Harvard does not do its admissions on the basis of who has worked incredibly hard and who has not For the students following this thread- this is the single most important lesson you can take away. If you love Harvard- figure out why, (not “it’s Harvard”) and then come up with a list of colleges which share those elements but are more likely to want what YOU bring to the table. Harvard’s odds mean that a strategy of “Harvard or Bust” is a pretty stupid one unless you’ve got a lab or library with your last name on it in Cambridge AND you are a solid student.