<p>Roughly speaking, Harvard expects top SATI and SATII scores (750+ in each subsection or close,) straight A’s in the most rigorous courseload available, but this is not what gets you in. It’s more like they are looking to check off the smart box so that they can look at your ECs. Typical EC’s are founding fundraisers or community service organizations–these tend to be preferred over simply advancing to a leadership position in a school club (though these are good to round out your resume’.) Writing for a real newspaper is also considered outstanding. This is true of most of Harvard’s peer schools. I would say they value aggressiveness and being a “go-getter” more than some of their peer schools. Rather than the U. of Chicago ideal where they think the smartest guy will later on have the most effect on the world, at Harvard they expect to see evidence of going out in the world and doing something even as a high school student. The most common major at Harvard is government–I wonder if these means that they value volunteering in political organizations? Combining my last two statements, I’d guess that mentioning in an essay that you want to be president would make you more viable a candidate as opposed to being seen as arrogant.</p>