<p>hopefully this is the right place to put this.</p>
<p>im a freshman right now, but im willing to work extremely hard because my dream school to get into is harvard. i would like to be a lawyer as an adult. </p>
<p>that said, im not sure which classes i should take. concerning math, im currently in geometry. next year (soph) im scheduled for alg 2, and then trig in the summer and calc AP in junior year. is this acceptable, or behind the curve, or anything? this is how most people at my school do their maths, and i cant deviate from it at ALL. </p>
<p>for language, i was forced to take spanish 1 this year (i live in s florida, my mom wanted me to be able to speak it) but i would REALLY like to transfer to french next year. im very interested in learning it. would it be a downer on my application if i switched? </p>
<p>also: any recommendations for classes i shoud be taking that would help me get in, or at least raise my chances? difficulty level out of play…i’m willing to take on anything.</p>
<p>First of all, keep in mind that Harvard turns down many extremely qualified applicants every year–so, while you should be proactive, don’t bank your self-esteem on getting into Harvard.</p>
<p>re: math: I got in just taking Calc AB my senior year, and I know several others in the same position. You’re fine. [Then again, I also know a few people who got rejected with 5s on Calc BC under their belts.]</p>
<p>re: language: I would really discourage you from transferring for several reasons:
a) You should try to attain the highest degree of proficiency possible in a language–you can’t get that by starting over.
b) Intro language courses are (relatively) easy. Taking more than necessary means that your course load isn’t the most challenging.
c) If you live in south Florida, you SHOULD take Spanish. It’s actually useful to you.
d) …I just really hate when people complain that they’re “stuck” taking Spanish. Mostly because it’s a vaguely racist assertion (at least in my area).</p>
<p>Advice: Don’t try to mold yourself into the perfect Harvard applicant. Try to mold yourself into the best person you can possibly be.</p>
<p>I’ll just tell you a little bit about my schedule:</p>
<p>Freshman Year:</p>
<p>Geometry
World History
Freshman English
Spanish I
Biology</p>
<p>Sophomore Year:</p>
<p>American Literature
AP US History
Algebra II
Spanish II
Chemistry</p>
<p>Junior Year:</p>
<p>AP Government
AP Physics
European History (H)
Junior English (H)
Pre-Calc (H)
Spanish III</p>
<p>Senior Year:</p>
<p>AP English
AP Chemistry
AP Calculus
AP Macroeconomics
Spanish V (Skipped Spanish IV)
History Seminars (H)</p>
<p>I took the maximum number of AP classes. There is no specific class that will increase your chances, just take the hardest courseload you can manage. However, the best advice I can give you is not to focus on any one school at this moment. Though you may be very qualified, Harvard rejects 93% of applicants. </p>
<p>Try to do something very, very special outside the classroom</p>
<p>My advice:
[ul]
[<em>]take what your interested in because adcoms like to see coherence and individuality in a course schedule (as a corollary, challenge yourself in the subjects you enjoy);
[</em>]don’t worry about your math sequence because there are no minimum requirements for non-engineers (I got in with only half a semester of calculus and half a semester of vectors in my senior year);
[<em>]stick with Spanish because adcoms like to see four consecutive years of study in one language (you can always learn French in university; it’s not that hard to pick up);
[</em>]finally, don’t try to bend over backwards to impress adcoms because you will most likely fail in assessing what it is that they’re looking for (as trite as this may sound, just be yourself and try to give adcoms some insight into your personality).
[/ul]</p>
<p>If you’re intent on consciously making yourself more attractive to universities, you should know that newspapers routinely feature stories describing what goes on behind the scenes in admissions offices (there was one really good one about UChicago posted on this website, but I can’t seem to find it now). Consult those stories before you consult high-schoolers here.</p>
<p>thanks guys! im beginning to see that it isnt really about how many APs you take or how perfect your schedule is, its also something unique and individuality that they’d want. thats cool, i can do that.</p>
<p>As a freshman, I would wish for you that you could relax a little and enjoy high school, without stressing about college, let alone getting into Harvard. Just take the courses that you want to take, and pursue whatever interests you at this point, which might very well change a few times in the next few years.</p>
<p>You may want to be a lawyer right now, but that could also change.</p>
<p>When the time comes, in a year and a half or two years, to really think about colleges, make sure that you research a lot of different schools, and figure out what it the best fit for you. There are a lot of good books out there like “Beyond the Ivies,” and “College that Change Lives,” and “Cool Colleges.”</p>
<p>It seems that Harvard admissions is not that predictable. For instance, a student who does not take on every single academic challenge, in order to free up time for something like theater, or volunteering, or whatever authentic passion that student develops, might do just as well as someone who takes every tough AP available.</p>
<p>But worrying about getting in to Harvard right now seems kind of sad to me. I hope you can enjoy your high school years without this kind of pressure.</p>
<p>Other than taking the most rigorous curriculum possible and doing as well as you can in it, the thing that will most impress the Harvard admissions committee is seeing what passions you’ve developed and how you’ve fully thrown yourself into them for the sake of your own love of the activity, not for the sake of Harvard’s admissions committee. Trust me, they’ll be able to tell the difference.</p>
<p>I took the most challenging classes my school has to offer, but that’s not a guarantee that you’ll get in.
Find something you are very interested in or very passionate about and commit to it throughout high school. This is, in my opinion, what would set you apart from all the 2300s SAT and 10 APs.</p>
<p>harvard med asks for two years of bio at college level and one of physics. how do you complete that if you cant transfer? do you just take it at harvard?</p>