What are my chances of getting accepted into Harvard?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

What are my chances of getting accepted into Harvard? I’m currently a sophomore in high school and my GPA freshman year is a 3.68 unweighted and a 3.74 weighted. I was in all high performance classes and taking the only AP class available (human geography). My grades first trimester of sophomore year are terrible. I had a C+ in Spanish 2 and the rest of grades were pretty much B’s with one A-. I was (still am) taking the most rigorous course a sophomore can take at my school. Everything in my life that could possibly go wrong happened all at once and I developed an eating disorder. School wasn’t exactly my main priority which is why my grades were so bad. If I get straight A’s for the rest of high school in the most rigorous courses available, will Harvard hold me accountable for one bad trimester? For my extracurricular activities…

  • will be captain of varsity cross country during senior year and intend on being nationally ranked
  • club soccer (not for my high school)
  • track
  • MUN
  • Mock trial (will be captain senior year)
  • math team
  • class cabinet
    I’m also going to India for 15 days to shadow doctors. I get to watch procedures and practice on cadavers. Are my EC’s good enough? I haven’t taken the ACT or SAT yet. I will junior year and if I receive a 35 on my ACT and over a 2300 on my SAT, would I academically be qualified?
2

You’re so young. Don’t do things just to appear as “Harvard material”. You have SO MUCH time to find one particular thing or a few particular things to commit yourself to and prove a genuine passion for. You’ll often see that those admitted to Harvard seem to have great passion for what they’re doing. They take leadership in these activities that they love and prove a capability to lead.

3

You need to work hard and just so you know, every other Indian kid spends summer there and adds things done there to their resumes, an Idian told me that it holds no value here because there is a general stereotype that Asians and Indians fluff their college applications with made up accomplishments back home.

4

If you become nationally ranked in the US for cross-country and are recruitable, that is your best bet for a Harvard admission. Once you are a junior, if you are a top runner with excellent test scores, you can contact coaches to initiate the process.