you know you want to read this

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey, I live in San Diego, originally from Mexico, poor, first generation to go to college, and I've only been here for 6 years (I'm a resident, do I still get URM status, or am I considered International?) </p>

<p>SAT: 1320 (720V, 600M) PSAT: "National Hispanic Scholar"
SAT II: 800, 800, 720, 640, 570 (Spanish, US History, Writing, Literature, Math IC)
APs: 5-Spanish Language/5-Spanish Literature/5-World History/5-U.S. History
GPA: 3.5 uw, 4.0 w
Rank: 7/449 (yes I know, horrible school. Note: The 4.7/1480 WHITE, 50% WHITE 50% ASIAN valedictorian applied to Harvard too.....)
Intended Major: History/Sociology</p>

<p>ECs: president and founder of 3 clubs, lots of officer positions in other clubs, lots of community stuff, lots of music stuff, drum major </p>

<p>Essays: I though they were pretty good. One about my life in general, and the other about my experiences in marching band (philosophical)
Recs: "awe-inspiring young woman," first time the teachers I choose EVER wrote a common app rec, they mentioned that and talked about the "bad learning environment" at my school.
Interviews: "kids like you give me faith in the future." most of my interviewers seemed really interested in me, yale one said he'd threaten the adcom into letting me in.
Extra materials:: I won a short story contest in Spain, sent. I've been playing the flute for 10 years, sent a pretty good tape. </p>

<p>Extra info:: I work 20 hours a week
The reason I'm so much better at verbal stuff than math stuff:: I was stuck in bilingual education for 4 years where I was only taught to read. For math, we watched PBS "math movies" and read "math-related" picture books. I talked about this during my interviews.
Reason for low GPA:: I couldn't speak English, so it was very hard, but I was determined to work even harder and now for senior year I have 6 AP classes, 3 of which it's just me and the teacher. (mentioned this too)</p>

<p>I really really really want to go to Harvard, do I stand a chance? Am I better than the average URM, about the same, or am I worse? Is that how they pick which URM gets in?</p>

2

<p>Hi finemeal. I am also a first generation Mexican-American (both of my parents are from Mexico as well). It's nice to see other Mexicans apply to Harvard.</p>

<p>I think you have a decent chance. You seem to have very strong scores in the context of your upbringing (from what you told me)- coming from a 'bad learning environment', your two excellent SAT II scores, the fact that you are a poor/first generation college student, your academic success as demonstrated from various different components. Your the type of person that Harvard is aggressively searching to find more of. Qualified lower socioeconomic groups that are first generation college students. Moreover, I think you have a better chance than does your valedictorian at getting accepted to Harvard.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, Seven Nights! Hope to see you there! :)</p>

<p>Any other comments? I'd really like to know whether I'm URM or International.</p>

4

<p><strong><em>bump</em></strong></p>

5

<p>First of all, just because some one "Seemingly" better applied, does not lower your chances. Just incase you thought that, I had to say that.</p>

<p>I really really really want to go to Harvard, do I stand a chance? Am I better than the average URM, about the same, or am I worse? Is that how they pick which URM gets in?</p>

<p>Ok, every single one of those over 20,000 applicants really really really really really really want to go to harvard as well. :)</p>

<p>And, uh..I think you're a URM, but what I'm wondering is, what makes you better then the "average" URM? Even the URMs that apply to harvard have phenomenal stats. (Or...some do)</p>

6

<p>The fact that she comes from a poor family and has decent (SAT 1) and excellent (SAT 2) stats. There was a New York Times article I read a few days ago (I can't remember the cites) that said that 60% of African-Americans who went to Harvard were middle class. Finding qualified URMs who are poor is like finding a needle in a haystack for college adcoms. They're diamonds that any college is willing to snap up at a moments notice.</p>

7

<p>"Ok, every single one of those over 20,000 applicants really really really really really really want to go to harvard as well."</p>

<p>I'm sure some like Yale better. </p>

<p>"And, uh..I think you're a URM, but what I'm wondering is, what makes you better then the "average" URM? "</p>

<p>That's what I'm wondering, too. (hence my reason for posting on this board) </p>

<p>Now please give me an answer, however depressing it may be, because I'm dying to hear it.</p>

8

<p>A recent study proved that usually applicants to universities have no real desire to be in most colleges they apply to. This means that out of your 22,000 harvard apps, 50 percent of them are just applying because they have the SAT scores and grades. i spoke to some people who applied to Ivys, and most of them say that "Oh Upenn was a good school" and things of that nature. I have never met anyone who really really loved a school. The way to get into Harvard for 90 percent of the acceptees is loving the school to a huge extent. You have to want to go to Harvard, just not apply because you can. So dont assume that all 22 thousand want to be there, probably 3 thousand really do want to.</p>

9

<p>Hey finemeal, I'm a high-scoring Mexican immigrant too! </p>

<p>And I agree with Seven Nights, the valedictorian from your school will most likely not get into Harvard since he/she is a member of the super race (whitesian? lol)</p>

<p>If I were you, finemeal, I'd send a letter telling the adcom just how it feels being a poor Mexican immigrant with Harvard on the brain. (that's what I did.)</p>

<p>Anyways, you're gonna get in somewhere great, probably even Harvard, so happy life for you! :)</p>

10

<p>I think you stand a great chance at Harvard because of your URM status and background. I agree with pretty much everything that MzLover3 said...you will definitely get in to a great school (which others did you apply to besides Harvard and Yale?), if not those two. SAT II Spanish is taken for granted, since you should be fluent, but an 800 on US History and 5's on both History tests is impressive and pretty rare for someone with your background. </p>

<p>As a disclaimer, admissions is never a definite- especially at Harvard. I'm sure you're aware of that, but take everything that's said here, especially when it's positive, with a grain of salt. Good luck. :)</p>

11

<p>lynxzed----- do you really really really love the school u're applying to?......and if you do, what's your reason?..... (just wondering)</p>

12

<p>Well yes I do love the school I will be applying to (Harvard). My reason is that it is the best. Since 7th grade Ive always excelled in whatever I did, whether it was art, academics or sports. I have have also gone through many things in my life ( Im a URM with a fam that earns less than 30k a year) and I choose to believe that all my work and struggle was for something. Besides Harvard being the best, after years of adoration for the school, my love evolved purely for love of the University, not for their status. I can proudly say that even if Harvard lost its status, I would always be proud to go from there and graduate.</p>

13

<p>lynxed, I am afraid your mentality is incorrect when it comes to college admissions. I believe (as well as others including counselors and other students) that you should never set your sights on one school alone. Truth be told many of us here on CC who applied to Harvard are going to get rejected (that's the probability of things). If we all set our sights on Harvard exclusively, then if we are rejected we are going to be hit very hard emotionally. I think it's best to have a range of schools- Ivys, middle tier, and safeties that you have a "real desire" to attend. Harvard won't admit one candidate over the other simply because they are more determined to go to Harvard (although Byerly would beg to differ with his EA vs. RD statistics). They admit people because they are looking for that type of person/personality as they build their incoming freshman class. Furthermore, there is a famous report by a Princeton economist called the Krueger Report which basically found that students who have Ivy League traits (hard working, intelligent, reponsible, honest, etc.) and for whatever reason didn't want to go to Harvard or any other Ivy League (even though they were accepted) attained the same level of success in life as their Ivy counterparts. The university doesn't define you, but rather, you make the university and the experience. You make the Harvard experience, not Harvard. They give you the resources to make it happen.</p>

14

<p>You need to work on your SAT I scores...Try to get them up over a 1450 (or its equivalent in the new SAT)...Did you mention the AP Spanish score? Being that Spanish was your first language, I wouldn't list that one first...They will see it as a mere attempt to get college credit and may look at you negatively because of that.</p>

15

<p>Sorry for my lack of knowledge, but what's a URM?</p>

16

<p>under-represented minority (black, hispanic, NOT asian)</p>

<p>So far, the only reason you provided for liking Harvard is that it's the "best". I'm sure Harvard is the "best" in many, many areas, but shouldn't you have other reasons for wanting to go there? </p>

<p>Also, by "resident," did you mean permanent resident or resident, as in you're residing in the U.S.? If you are a permanent resident, you are fine. If you are not a permanent resident but on a travel visa or a student visa, you are international... in which case your chances go down.</p>

<p>My family also makes under 30k a year, but I don't get a benefit in admissions from that because I'm asian, and I live in the richest county of New York State. :/ I really think admissions should be influenced, if at all, by socio-economic factors, not by ethnicty.</p>

17

<p>mcz your comments are wrong. i have talked to many people including college counselors and adcoms. their number one piece of advice is to first and foremost demonstrate fluency in one language. they say that it is better for native speakers to master their language. a native speaker may know how to speak the language, but lack the basic grammar and writing skills.</p>

<p>if after you have mastered one language you have extra time then I suggest you study and pick up an additional third language.</p>

18

<p>Personally, I just meant that it would look better to also initially show that one excels in other areas than just the mastering of one's own native language. I'm actually in Spanish IV right now, so I am studying another language. I meant that it might be better for Finemeal to first show that he/she has excelled in other fields, as it appears that he/she is devoting the essay to also speaking about his/her life and early education in the United States. I feel it is more impressive to show knowledge in a field that you do not have a predisposition to, as it shows a desire to learn and further educate oneself in various fields. We don't know the extent of Finemeal's education in Spanish, so we cannot judge it; he/she may have mastered it already, previous to taking the course. The admissions officers will not know the extent of Finemeal's education in the Spanish language and may believe he/she was already thoroughly fluent in the language when he/she came here from Mexico. That is what I was implying.</p>

19

<p>for colleges, mastering a language is more important than say learning another one.</p>