<p>Can you get in if you’re well-rounded, as opposed to well-lopsided in some direction?</p>
<p>just apply.</p>
<p>Well-lopsided is far better than well-rounded. It's the well-rounded kids who get rejected, because nothing outstanding pops out.</p>
<p>i agree with ubercollegeman. H doesn't want well rounded individuals; they want a well rounded class composed of lopsided students who are strong in one particular area</p>
<p>I don't know if I entriely agree. While it is important to have a particular passion or strength in a field I think that Harvard also wants you to be a good student overall. In terms of extracurriculars, I think that a few really strong leadership roles and interests are ideal- that shows commitment and a diversity of interests. It's boring if you all you can do is math. And the only stuff you do outside school is math team or something.</p>
<p>If you look at the actual student body of Harvard, they're not all lopsided freaks. The vast majority of admitted students are well-rounded. Read the brochure - they just don't want to discourage "lopsided" students from applying because they want them too...</p>
<p>What pops out is a unique combination of strengths - academics of course, but several outside activities as well. Harvard might have to reject a lot of gifted math/piano/asian language strong students because there are many of them. But an equally well-rounded student gifted in field hockey/bassoon/swahili probably stands a better shot without having to be particularly lop-sided in any one category.</p>
<p>At least, that's what they indicate in the materials and on campus visits. All you're going to get here is speculation.</p>
<p>"It's boring if you all you can do is math. And the only stuff you do outside school is math team or something."</p>
<p>I think I'd take being on the American IMO team over captain of four varsity sports for four years/class president for four years/1600/3x800/4.0gpa any day.</p>
<p>i agree well-lopsided is far far far better, and this is from someone who is very well-rounded. </p>
<p>i don't recall anyone ever being hailed as the "greatest at being pretty good at lots of things." i think once we get past high school, it becomes less and less important to be the center of the microcosm we inhabit and we simply need to find one or two select passion and follow it to the end. with that in mind, i think harvard seeks out those who have found their passions early in life while also seeking those who are well-rounded because they possess the potential to become excellent in certain fields. i think no matter how lopsided, harvard students should and do have inherent citizenship, leadership, and scholarship standards. beyond that, there is no doubt in my mind that well-lopsided will serve an applicant better.</p>
<p>I think Harvard is looking for well-lopsided students who are still somewhat well-rounded. For instance, a person who is super super good at math and science but not as good in English is considered this ONLY if his/her English is up to potential. The person should be take the most challenging (AP) English courses and get mostly A's but stand out in Math and Science the most. They definitely wont take a person who is really good at Math but only has a 500 on verbal SATs (assuming English is his/her native language)
They want someone who stands out in one particular area WHILE being not so weak in other areas.</p>
<p>I agree...I think Harvard is looking for people that have particular passions but are reasonalby good at many other activities. I think if you can send them a well-rounded list/resume but write on of your essays about your passions, I think you can accurately portray yourself.</p>
<p>Right, that's why the 1600/3x800/4.0/president of one club-ers get rejected from Harvard. They're good all around, but at the same time, nothing is out of the ordinary.</p>
<p>No hook = rejection from Harvard, period.</p>
<p>yeah you can't just good at everything, you have to be OUTSTANDING in one area.</p>
<p>/shrug. I think Harvard looks for people who are sexy. =)</p>
<p>Uber-I'd rather be the second person you described, even if it wouldn't help me get into Harvard.</p>
<p>I'm not going to disagree with the previous posters about the power of a "hook" in admissions, but I will take issue with that being a good thing. I think high school is far too early to specialize, and "doing it all" for four years is far more healthy in the long term than being someone who does purely math, or purely sci, or whatever. Loving math + being awesome at it and become IMO captain is sweet, but when it comes to kids being pushed into enormous hours of science research by parents or the desire to get into a top school... there's a problem.</p>
<p>I'm definitely a well-rounded kid, and I think my chances at Harvard are good. If anything, I don't think I did a good enough job of describing my well roundedness in my application.</p>
<p>if your "well-lopsided" then you need to have pretty significant accomplishments in the area of your lop, as in nation rank</p>
<p>" but when it comes to kids being pushed into enormous hours of science research by parents or the desire to get into a top school... there's a problem."</p>
<p>what if the kid just wants to do it out of pure fascination for the subject? Then is it still a problem? No one pushes me to scientific research, and clearly I'm not doing it to get into a great institution. I could go to a jr college and still end up where i want to be in 10 yrs.</p>
<p>i rather have a publication in Nature or Cell and a 1 on my 2nd NIH grant than participating in everything. I'm not saying scientific research is all I do because I'm also involved in many leadership positions, club activities, and volunteering services at church.</p>
<p>the fact is that as much as all you folks want to debate this on CC it will always remain a mystery to all of us here.</p>
<p>its all speculation as to whether they look for well lopsided or well rounded people. unless your an adcom and can specifically tell us what they look for in an applicant.</p>
<p>ubercollegeman makes a good point, i would rather make it to the USAMO and have 13ish SAT scores and fairly strong sat iis than 1500/3 8's/4.0. But thats just me.
But if the SAT score is like 800/300 (not international)/2.0 GPA/ USAMO participant/research/, then we might have some problems</p>
<p>Heh. Might?</p>