Do I have a shot?

[runi27]

<p>As much as I know that Harvard is a far reach for me, I fell in love with the campus and atmosphere on my visit, and I'm planning on applying there. But on threads I have posted, I've gotten responses that my SAT scores are too low for an unhooked applicant, and they hurt my chances. I know my SAT scores are only decent for an unhooked candidate, but overall do I have a shot?
SAT I : cr/m/w: 710/770/800 (yeah cr is low, I'm taking ACT in September)
SAT IIs: math ii/bio/us: 760/730/730 (retaking math II in october, and doing lit)
EC's: DECA Regional President, Model UN Chair/Officer, Varsity Tennis Team Captain, Mock Trial Team Captain, Likely NMF (229)
GPA:94 APs: Lang, Bio, US, Euro-5 Micro, Macro-4</p>

<p>I am well aware that Harvard is a reach, but do I have a shot? Does my 1480/1600 hurt my chances (and would a 35/36 ACT remedy this)?</p>

[zinthafan]

<p>Your scores are fine (in my opinion) and I don't think SAT retaking is necessary (at least not for the regular SAT)
and if you look at most competitive college websites, kids are admitted a LOT more who submit SAT, not ACT.
I'd recommend doing extra cirriculars- like the real world experiences, and squeezing them in before you apply</p>

[runi27]

<p>by real world experiences do you mean traveling places and doing internship etc.</p>

<p>also is it true that kids who submit SAT are accepted more, or is it that accepted kids submit their SATs more often than ACTs? Thanks for the input</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>
[quote]
Your scores are fine (in my opinion) and I don't think SAT retaking is necessary

[/quote]
</p>

<p>"necessary" is not an applicable word here. Retaking and getting a higher CR score would help.</p>

<p>
[quote]
and if you look at most competitive college websites, kids are admitted a LOT more who submit SAT, not ACT.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What does "kids are admitted a LOT more" mean? Are you referring to raw numbers or acceptance rates? Of course, only the latter figure is relevant, so I'm curious to see where you found that students who submit only the ACT are admitted at a lower rate.</p>

[runi27]

<p>Thanks silverturtle....and will my SAT score hurt me in HYPS admissions? I don't want to take the SAT a third time, since I feel like it makes me look like someone who is too focused on standardized tests. I'm taking the ACT in September, so if I score well on this will it help? Will colleges "forgive" my CR score if I get a high Lit SAT II score? (You said on your guide that this was harder than actual CR section)</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>
[quote]
and will my SAT score hurt me in HYPS admissions?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>"hurt" is also probably a poor word because it has to be with respect to something. Your overall score of 2280 is strong, but 710 in CR is lower than you might want. It certainly is not a major detriment; however, I imagine that getting 750+ would make your SAT score nothing but a positive in the process. 710 is near Harvard's 25th percentile for CR, a rather undesirable position. </p>

<p>
[quote]
I don't want to take the SAT a third time, since I feel like it makes me look like someone who is too focused on standardized tests

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Three times is not excessive unless you are retaking an ultra-high score. Plus, Harvard allows the use of Score Choice, which essentially renders that a non-issue (for that school at least).</p>

<p>
[quote]
I'm taking the ACT in September, so if I score well on this will it help?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If you score better on the ACT, your SAT score will be rendered completely irrelevant.</p>

<p>
[quote]
colleges "forgive" my CR score if I get a high Lit SAT II score?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, getting a high Literature score would help, but I wouldn't say that it would "forgive" anything.</p>

[runi27]

<p>So on collegeboard.com when it says that the middle 50% of Harvard students' scores ranges from 690-780, is this because the scores of athletes and hooked applicants are factored in. Is a 710 a 25th percentile score for an unhooked applicant like me?
Thanks for answering my past questions silverturtle.</p>

[silverturtle]

<p>The score ranges are for all acceptees.</p>