<p>Do people get into Harvard with low SAT scores? Under what circumstances? I know admissions can be very unpredictable, yet it seems that a low SAT score would most likely result in outright rejection. To be more specific, I am a 4.0 student with low SAT scores? Do you think I shouldn't have bothered applying to a college like Harvard? </p>
<p>I am at the top of my HS class, probably valedictorian or salutatorian....
I am also a member of the NSHSS (I am an international student and we don't have NHS at my school), so NSHSS is the next big thing.</p>
<p>I am also applying from a country that is well-known for having limited ECs outside of school especially for females. (Nevertheless, I have some shining ECs like participating in the largest human pink ribbon for breast cancer patients)</p>
<p>I have applied already, and I am prepared for everything that could happen in march or early April...It's just that it's a little bit depressing to read some of the threads on CC regarding how wonderful applicants get rejected. Knowing that one is not a wonderful applicant, it's easy to lose hope....</p>
<p>There’s no way to predict what the admissions officers see in your file, and in my mind, there’s no sense worrying about it now. Make sure you have back-up plans and enjoy the rest of high-school.</p>
<p>Although admissions is unpredictable, most successful applicants have their SAT score and GPA in sync. If you have a 4.0, but a low SAT that raises a red flag. Did the applicant just have a bad test day? Why didn’t they re-take the test? Is the applicant’s high school not that rigorous because they have a low SAT and are the valedictorian or salutatorian? It just opens up a lot of questions.</p>
<p>Colleges like H and Y have about a 3% admit rate for the RD round. Plus you’re an international applicant, the most competitive pool extant. I think you should be resolved that yours (and most others’) chances are next to nil. 1) you can’t change what’s been done 2) worrying won’t improve your chances 3) worrying over something that is +97% likely to occur seems like a waste of energy/emotions when you can be so productive these last few months of your HS career. Do you think you’ll destroyed if in September you’re not going to be stepping onto Harvard or Yale’s campus? </p>
<p>If you’re anywhere near competitive, then there will be a good handful of schools that will tripping over themselves with offers. You’ll be fine. Stop worrying. Get ready for your adventure in Sept. So what if it’s not Cambridge or New Haven? You think that’s all there is? Been there, done that. Life is fine with or without it.</p>
<p>I don’t think I’ll be destroyed if I don’t step onto Harvard or Yale’s campus in September, the only thing is that I’ll keep feeling that it’s my fault I didn’t work hard enough. There’s somebody from my school who got into Princeton. The boy had an academic background similar to mine, and his ECs are not as great. Probably his SAT is better than mine, but it’s most likely less than 2000. He got in without any hooks. My recommendation letters are really amazing… So, I guess I’ll stop worrying, I was just spilling out my thoughts.</p>
<p>I’m not looking to sound like a total fiend here, but: stay worried. It’ll make rejection easier in a few months. If you keep telling yourself that you have an extraordinary chance of getting accepted, you will be setting yourself up to fail. Again, I’m not insinuating tear jerking here, I’m just presenting a point of view.</p>
<p>T26E4, you said that the international pool is the most competitive, and thus it is harder for international applicants to get accepted. While this may be the case for Yale, it is not for Harvard. Harvard claims to consider all applicants in the same pool regardless of citizenship or country of residence:</p>
<p>“All students are considered in the same pool for all places in the incoming class, regardless of citizenship or the school they attend.”</p>
<p>Earlier this week, we had a Sophomore at Harvard who went to a local school where I live and I sent her an email regarding my my same exact worries. And this was her reply:</p>
<p>"I think the main thing for those students with lower grades/test scores would be having something exceptional about you. I would first advise you to make sure that you are taking a leadership role in your extra curriculars. Also, it would be great if you could start something new within your school or town that you could put your name on. You should also look for a cool activity to do this summer. The summer before my senior year I did a program called BioQuest in Seattle. Just search the internet for summer opportunities for high school students. Also, you should dedicate a lot of time to studying for the SAT or ACT. For a student with a lower GPA, a decent test score can really help your case. When it comes to classes, you should be taking the most challenging classes your school has to offer, so if that is APs, then you should be taking them.</p>
<p>But, the most important thing is going to be your essays. They give you a great opportunity to explain your personal and family struggles, and how you overcame them. How they have motivated you to do better for yourself. Why you want a Harvard education. How you mange stress and hardship, how you were able to turn your grades around. Your essays will require a lot of work, because they will be such a critical part of your application. I worked on my essay for about 4 months. Don’t be afraid to get very personal, but don’t be depressing. Show how you have made negatives into positives!"</p>
<p>That really helped me and brightened my hopes. Hope it does that same for you.</p>
<p>^I mostly agree with said Harvard student’s advice but you don’t necessarily need to have bright, shiny summer activities, especially the variety that cost thousands of dollars like Harvard Summer School. There’s nothing wrong with flipping hamburgers, especially if you or your family needs the money.</p>
<p>T26E4 is right. If you do not get into HYPSM, guess what? Your world will not end, your life will not be ruined.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, there are many excellent schools out there, most with acceptance rates well over six percent.</p>
<p>If you are applying to Harvard or any similar school RD, you must know that the odds are very much against you, no matter how hard you have worked in high school. It’s not about how much you (or anyone else) think you deserve it. Admissions might not be conducted like a lottery, but you might as well view it that way. </p>
<p>Trying to figure out why someone you know was admitted and you were not is pointless. Back in the day, I was rejected by a certain Ivy while someone else in my class and another student the year before were admitted. I had been their math tutor, so that outcome was a little bit of a head-scratcher (not too much, I knew exactly why they were admitted). But it was not worth re-hashing and analyzing it to death. </p>
<p>The bottom line is that college – any college – is what you make of it. And learning to accept and live with disappointment is a useful life skill.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your thoughts. I guess I am just gonna calm down. I am very prepared for rejection letters, and I implied that in my first post. I am also planning to send in a personalized resume. I must repeat that there are limited extracurricular activities in my country of residence.</p>
<p>The Harvard supplement does not have an essay, so the only essay in my file is the Common App essay. I also applied to Yale. In the Yale supplement I talked about a medical condition that can be weakening at times and how I regularly manage to overcome that weakness. I also have struggles with procrastination and perfectionism, although I don’t think it would be a good idea to write about that. What do you think?</p>
<p>I am planning to retake the SAT (my weakness point) later this month. The only problem is that the College Board is likely to flag my score which means that it might not arrive in time for review. I am prepared to beg the board for faster review however.</p>
<p>Once again, thank you all for your thoughts and I will surely update you on my SAT and my admissions decision- be it rejection, deferral, or acceptance.</p>
<p>@MeIsHM: I know that H says that Internationals aren’t in a more competitive pool. I disagree. Note the steady number of internationals accepted year to year. Yet the international applicant pool growth has outpaced the non-international pool growth. Therefore, the actual rate of the int’l pool has decreased more than the non int’l pool. </p>
<p>Unofficial quotas – look at the nos. and you’ll agree.</p>
<p>@FBombb: I disgree w/the H student who advised “starting something new”. To be frank she has a very narrow perspective, despite her being admitted. It worked for her, but every time I see someone who claims to have started something new, my first question is: why were the existing clubs/NFPs/charities in your town insufficient?</p>
<p>KIds (and that student) feel that “club founder” is something unique. To me, it’s seems mostly another gaming strategy for kids wanting to be noticed by top schools. Rarely have I found someone who actually IS unique.</p>