Dealing with competition - other guy in my grade applied to SCEA school like me

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>I applied to Harvard SCEA, and so did this other boy in my grade. I am rank 1 and he is rank 2. He was on a much more accelerated math path than I was: he took AP Calc AB in 9th grade, AP Calc BC in 10th grade, and Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calc afterwards, whereas I took AP Calc AB/BC in 11th grade and Multivariable Calc this year. I think if it were not for the fact that he had two regular, non-weighted class every year (student government and band) as opposed to my one regular, non-weighted class (tennis), that he would have beat me out for the #1 rank. We have the same SAT score (2380) and basically the same level of SAT subject scores (770+). I have more APs than he does (nearly twofold), however, especially as a result of self-studying for some exams. He did not take not take AP for the foreign language he is in whereas I did (thus he did not meet the suggested 4-year of foreign language that Ivies advocate, but not necessarily require). In junior year, due to a schedule conflict, though, I could not take AP Chemistry as the class and had to self-study it whereas he was able to take it as a class. I self-studied that along with AP Biology, receiving a 5, although I am slightly wary on this matter as I have heard colleges prefer students to take the class rather than self-study and/or this may be discounted as not technically “taking full advantage of my curriculum.”</p>

<p>I am involved in more extracurriculars than he is. I have various leadership positions, for notable clubs and varsity tennis, and internships, for scientific research, a Congresswoman, and two distinguished business companies, under my belt; as well as regional/state, national, and international awards/honors for robotics, piano and whatnot. He has none of these latter credentials, with involvement purely in student government, marching band, and two or three clubs and no awards/honors whatsoever than school academic ones. </p>

<p>We were both deferred Harvard SCEA. We do not attend a competitive school; it is a subpar public high school, and we are the only people who share similar aspirations and the caliber to attend HYPSMCC et al. That being said, he has been the sole inkling of competition and source of fear all these years in high school for college admissions and class rankings.</p>

<p>Considering that we both perhaps wrote equally evocative, passionate, and eloquent essays, who do you believe is the stronger applicant?</p>

2

<p>Your question is impossible to answer. No matter how similar your stats and test scores, each of you have different teacher recommendations and an SSR report. Who is the stronger applicant? The one with the stronger recommendation – and that is an unknown. See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 3 - The New York Times)</p>

<p>"Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on “reader sheets” in each application.</p>

<p>We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.</p>

<p>Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning.</p>

3

<p>HSM == Single choice means the student can only apply to one school early. It does NOT mean Harvard can only choose one of the applicants from your school. If the admissions committee thinks you are equal candidates they will offer both of you admission, or not. You’ll just have to wait and see but you both sound like excellent candidates having performed as well as you have at a “sub par high school”. Good luck to you.</p>

4

<p>T2 answered this with complete correctness on your other thread to this effect.</p>

5

<p>Why does it really matter what he does and how great you are in comparison to him? </p>

<p>As cheesy as it sound, if you are the best you can be and it shows in your application, then there is no reason for you to be scared of this kid and vice-versa. What you should be wishing for is that you both get into Harvard. That may not be the reality come April but students should support each other not feel the need to compete in a death match of SATs, Grades, and extracurriculars. Find a more important question to post please.</p>

<p>I wish you and your arch rival the best of luck!</p>