thought I was a regular decision applicant from the start.</p>
<p>(I assumed I was deferred because on my application status, it said "regular action"--but the admissions officer I talked to said that even for deferred people, it still says EA). Is that true? I am so confused. How could they be so...like that?</p>
<p>Regarding Intel STS...I was deferred EA from Yale and I've also done science research stuff (I was a Siemen's semifinalist, and I will definitely go to ISEF). Anyway, I seriously doubt that if you don't become a semifinalist in STS, they will look at your app and think about the fact that you didn't qualify. While becoming a semifinalist will definitely help, I doubt that not becoming one will hurt you. But still, best of luck in becoming one...I've heard it's much harder to become a semifinalist in Intel than it is in Siemen's.</p>