Im going to be a 9th grader next year. I wear a hijab also. I signed up for all honors & 1 AP human geo(only AP class they offer for freshman) I’m planning to join some clubs but I don’t know what & I love bio & English. So what exactly should I do so I can have a good chance for getting into Harvard? I’m taking the act in the 9th grade and I’m studying rn & I have a 30+ & I’m aiming for a 36. Is there anything I could do? Volunteer, activities, anything? I read that u need to be well rounded Is that true? Thank u
You sound kind of like me! (I also love English and biology.) I was admitted to Harvard this year, so I’ll take a shot at some advice: first off, it’s fantastic to aim high, have a favorite school, etc, but don’t get TOO attached to any one college. I applied to a school ED (not Harvard) that I had my heart set on, and was rejected, and I was crushed… and A LOT of overqualified, deserving people don’t get into Harvard, just because it’s impossible for them to admit everyone they want to admit. So just keep that in mind when application season rolls around in a few years!
To more specifically answer your questions, just join the clubs that you want to join, and get involved with them–do the activities and events, run for office your junior year, stay involved. Harvard/other colleges don’t care if it’s the book club, the knitting club, the science club, the movie club, as long as you show that you love it. Also, DON’T join clubs that you don’t want to join, because then you’ll feel as if you have to stay in them for all four years and it will become a burden to you. And if your school doesn’t have a club you want to join, start one!
The same advice goes for other extracurriculars (volunteering, sports, non-school clubs, music, etc). Do what you love, what you want to do. Volunteering is great, but if you hate volunteering, there’s no need to force yourself to do it; instead, find something else that you love to do, or some other way to get involved with your community. Harvard would (I’m guessing) rather see you heavily involved in something you care about, rather than spotty volunteering here and there with no real passion.
About classes and tests, it sounds like you’re on the right track. Work hard, ask questions when you need to, develop good relationships with your teachers (especially with teachers your junior and senior year, which are the ones who you’ll actually be asking to write your letters of recommendation.)
Finally, I just want to emphasize that there really is no one formula for getting into Harvard, or any college. You can do all the stuff I mentioned and more (take a look at any college’s decision thread on this forum where people post their statistics), and still get rejected, and you’ll never know why. But you will get into a very good college and have a great time and get a great education! So don’t study too hard in high school!
Don’t live your high school life in a way that is geared to getting into college.Honest, it isn’t worth it and often doesn’t even work. Just follow your natural interests as they develop, explore, enjoy friends, work hard enough to do your best.You do not need to be well-rounded. Colleges are looking for a well-rounded class and not necessarily well-rounded individuals.
With all due respect, as you are a rising 9th grader, it’s way too soon to ask what you should do, as you don’t have an ACT/SAT score, you don’t know your 3-year ranking or have a track record at your high school, you don’t have 3 years of EC’s, and you don’t know which teachers are going to write your letters of recommendation, or what rating your guidance counselor will give you on your Secondary School Report (SSR).
The best advice I can give you is to leave College Confidential for the next two years and concentrate on your studies and on the EC’s you love. When you come back in 24 months, the answers(s) to you questions will become very clear.
And FWIW: you show read this article, as it was written especially for rising 9th graders: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-s-doctoroff/college-interviews_b_1288106.html
Hey, this is easy question to answer.
Work hard, smart, and efficient, just like most Applicants who applied and plan to apply to Elite colleges.
Oh, btw, it would help if you have something stands you out from the best of best of HS graduates. You know students with u/w 3.90+ GPA, 2300+ SAT, 34+ ACT and loads of APs AND tons of EC.