I’m a Christian Arab female from Nazareth in Israel and I’ve applied Regular Decision into Harvard. I’m currently in 12th grade.
I’m the only one from my town to apply in the US. I have great grades (4.0 GPA Unweighted) but I have an SAT of 1900. I’ve mentioned in the interview that I had an unfair circumstance that affected negatively on my SAT score.
(Arab schools in Israel had a one month strike as a mutiny due to discrimination against Arabs, us seniors faced lots of school pressure after the strike ended since we’ve lost tons of school materials and we have to take the national exams (BAGRUTS), which are really demanding. I didn’t even have time to study properly for my SAT and I couldn’t even take any SAT courses ).
I have a good essay where I’ve mentioned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the importance of coexistence and the lack of women in the Technology world (I want to major in Computer Science) and my willing to influence my society and girls around the world.
I have great extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations. (One of them is an MIT graduate and the finance manager at Google)
I had my interview yesterday and the interviewer seemed impressed with almost everything I said discussing my passion (programming) and my close-minded society, and he agreed that I had an unfair circumstance regarding my SAT score. He also said that my location might help me catch the committee’s attention since almost nobody applies from Nazareth.
What do you guys think? Do I have a chance? or should I stop having my hopes up?
I think you’re having an anxiety attack. When applying to a school like Harvard, which will probably have a 3% acceptance rate in the RD cycle this year, no student – no matter what their GPA, test score and country – has a good chance of acceptance. Unfortunately those are the odds. You need to try to forget about Harvard for the next 6 weeks and focus on something else. Or, use the time to prepare yourself for a rejection. Then, come April 1st, if you receive an acceptance letter, it will be a pleasant surprise.
Yes you do have a chance. Nobody on this forum can tell you what your chances are for sure, but your location will definitely help catch the committee’s attention.
Yes you’re right about waiting is the hardest part that’s why im freaking out lol. I realize that the acceptance rate is really low, but i hope it works…
Didn’t you already post this before? But back to your question, it’s really hard to predict anyone’s chance at Harvard unless that person is extremely genius or wealthy to donate to the school. Thus, Harvard is a crapshoot for everyone. As for the interviewer it is really hard to fully believe what he says because the decision making committee is composed of 40 professors and faculty and that you would have to get a 51% vote from them to be admitted. Since the decision is “holistic” it is really hard to predict what the outcome may be.
@shishax : It might not be bad to also write a letter to Harvard Admission Office telling them about the situation that you are in as well if that could be any help.
@hola1997 wouldn’t that appear as if I’m having a bad excuse and trying to get away with my score? I’ve thought of it and im just nervous and hesitant whether to send them or not
@shishax : I would view it similarly to the case of a student’s academic performance decrease drastically when a family member die. Of course, your situation and that situation are not completely the same. Nonetheless, wait for others more valuable insight into this matter. You can also try to do a Google search or CC search or ask your guidance counselor if you have one. This is just my 2 cents.
@shishax I congratulate you for your willingness to apply and take the challenge and pursue the best education you can get. Having been in Nazareth I know how hard it is for girls to materialize those dreams. Don’t give up, if it’s not Harvard, it will be another excellent university. By any chance are you attending the Franciscan Sisters IHM high school in Nazareth? They do such a great job educating girls. As for advice, I think you have plenty of good advice here. As something practical that can provide you with data and insights, you could try to get a hold of Michele Hernandez book “A is for Admission”. The author was an Admissions Officer for many years at an ivy league school and shares concrete data and some insights into the admissions process. There is a section in which she explains the “special circumstances” and how the admissions department considers them among other factors. Best wishes!
@ReminiscingDad Hey! thank you for the motivation No i attend Saint Joseph School which is one of the top 3 Arab schools in Israel. I will definitely look up her book! I hope they’ll understand my situation…
@shishax I believe you might be able to get the book online if you search in google. At least some chapters are available online from what I’ve heard. Saint Joseph is a great school. I hope you’re also applying to other universities besides Harvard. You shouldn’t put “all your eggs in one basket”!
@shishax Have faith! Great schools look for passionate people. What is important is the potential. They want you to demonstrate that you won’t drown (your grades do that), and that you will use their resources to pursue your “something special.” At this point; however, I wouldn’t get intimidated if you don’t have fantastic score or anything. Your grades are good, your desires are clear. The holistic process makes them difficult to predict, but it will likely work to your advantage. Nobody can say what your decision will be or how any factor will affect it, but I believe that you have the kind of spark that will allow you to succeed regardless.
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No i attend Saint Joseph School which is one of the top 3 Arab schools in Israel. I will definitely look up her book!