GPA: Unweighted GPA
SAT: 990 out of 1600
Honors: Spelling bee Winner, Winner of Literature and Reading Comprehension Contest, Second Place in the Universal History Contest, Mathematics Contest Winner
Extracurricular activities:
History Club Leader
Member of Math Club
Pastoral Group Leader
Member of Folkloric Dance club
Member of School Band
Member of School Choir
SAT is too low
No chance at all, completely out of reach.
Sorry, but one look at your SAT score and your application will be put in the reject pile. Harvard isn’t a guarantee even for kids with perfect SAT/ACT scores.
Is this for real? lmao, one look at your SAT score and you’re rejected. The only possible scenario is if your parents have donated millions of dollars to the school.
I don’t think this is a serious post.
sorry but yeah, this is a serious post,I’m an international student, from Peru, and the opportunities aren’t the same just like in USA and these are my stats, I know that my SAT scores are not high but I thought maybe my essays, extracurricular activities and recommendations could help me but instead of helping me and advising me what I could add or remove, practically you are making fun of me.
First of all, you won’t get into Harvard or any comparable university with an SAT score below 1200. Somewhere around 1500 or better is closer to what Harvard is looking for. Many students who apply with a 1600 SAT are turned down. Harvard expects very high GPA, and very high SAT or ACT scores, and very good ECs, and very good references, and very good essays. If you are lacking even one of these then your chances are close to zero.
Secondly, we can’t predict which schools you can get into if we don’t have any idea what your grades are.
If English is not your primary language, then you will need to take the TOEFL or an equivalent test of your English ability.
Also, there are a LOT of very good universities in the US, many hundreds of them (and thousands of reputable schools). If you want to go to a good university in the US then there are a LOT of choices. However, most of them are quite expensive. As such we would need some sense regarding what you can afford.
What is your unweighted GPA, Brunello?
Where do you rank in your high school class?
About how much money can you and your parents afford to pay each year toward your college education, in U.S. dollars?
What are you wanting to major in?
Based on the limited information you’ve given so far, I would suggest taking a look at Texas A&M International University, located in the city of Laredo, Texas:
Why are you interested in Harvard? Often it is the college best known abroad. Try to find ways to get more knowledge of the multitude of schools available, and find a good fit. If finances are an issue, then look for good financial or merit aid, which Harvard certainly has, but it does seem that your chances are nil there. Sorry!
If your SAT is truly 990 and if by some miraculous chance you got admitted to Harvard, the main problem is your ability to succeed in the classes. However, there is likely close to 0% chance of being admitted to any top schools without any significant hook, especially as an international applicant (where you are starting off with a significant admissions disadvantage anyway). So you really need to see what your safety and reach schools would be. But do not even bother with Harvard, it would be a waste of your time and money in applying IMHO
There are many applicants from Latin America, probably including Peru, who have SAT scores way higher than your.
Sorry kid, you’re stats just aren’t good enough. There not competitive for most US colleges either.
Apply to reach match and safeties like everyone else and roll the dice. To improve your chances, obviously try to study and retake the SAT or try the ACT. Maximize all parts of your appl
If you cannot get your scores up, many top colleges in the US do not require or emphasize scores for admission. This list includes some "little Ivies"and other top schools, but many others too. I also suggest you look at Colleges that Change Lives, which is a website and a book.
Here is the test-optional list: http://fairtest.org/university/optional
Brunello, your efforts, and standards are admirable. Is there any way that you could take the SAT’s again? If not, I would pay more attention to your application as a whole instead of looking at it just one way. Harvard wants a well-rounded class, but not a well-rounded applicant. You have awards in English, history, and math, and that’s not what Harvard wants to see. They don’t want one student that is good at English, history, and math. They want one student that’s good at history, one that is good at math, one that is good at science, one that is a band member, one that is an athlete, etc… Your application needs to reflect you and your voice, not what you think they want to hear. I’ve done a lot of reading like this, but then again I’m not a professional, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
I don’t agree with harvardgirl44, though I get where she is coming from. Of course Harvard likes well-rounded students. At Harvard you do gen eds (distribution requirements) and they want you to be able to do the work. However, having one strong “passion” (sorry to be trite) or talent does indeed help, and there are some who get in mainly on that basis.
Subject awards within a high school don’t mean that much to very selective admissions anyway 
I strongly urge the original poster here not to stress about getting test scores up in order to get into an Ivy. Look at the list I posted of test-optional schools. Several “little Ivies” are on there, in fact.