<p>I've always read that there were no qualities that would quarantee acceptance into Harvard but I disagree. There are some qualities that can practically guarantee acceptance into Harvard. It's just that these qualities are extremely hard to be obtained by one person and may even seem unrealistic. I'll give an example:</p>
<p>Person X
Gender: (does not matter)
Age: 14 (senior)</p>
<p>GPA: UW(4.00)/W(5.00)
Class Rank: 1/2000</p>
<p>SAT (one sitting): 2400
ACT: 36
PSAT: 240
Subject Test (10): all 800's</p>
<p>Previous Courses: (24 AP's all 5's)
Senior Courseload: (8 AP's plus State College Classes)</p>
<p>Awards:
NMS Finalist
National AP Scholar
State AP Scholar
USALO (open to middle schoolers): Gold medal
USACO (9th grade): Top Gold @ International
USAPO (10th grade): Gold medal
USAMO (10th grade): National finalist
USABO (11th grade): Gold medal
Intel Science Finalist: every year
Davidson Fellows Scholarship: 50k recipient
(11th grade): Nobel Prize</p>
<p>Honestly, you would either have to be a computer, cyborg, or some kind of new race of super humans to have every one of those, and more. I try my best to be at the top of everything I do, but wow, that person would be admitted within seconds. I wish I had all those things on my resume. :)</p>
<p>Person X
Gender: (does not matter)
Age: 14 (senior)</p>
<p>GPA: UW(4.00)/W(5.00)
Class Rank: 1/2000</p>
<p>SAT (one sitting): 2400
ACT: 36
PSAT: 240
Subject Test (10): all 800’s</p>
<p>Previous Courses: (24 AP’s all 5’s)
Senior Courseload: (8 AP’s plus State College Classes)</p>
<p>Awards:
NMS Finalist
National AP Scholar
State AP Scholar
**Siemens Awards (National winner) **
USALO (open to middle schoolers): Gold medal
USACO (9th grade): Top Gold @ International
USAPO (10th grade): Gold medal
USAMO (10th grade): National finalist
USABO (11th grade): Gold medal
Intel Science Finalist: every year
Davidson Fellows Scholarship: 50k recipient
(11th grade): Nobel Prize</p>
<p>@Shaggy007 - That would be nice, but according to national rule, you can only compete in one Olympiad at the national level per year. Person X was already competing in the International Physics Olympiad that year, but plans to ace the IMO in 12th grade. :)</p>
<p>I actually saw some of the people that were accepted at Caltech, and they all basically had the first half of stats that you posted and a few of the other half. So, that it still an awesome accomplishment, but I think that Caltech is more “test-score stats” oriented</p>
<p>Person X
Gender: (does not matter)
Age: 14 (senior)</p>
<p>GPA: UW(4.00)/W(5.00)
Class Rank: 1/2000</p>
<p>SAT (one sitting): 2400
ACT: 36
PSAT: 240
Subject Test (10): all 800’s</p>
<p>Previous Courses: (24 AP’s all 5’s)
Senior Courseload: (8 AP’s plus State College Classes)</p>
<p>Awards:
NMS Finalist
National AP Scholar
State AP Scholar
Siemens Awards (National winner)
USALO (open to middle schoolers): Gold medalist
USACO (9th grade): Top Gold @ International
USAPO (10th grade): Gold medalist
USAMO (10th grade): National finalist
USABO (11th grade): Gold medalist
<a href=“grades%209%20-11”>b</a>: National finalist for all of the above Olympiads **
Intel Science Finalist: every year
Davidson Fellows Scholarship: 2-time 50k recipient
(11th grade): Nobel Prize</p>
<p>EC’s
1200 Volunteer Hours: 40/wk (3,10-week summers)
** wrote a novel online that became a best-seller and received the Pulitzer Prize -_- **
Created a national fund-raising organization and raised over $200,000
Rowing: (Olympic 2-time Gold Medalist)
Skiing: (Olympic Gold Medalist)</p>
<p>Recommendations:
Harvard graduate professor (research)
State Senator (leadership)
Oxford Dean of Admissions (internship)</p>
<p>Essay: something amazing</p>
<p>Interview ** w/ the Dean of Admissions ** : lasted over 7 hours and continued (by email) for several weeks.</p>