What are my chances at Harvard Early Action?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Statistics:
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): Sitting 1: CR=690, M=780, W=780 (E=10)
Sitting 2: CR=750, M=740, W=670 (E=11)
Superscore: CR=750, M=780, W=780 (2320)
ACT: none
SAT II:
Freshman yr: 690 Bio M
Soph yr: 740 chem, 740 world history
Junior yr: 800 Math II, 800 USH, 780 Bio M
Unweighted GPA: 95.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 3%; I go to a very competitive specialized high school in NY (bronx science)
AP (place score in parenthesis): world history (5)
also took English Composition, Biology, and US History this year
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP spanish, AP Comparative Government, AP Chem, AP Calculus AB, AP Lit, Post-AP Biology, Math and Bio Research
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Gold Medal at a Math fair, possible Intel semi-finalist, national merit scholarship semi-finalist, ap scholar</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Bio Journal (Editor), Lector and Alter Server at local church, Volunteer at Learn to Swim Program the last 6 years, Debate Team (2 yrs), Big Sib homeroom leader, random acts of kindness club (4 years), red cross club (2 years), editor of Exposition social science magazine, member of Math Bulletin.
Job/Work Experience: Intern at Memorial Sloan-Kettering the last 2 years.
Summer Activities: Internship, researching for intel project
Essays: working with a professional
Teacher Recommendation: English--should be very good
Bio Research--also has potential
Counselor Rec: I think it will be good.
Additional Rec: Probably from my Msgr in the church or my Intel Mentor</p>

<p>State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Large Public ~5800 students
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 100-120k+, no FA is all i know really
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation college (none of my parents went to school, they are immigrants to this country)</p>

<p>Please help me with
Reflection
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
And which school I should choose for REA!! I'd like to apply to the one I have the best chance of getting into.</p>

<p>I am currently a senior who will likely choose a science (biology) major.</p>

<p>THANK YOU!!</p>

2

<p>Soda, haven’t you been paying attention to other chance threads? </p>

<p>Chancing someone is impossible because so much of the applications process is subjective and depends on comparing your teacher recommendations, guidance counselor’s report and essays – all items not mentioned in your stats – to every other applicant. </p>

<p>Your test scores indicate you are a qualified applicant, but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. In a very real sense, your fate, and chances, are in your teacher’s hands. Best of luck to you!</p>

<p>[Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 3 - The New York Times)</p>

<p>"Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on “reader sheets” in each application.</p>

<p>We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.</p>

<p>Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning."</p>

3

<p>For crying out loud! You go to Bronx Science? Your school is one of the best known high schools in the country, and it regularly sends multiple students to every desirable college in the country. Via general word of mouth, and your counselors, and talking to your faculty recommenders, you ought to be able to figure out far more precisely than anyone here could tell you what your chances are where. In fact, no one on CC can really tell you anything, but you can look at what happened to the kids most like you in the last couple of classes and have a pretty good idea where you are likely to stand. And by asking your recommenders for their input, you can probably get a good sense of how strong they think you are, and that’s what is going to come through when they write their recommendations.</p>

<p>It’s far from perfect, but it’s much better than 99% of the kids on CC ever have. </p>

<p>The same applies to all of you other kids at similar schools, including top prep schools. You can get real, nuanced advice at your school. Don’t be stupid asking for fake information here. Actually, no one should be asking for chances here, but some people really don’t have a better reality check.</p>

4

<p>thanks guys</p>

5

<p>you should read…those are examples of hooks. i wrote that i am first gen college not under represented minority…</p>