<p>Hey, I was wondering if you could answer this question for me:
Do you think that a Hispanic Female with the following credentials has a chance of getting into Harvard or Cornell?
-GPA: 91.5 unweighted, 97.2 weighted
-8 APs by the time high school is over
(this year chem, spanish and french I'm expecting 4s or 5s)
SATs:
-SAT I: Math 800 Reading: 740 Writing: 760
-SAT II: Chemistry: 800 Math IC: 760 French: 800 Spanish: 800 ( I don't plan to give my spanish as one of the three, since I believe it wouldn't be fair since I'm a native speaker)
Awards:
-AP Scholar (maybe higher after senoir year)
-National Hispanic Recognition Program
-St. John's University The Women in Science Recognition
-Who's Who Among High School Students
-Venture Scholar
Extracurriculars:
- Hispanic Culture Club (3 years)-Treasurer
- Relay for Life (3 years)- Team Captain
- French Honors Society (2 years)
- Spanish Honors Society (2 years)
- Community Service in the Hospital (2 years) 2 hours a week, including the summer
-waitress during the end of junoir year into senoir year
Junior year summer:
-Took Pre-Calculus, and Medical Forum</p>
<p>I also plan to include an extra essay about how I've been living in the ghettos all my life, and how I believe that if I lived somewhere else I may have performed better (5 people living in a two bedroom apartment it's almost impossible to be able to concentrate, and if it's not the family making the noise, it's the neighbors blasting their music) and how it's mad me determined to suceed in life and such. </p>
<p>Thank!
-A</p>
<p>P.S. About the Who's Who Among America's High School Students, I got the thing in the mail saying that I'd been recognized or nominated something like that, is only filling it out and sending it to them all it takes?
Also, is anyone familiar to the Venture Scholar Program? Does it really help at all?</p>
<p>Firstly, there is never a "sure-shot" into Harvard.
You have a better chance than the average kid at Harvard. However-You mentioned writing an extra essay about life in the ghetto. Be careful on this. Yes it is going to help you a great deal where you grew up, but don't make your essay sound like you're complaining and trying to make an excuse for lack of excellent grades. While it certainly IS a huge factor in your academic performance, you don't want to come across as saying that directly.
I think you have a VERY good shot at Cornell. Once again, there
are no "sure bets" but I would say that unless the adcom is having a bad day.. you'll get in.
PS-the "who's who of HS students" is bogus. You have to pay like 10 dollars to get in.. trust me it isn't prestigious, most of the kids in our school with a 3.0 and higher got an invite. It won't help your application, probably won't hurt it, but idk they might think someone is rather.. not "street smart" to have actually paid for that. but i wouldn't waste the money.
I don't know what the Venture scholar program is.</p>
<p>class rank I'm still not sure, I come from a really competitive class, and with that said, I believe I'll end up with a 60 out of a class of about 700 give or take</p>
<p>Nice stats. Hey, how much weight does Venture Scholars hold, and is there one for non-science/math people? Like one for general, or for humanities, history or politics?</p>
<p>If you can address the issues about living in ghettoes in the required essays, and do it in a somewhat subtle or mellow manner, I think that it will help more than including an extra essay. If your recommendations refer to it, that will also help. I think that you have a good shot. Apply to a few more top schools, not just Harvard and Cornell. Also, think positive and forward in the essays- highlight something that you are interested in or want to pursue, and show how being from a ghetto led you to that point.</p>