Stay off social media, and don’t post anything remotely questionable.
I agree with @compmom. I think that students get far too obsessed over “Harvard” or “Ivy League”, and don’t spend enough time thinking about what they actually want in a university. In most cases I think that the students actually have very little concept of what it will mean on a day to day basis to be a student at a “famous” university versus being a student at a “very good university which is a good fit”. There are a lot of great universities and a lot of great professors at very many different universities.
@Veloce, you are in (or just finished with) 9th grade. Over the summer you should do things that you want to do. When the time comes to apply for universities, find one that appreciates what you have done. Don’t twist your life around someone’s perception of what some big fancy school might or might not want to to do.
@Veloce You are thinking ahead. Most students who get into Harvard are thinking ahead and planning their summers very carefully to get the most out of them. Summer is a long amount of time to be off, and what distinguishes students who get into top colleges , is what they do in the summers. Everyone has As and 800 SATs so thats just not going to get you into Harvard or any other top US college.
think about your strong interests and pursue them. So, if its debate, pursue it at a high level, if its music
go to the best performance summer programs, that should be free, if you are very talented,
Since you mention Physics Olympiads, that brings to mind
math programs in the USA. I believe you may qualify for these, as an international student, and they are both free.
(There are lots of full scholarship test in academic programs,in the USA, if you are bent that way. )
if you are good at math and physics then there are many options and you should try them now, to see how good you are in mathematics by trying harder problems in these two programs. Here is one of the best summer math programs in the USA, its at Hampshire College in Massachusetts called Hampshire Math:
http://hcssim.org/
MIT RSI is another program for very advanced high school students who want to do research work in math, chemistry, computer science etc. It is very competitive to get into this summer program.
https://www.cee.org/research-science-institute
Both of these programs will test your abilities and help you pick a major. If you do very well in math, then possible majors are : physics, computer science, math, statistics, big data, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering.
I disagree with @compmom. Harvard has the best math in the country and that leads directly to NYC finance jobs. Harvard is a very old Ivy School with outstanding connections to Wall Street. So don’t worry at all about career match, with a Harvard degree you can do anything. And aim high, but have some backups. I think the kind of person you are is exactly the kind of student I see get into Harvard. Thinking ahead. Good job and good luck.
Here are the FAQ on Hampshire Math Summer Program. It does cost tuition,but since its test in, its usually a very good way for students to get the extra math challenge they need to decide whether physics is a career for them. Note that students from many countries participate, its not limited to US Citizens. Also financial aid is available so its not just for wealthy students:
One more piece of advice: If you are good in mathematics, major in it. Do not under any circumstances major in something called “entrepreneurship”. Thats a phony major. Pick something to study and study it hard, whether it be French, or English, or math or physics . You will find a business career if you build skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Physics and math are very similar, so either one can lead to Wall Street or the equivelent type of job in Asia or Europe or the MIddle East. . Wall Street in any country, and Google both prefer PhDs in physics than an MBA from anywhere. Good luck.
Coloradomama I am aware that a Harvard degree (in many concentrations) can often lead to a job in finance and/or on Wall Street. A few years ago something like 40% of grads were going into this kind of field.
However, the OP said this: “Firstly, I have an interest in business/entrepreneurship and that is where I want to go after high school.” This gave me the impression that he wants to study business as an undergrad (and was not referring to future career.) If so, then I stand by my suggestion that Harvard may not be the best school for him, since it does not have undergrad business.
But I may have misread his sentence, and the “that” may refer to Harvard, hard to say.
He can certainly study economics or math, or honestly concentration at all, and work in the business field, and go to businesss school if he so chooses. I know English and music majors who have done this. And Harvard is a great choice for many of these areas of study… But my response was to the (possibly misinterpreted) idea that he wants to study business/entrepreneurship after high school, which I took to mean college.
Hi. Thank all of you for your replies! And I’m sorry for not commenting for such a long time. I’ve been very busy with school and an international festival at which I’m volunteering.
@skieurope Oh, thank you for telling me. I wasn’t aware of that.
@mathmom Sounds like you have a great child. Thank you for sharing that article. It was a very interesting read!
@EyeVeee Haha, I will. I don’t even have Facebook, though, so I think I’m safe.
@DadTwoGirls I am now finishing the 9th grade.
@Coloradomama Thank you very much for your advice! It’s really helpful.
I will look over these programs and maybe I’ll apply for the next summer. At how many summer programs do you think a person should go per summer? At what point it’s too much?
Also, what you said was encouraging, so thanks.
@compmom Sorry, I should have made that sentence clearer. I’m not sure which major I want to pursue, but after I complete my education I want to have a career in business.
I’m a girl, by the way xD
@Veloce I don’t think there is a formula on how busy to stay in the summers.
Make a budget, with your parents, as some of these programs may cost quite a bit.
Also consider carefully what you want to learn, such as a second language, or mathematics or if travel, volunteer work, music, or another activity would help you grow towards your strong interests. Also consult your parents. Do they have ideas about how you should spend your summers? What do they have to say about you going to Harvard? Getting their input and support may be helpful as well. Also start to expand your college list in about a year, once you find out more about your strong academic interests. Let yourself be free to explore and do not tie yourself to one college too much, but for certain keep Harvard on the table for now.
Also, if you feel your high school may have deficiencies , use the summers to round out your academic background.
If, on the other hand you go to a very top high school, with lots of very challenging academics, then use summers for more fun and enrichment.
If your high school is very easy for you, then you have time to explore your hobbies and finish your classwork.
But if your high school is very challenging and you work very hard during the school year, then you may want to find nonacademic pursuits in the summers. Just my ideas, others may have better ones.
Balance is good.
Is Asian an URM?
I disagree with the people who are telling you to “wait a few years” or not worry about it now. The truth is, if you want to be competitive to a school like Harvard it does take planning and making sure you are making the most of your time. I think it’s important to be able to show that you’ve used your summers doing something meaningful rather than sitting around watching video games (I’m not suggesting you’d ever do that). Either work, extend your academic learning, or involve yourself in some sort of community service. Whatever it is, make it something your are passionate about. Are you part of a church that is involved in helping others of which you can be a part of? Each person in this world has value that they can add to their world around them. What is your added value and how can you share it or better yourself in some way? Keep dreaming…wonderful to see you have goals!
Over-represented, if anything. 5.6% of Americans consider themselves “Asian-American”, but about 20% of harvard students identify as having Asian ethnicity.
Traditional URMs are Hispanic, Black, Native American, etc.
Please make a new thread if your question isn’t related to the original post.
Hi! I’m sorry for not posting in such a long time. I’ve forgotten about this site until recently.
@Coloradomama I live in a fairly small city, and I don’t have many chances at volunteering here, at least not long-term. I might join a Scouting group.
I’ve talked with my parents about Harvard, they’re supportive, though they don’t want me to be disappointed if I don’t get in.
I’m going at the one of the best high schools in my city, but I try to focus both on academics and nonacademics, since I feel rather guilty if I don’t. I’m currently doing my homework and preparing for SAT and TOEFL. Otherwise I’m drawing or reading.
@Empireapple Ehhh, actually, I’m playing video games from time to time! 
But I agree, I can’t stand doing nothing in my free time, and I’m trying to do something meaningful.
I don’t believe in God and I haven’t gone to a church in years, so I don’t know if they are having a program to help others. But I will try to find other volunteering programs.
Thank you for the words of encouragement!