<p>Sorry mate, but your SATs look a little low right now. Are you a junior?
Your ECs are very solid, but for your tests scores and decent GPA, you'll need something that really pops. A volunteer project that you make start to finish could be that something.
But unfortunately, your among those (including me) who Harvard apparently thinks were foolish enough to be born asian. But work hard, and you're definitely in the running.</p>
<p>You have an ACT score that is in the 99th percentile. That's pretty good. (What did you get on Math and English, though?) With that you will not be rejected due to lack of qualifications.</p>
<p>EC's are great; you'll be the unique among other kids with good test scores.</p>
<p>Advice:
1.) Try to get your SAT to 2100+.
2.) SAT II: Math Level II, and then AP equivalents, like US History = AP US History.
3.) Think about essays and recommendations.
4.) Find a few match schools and a safety you'll be happy with.
5.) Get a real job this summer. (So few ivy applicants have work experience. Pretty easy way to distinguish yourself.)</p>
<p>I agree that you do stand out as unique. Not many applicants have what you have. However, fill in the other requirements (SAT 1, 2, APs, Essay, Rec) to your fullest, that puts you in the group of possible accepts, and then your uniqueness makes you chances even higher.</p>
<p>As a side question, NewJack, does work experience during school actually make you favorable, and why?</p>
<p>
[quote]
As a side question, NewJack, does work experience during school actually make you favorable, and why?
[/quote]
This is according to my interviewer who's been doing interviews for years now.</p>
<p>It makes you stand out and indicates a level of maturity. Depending on your job, it can illustrate that you have people skills, leadership skills, responsibility, etc. Most applicants to Harvard do not have job experience so it helps you stand out a little.</p>
<p>Frankly all those schools will be tough with that ACT/ SAT score. I would retake the ACT if I were you, really pushing to get it to a 34-35. With that your list starts to become much more realistic.</p>
<p>Just a comment...
don't retake the SAT, schools really do accept your highest score, and you seem to have more potential on the ACT.
a 34-35 is easily within range in you put the study time in.</p>
<p>Your ECs are still rather bland though. I encourage you to look through the 2011 RD thread to get a taste of what kind of applicant is accepted.</p>
<p>Yeah I would just forget the SAT existed. Focus on the ACT and bump it up a few points. HYPS will be very tough even with a 35 on the ACT, but schools like Penn and Dartmouth start to become realistic.</p>
<p>thanks guys for all the respones,
i am retaking the SATs in may. i have a little work experience, doing an internship at a multinational company that used to be a fortune 500. i also got a recommendation from a senior executive at the company.</p>
<p>It much easier to make up a weakness with better stats than it is with ECs at the Ivies unless you are a virtuoso at something. If I were you I would focus on scores.</p>
<p>just an update...
i am working towards better SATs, and retaking them in may. ACTs will be retaken as well. Would it help at all if my class rank was in the top 5%?</p>
<p>Also, would having a chain of family colleges, as in grandfather built them, and is running them as of now, be a hook? The name of the colleges also include my last name, as in its like (pretending my last name is Smorden, yeah my last name is veryyy uncommon) Smorden Institute of Technology and Smorden Law School.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You have an ACT score that is in the 99th percentile. That's pretty good. (What did you get on Math and English, though?) With that you will not be rejected due to lack of qualifications.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>this is what many people at my school said about this one girl who is very very similar to you... yet she got waitlisted by harvard.</p>
<p>thanks eating food,
but my question is actually regarding what i said in my last few posts. </p>
<p>i asked whether having family colleges founded and run by grandfather (if my last name was smorden, smorden institute of technology, smorden law college) would help, having a grandfather who was a governor of MULTIPLE states in india, having a recommendation letter from a guinness world records winner for hosting the largest cultural event in the world (he gives an excellent recomendation, talking about how well i sang in many of his events), hosting my very own singing event where i alone sang, and raised money for charity, not requiring financial aid, and having work experience at a technology company over the summer would help. (i added a few more things i didn't mention earlier)</p>
<p>I think you're hoping for someone to see "well golly gee gosh, that sure is impressive, you're a lock!" </p>
<p>All I can say is that all of those things will help, with the exception of not requiring financial aid (which Harvard won't even know about until you get in or not), but none of them will be locks in and of themselves. None of the grandfather stuff is going to put you on the Z-list, so chalk it all up to 'cool family and cultural background,' for which it is up to YOU to put them into context and explain to Harvard why they make you well suited for the school.</p>
<p>In terms of you hosting the event, and you working at the tech company, those are getting warmer in terms of stuff that will help (at least they're stuff you yourself did) and those are things which will need less explanation to make applicable, but it's still your job to package it up into one coherent bundle for the ad-com.</p>
<p>h-bomber,
i completely agree with what you are saying. it makes perfect sense, because i actually did raise money by myself (using my singing talent), and doing an internship at a technology company.</p>
<p>cookkid007, im not so sure if things don't look to bright. im still a junior, there is still time! :)</p>