<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>