Applied to Harvard; What are my chances?

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>Gender: Male
Nationality: Singaporean
Race: South Asian (Indian)
School: Top 3 in Singapore</p>

<p>Academics</p>

<p>Unweighted Grades</p>

<p>Grade 9 – GPA: 3.10
Grade 10 – GPA: 3.20
Grade 11 – GPA: 4.00
Grade 12 – GPA: 4.00</p>

<p>Top 5 in class</p>

<p>Standardized Testing</p>

<p>SAT (I)
Mathematics: 790
Critical Reading: 780
Writing: 800</p>

<p>SAT (II)</p>

<p>World History: 790
English Literature: 800
Mathematics II: 800</p>

<p>International Baccalaureate</p>

<p>History HL – 7 points
Physics HL – 6 points
Economics HL – 7 points
Mathematics SL – 7 points
English SL – 7 points
Tamil SL – 7 points</p>

<p>Bonus 3 points</p>

<p>Predicted IB Score – 44 points</p>

<p>Diplôme d’études en langue française</p>

<p>Pass</p>

<p>No Financial Aid Required</p>

<p>Extra-Curricular Activities</p>

<p>Writer for Opinion and Editorials Column</p>

<p>Articles published in The Straits Times and The New Yorker</p>

<p>Singapore Youth Flying Club – 4 years</p>

<p>Senior Cadet Aeromodeller
Squad Leader
Junior Aviators Course
Basic Aeromodelling Course
Assistant Instructors Course
Basic Flying Course
Private Pilot’s License
Alumni Pilots Executive Committee Member </p>

<p>Young Diplomats Society – 3 years</p>

<p>Secretary General
Honorable Mention for Best Delegate – Raffles Model United Nations
Secretary – Singapore Model United Nations (SIMUN)
Best Delegate – Nanyang Technological University Model United Nations
Best Resolution – Singapore Model United Nations (SIMUN)
Young Diplomats Forum Attendee
Best Delegate – Singapore Model United Nations (SMUN)
Conceptualized, Headed and Planned the International Model United Nations at AC – iMUN@AC, handling 3000 students
Harvard Model United Nations – Best Delegate
The Hague International Model United Nations – Best Delegate
Best Delegate – Nanyang Technological University Model United Nations
Best Resolution – Singapore Model United Nations (SIMUN)
Best Delegate – Singapore Model United Nations (SMUN)
United Nations Association of Singapore Young Diplomats Gold Award
Global Young Leaders Congress – Attendee</p>

<p>Peer Support Leader – 1 year</p>

<p>Served as a guide and mentor to freshmen in the high school</p>

<p>World Scholar’s Cup – 1 year</p>

<p>National Champions in Singapore
Top 5 in International Round in South Korea</p>

<p>Harvard Summer School Program – 2 weeks</p>

<p>Top 5 candidates
Top 1% transcript marks</p>

<p>Young People’s Action Party – 3 years</p>

<p>Active Youth Member
Participated and Volunteered in many programs to educate the underprivileged in politics, policies of the ruling party and voting</p>

<p>School Newsletter Team – 2 years</p>

<p>Senior Member of Executive Committee
President of Design and Layout Branch</p>

<p>Science Research Club – 2 years</p>

<p>Singapore Science and Engineering Fair – Bronze medal
National Mathematics Olympiad – Silver Award
Singapore Youth Science Fair – Finalist and Best Oral Presentation Award
CB Paul Memorial Science Quiz – 5th best team
Victoria Junior College Science Quiz – 2nd best team
Raffles Junior College Science Quiz – 4th best team
Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award – Silver Medal</p>

<p>Indian Cultural Society – 4 years</p>

<p>Organized Arts Fest – Overall in-charge of Information Technology
Raffles Information Technology Competition – Top 5
Victoria School Information Technology Competition – First Place
Organized Arts Fest – Executive Committee
Organized Arts Fest – Executive Committee</p>

<p>Temple of Fine Arts Music School – 2 years</p>

<p>Keyboard player</p>

<p>Industrial and Business Attachment – 4 years</p>

<p>National University of Singapore’s Singapore Synchrotron Light Source – Assistant to Research Professor
Singapore Science Centre- Research Scientist
Republic of Singapore Air Force – Pilot Trainee
Academy of Science Technology and Research - Researcher
National University of Singapore School of Computing – Computer Mentorship Program – Certificate of Distinction
United Nations Association of Singapore – Student Intern </p>

<p>Volunteering – 4 years</p>

<p>Tutoring Grade 5 and Grade 6 underprivileged children
Working with a youth branch of the leading political party to inform underprivileged citizens about policies and voting
Research Assistant at the Singapore Science Centre
Window of the World program to Cambodia to help build toilets for the sick and needy
AVAAZ.com Singapore Campaign Volunteer</p>

<p>So what do you feel are my chances?</p>

2

<p>I don’t think we are really qualified to say what your chances are. Frankly, Harvard is a crapshoot. I personally think they post the applications on a wall and throw a huge party, where they blind fold themselves and throw darts to see which students they should admit.</p>

3

<p>haha i really hope they dont do that. lol that was funny.</p>

4

<p>you’ve got a good chance. gpa was low 9 and 10 but other than that, i’d say it’s lookin good.</p>

5

<p>thanks a lot. will the 9 and 10 hurt?</p>

6

<p>Sorry, Harvard doesn’t like Asians :)</p>

7

<p>you cant possibly be serious. Harvard introduced the SAT to open up Ivy League schools to more than just White Males from New England.</p>

8

<p>What is the 2-week Harvard Summer program? How would you know how you stand in relation to candidates and participants?</p>

<p>As far as I know you can only do a four or eight week summer program at Harvard, and they do not publish percentile data for transcripts (and I don’t know how you could possibly be in the top 1% - I am sure more than 1% of participants got 2 As in their classes, the highest grades Harvard offers) nor do they rank candidates (what does that even mean - top five?)</p>

9

<p>Sorry, that was a typo. It’s a 3 week program at Harvard (25 days) and in my class, only 5 got all As and I was there, so that puts me top 5 i think.</p>

10

<p>What three week program?</p>

11

<p>Just to save yourself time, trouble and money, all the selective colleges emphasize that there is no relationship between attending their summer schools and admissions chances. (Which doesn’t stop the summer schools from marketing themselves as if there is.) </p>

<p>I am speaking in general, not about Harvard specifically, but it’s only logical - most selective college summer schools are pretty expensive, and so automatically filter out a lot of deserving applicants. In addition, students with a key extracurricular often use the summer to pursue their interests.</p>

12

<p>The Hague International Model United Nations doesn’t nominate its ‘Best Delegate’…in which commission were you actually in?</p>

13

<p>youllsee- why do you think so? where can i improve myself?</p>

<p>chlee1991 - In which year did you actually go to THIMUN? I went when I was in Sec 4 and I was in environment commission sub commission 2</p>

14

<p>Wow…considering your an international with no financial aid obligations I’d say your in…the only possible thing that could hurt you would be your lowish 9,10th GPA. however, if I remeber correctly I dont think Harvard pays close attention to freshman grades anyway. I don’t see anything about your recs and essays tho…if they are good I would say you have very high chances. :)</p>

<p>PS: Does your school predict IB TOK/Extended essay points? I go to an IB school and for some ■■■■■■■■ reason they chose not to predict us properly and instead give EVERYONE 1/3 for that component. They say the IBO doesn’t allow them to give more than that this early on but I think that’s a load of BS…</p>

15

<p>Omg that’s real ******** lol. My school does NOT allow you to GRADUATE if you dont get 3 points so assuming everyone graduates, everyone gets 3 points. My recs and essays are good but I dont see the point of saying them lol cause everyone says their recs and essays are good.</p>

16

<p>I knew it! ekk…my skl is so friggin stupid…</p>

<p>Wow 3 points to graduate…those are some high standards. Anyway, thanks and good luck :)</p>

17

<p>thanks. infact, they emphasize that more than they emphasize getting 6s and 7s lol.</p>

18

<p>well, I went to THIMUN 2007 around the end of January as a delagate of China for Human Rights subcommission 1.</p>

19

<p>BTW, when did you apply to Harvard?? </p>

<p>And I keep asking myself why you took Math SL in IB when you seem to be a science genius…and is you ‘English SL’ on a A1 or A2 level?</p>

20

<p>your entire application makes little sense. i am beginning to disbelieve you.</p>