***Official Harvard 2012 Decisions Thread***

[gummibar]

i dont' know what you mean by troll, but i really did get in and my parents really have around 2 million in capital gains a year. And i don't think that is a hook. It just makes me seem more advantaged than others. I probably jsut got lucky. stop over-analyzing

[gummibar]

Quote:
gummibar, wow you are lucky! Congrats. I have similar stats to you, this gives me hope!

Also "$1,870,000/year reported family income" WTH? Maybe that was your big hook.
He is a blatant troll, don't be foolish ~_~

[frog139]

mm waitlisted

[LBPX]

Haha went through the first few pages and feeling very, very small...

[harlowlove]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• SAT I: 2380 (800 CR, 800 W, 780 M)
• SAT II: 790 Literature, 710 US History, 710 Biology E, 620 World History
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8ish? Weighted 4.19
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): We don't officially rank - somewhere in the top 5.
• AP: US History (5), Psych (5), Bio (5), European History (5)
• Senior Year Course Load: Honors US Government, AP Stats, Sociology, Current Affairs, Honors Trig & Precalc, AP Engligh Lit, AP French Language, Honors Physics
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Honor as well as several school honors and music awards.
  

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars: Violin for 13 years - orchestra, chamber music and solo; concertmaster of two youth orchestras; winner of several state/regional concerto competitions; performed as soloist across the state; semifinalist in international competitions. National Honor Society (treasurer)
• Volunteer/Community service: Library volunteer and miscellaneous community service around my town and local city (100 hours over past 2 years); I've also organized some benefit programs to aid orphans in China.
• Summer Activities: music programs, international orchestra tours
• Essays: One describing the moment I knew I wanted to become a musician, the other discussing my sisters (who are adopted from China) and how they opened my eyes to the world's issues and what I can do to help solve them - both strong.
• Teacher Recommendation: 1 excellent, 1 solid but not outstanding
• Counselor Rec: excellent, really positive
• Additional Rec: excellent
• Interview: went really well! It was very candid and I got the feeling she liked me, although she did say that the interview didn't count for much.

Other

• State MA
• School Type: public
• Ethnicity: white
• Gender: female
• Income Bracket: $100-$150k
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None really. I was homeschooled until freshman year, but that was barely on my app.

Reflection

• Strengths: Passion for music, essays, SAT I and AP scores.
• Weaknesses: SAT 2s, no real hook.
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I got so lucky!! This has been my dream forever. I still can't believe it!

General Comments: Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! To those waitlisted, please don't be discouraged - keep trying!

[otech08]

Decision: Accepted
Will hopefully post stats later

[mzhang511]

Accepted =)

Congrats to everyone else!

[lindsay217]

Decision: Rejected

Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2370 (800 CR, 770 M, 800 W)
• ACT: 35
• SAT II: Math II C: 790, Biology 770, Literature 720
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/433
• AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5), Biology (5), Am. Gov (5), Calc AB (5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
• Senior Year Course Load: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, I.S. AP Comp. Gov, AP Calc BC Online, AP English Lit, Spanish 4
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, Elks MVS National Finalist, Multiple County and City and School-Level Recognitions
  [ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Varsity Swimming, 4 Years (Captain 2 Years); InterACT community service Club, 4 Years (President); Teen Advisory Committee, 4 years (President, 2 years); National Honor Society, 3 yrs (President); Model United Nations (2 yrs); Intramural Swimming (2 years); Track and Field (2 yrs); Church Youth Group (6 years)
• Job/Work Experience: Nanny, summer before senior year
• Volunteer/Community service: Early Literacy Volunteer (3 years); Library Volunteer (2 yrs); Time at High School Swim/Track Meets (2 yrs); Spanish Tutor (1 yr)
• Summer Activities: Intramural Swimming, Nanny
• Essays: I'm a pretty good writer: One was about my experience developing as a person on my high school swim team, the other about my passion for human rights and the cessation of genocide
• Teacher Recommendation: Excellent
• Counselor Rec: Excellent, I presume, my school loves me
• Additional Rec: Outstanding
• Interview: Very Very Good (He told me I gave a good interview)

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): MI
• School Type: Good Public
• Ethnicity: White bread
• Gender: Female
• Income Bracket: $75,000
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection

• Strengths: Test Scores, Grades
• Weaknesses: No hook, few national awards
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I didn't cure cancer and I'm not a left-handed black tuba player from Kansas

General Comments: Admissions is such a crapshoot.

[Aryeh]

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2380. (780 CR)
• SAT II: 800 Math IIc, 800 Chemistry, 760 World Hist
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
• AP (place score in parenthesis): World Hist (5), Us Hist (4), English Lang (5), Chemistry (5), Calc BC (5)
• Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Physics B, AP Spanish Lang, AP Economics macro/micro, AP US Gov, Linear Algebra, Jazz Ensemble
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholar; Gold Medal Award, Greater New York Metropolitan Mathematics Fair; NY All-State Band

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Instrumental music performance (saxophone, clarinet, flute, bassoon), National Honor Society (president), newspaper, quiz bowl (Vice-President), Tennis Team, Ski Club
• Job/Work Experience: Pit orchestra at local theater (10 hrs/week), math/science tutoring (4 hrs/week)
• Volunteer/Community service: ESL teaching at a local church
• Summer Activities: Columbia University Summer High School Program, Spanish Immersion in Barcelona, Spain
• Essays: Commonapp: learning to drive stick shift. Harvard supplement: doing NYTimes crossword puzzles
• Teacher Recommendation: Calculus, English 10h teachers
• Additional Rec: Superintendent of Schools (A harvard alumna)
• Interview: went well?
  

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): NY
• School Type: public
• Ethnicity: white
• Gender: male
• Income Bracket: middle class
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none
  

Reflection

• Strengths: Rank 1, great SATs, other interests (music, sports)
• Weaknesses: Another white Jew from NY public schools
• Why you think you were accepted: My application (and attached resume) show that I really have a life outside of school--and quite a busy one at that. I have music engagements almost every day, and beyond that I find time for tennis and some volunteer work. In addition, I'm sure the alumna rec from my Superintendent helped some.

[myohmy]

Accepted.....so pleased....good luck to everyone else.

[Navidad]

For my son:

Decision: Rejected

Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 2400 (800 M, 800 CR, 800 W) One sitting
• ACT: 36
• SAT II: Math II 800, Chemistry 800, Latin 720
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, straight As
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4 out of 378
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Chemistry (5), English Language (5), Latin Literature (5), US History (5), Physics B (5), Calculus BC (5), Computer Science A (4)
• IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
• Senior Year Course Load: AP English Literature, AP Latin Vergil, AP Physics C, AP Biology, AP US Govt., AP Macro Economics, Multivariable Calculus, Modern Physics, and Research Practicum (double block).
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): USAChO National Finalist, National Merit Finalist, National AP Scholar with distinction, Multiple Regional, State, and a few National Level Recognitions.

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Kung Fu (1st degree black belt), Quiz Bowl (Leadership), Science Olympiad, Latin Club/Certamen Team (Leadership), Knowledge Masters (Leadership), Research at Microbiology Lab, NHS, and Piano.
• Job/Work Experience: None
• Volunteer/Community service: Kung Fu Instruction, public library, hospital, NHS
• Summer Activities: Kung Fu kid's camp instruction, Library and Hospital volunteering, Doctor shadowing, and Research at a nearby University.
• Essays: Son thought they were good.
• Teacher Recommendation: Did not read.
• Counselor Rec: Did not read, but counselor knows him very well.
• Additional Rec: From a University professor who knows him from childhood, did not read.
• Interview: Very good

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): TX
• School Type: Good Public Magnet
• Ethnicity: Indian
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Requires Financial Aid
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

• Strengths: Test Scores, Grades, EC, and volunteering.
• Weaknesses: No hook and Asian Male.
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don't know.

General Comments: Rejected from Princeton, MIT, Wharton(LSM), and Stanford.

[you'llsee...]

where was your son accepted?

[if this is not a troll posts]

[Navidad]

You'llsee, my son was accepted to Caltech, Duke, Rice and UT; waitlisted at Yale.

[dwindlelights]

Decision: Waitlisted
Objective:

• SAT I (breakdown): 690 CR, 800 M, 800 W
• ACT: 31
• SAT II: 800 Math II, 740 Physics, 720 U.S. History
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94 UW, 4.4 W
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/692
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (5), World History (4), English Language (4), U.S. History (5), Physics B (5), Calculus (5), Microeconomics (5), Macroeconomics (5)
• IB (place score in parenthesis):None
• Senior Year Course Load: AP English Literature, AP French Language, AP Calculus BC, AP Government, College Prep Seminar, College Peer Counseling
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, National AP Scholar

Subjective:

• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student Council, Teaching myself French and Cantonese
• Job/Work Experience: None
• Volunteer/Community service: Key Club (Vice-President), College Peer Counselor (Testing Coordinator), volunteered at a Kaiser Hospital
• Summer Activities: Took a Chemistry and Linguistics Course at a community college and a Math Analysis one at my high school
• Essays: I thought they were pretty good but not great
• Teacher Recommendation: One good; one decent
• Counselor Rec: Good
• Additional Rec: None
• Interview: Good, we talked about learning a second language and its hardships

Other

• State (if domestic applicant): California
• Country (if international applicant): U.S.America =]
• School Type: Public, large
• Ethnicity: Chinese
• Gender:M
• Income Bracket:$60,000
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):First Generation

Reflection

• Strengths: SAT, rank
• Weaknesses: Ethnicity, extracurriculars were bland
• Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Look at my weaknesses

General Comments:
Also waitlisted at Stanford and Columbia
Rejected from Yale and Princeton
Plan to go to UCLA or Cal! =]

Well at least I tried and now I can move on.

[sprtn117]

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 670 CR, 730 M, 780 W
SAT II: 780 Math II, 790 Spanish, 800 U.S. History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96 UW, 4.76 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/660
AP (place score in parenthesis): Spanish Language (5), Spanish Lit (5), Statistics (5), US History (5), Chemistry (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Calc BC, AP Art History, AP US Gov, AP MacroEcon, AP Physics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar With Distinction
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Kenpo Karate Black Belt 1st Degree, Football, Wrestling, a few clubs, tons of volunteer service
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: Local congressman reelection campaign, flag football assistant coach, karate instructor, volunteer at local library, random key club events,
Summer Activities: Took a couple of college courses at Stanford
Essays: Good
Teacher Recommendation: Both good
Counselor Rec: Amazing
Interview: Went well methinks
Other
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant): US
School Type: Public, large
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender:M
Income Bracket:61K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):First Gen college, URM, 1st gen American
Reflection
Strengths: rank
Weaknesses: SAT I
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: idk not stellar enough i guess
General Comments:
O well, looks like I am going to Princeton or Stanford