Good stats + meh ec's prospective shotgunner

parentologist
Sat, 25 Dec 2021 09:06:05 +0000

You are NOT a “comparatively average ORM applicant”! You could apply anywhere in the country, and you might get in. Or you might not. With such stellar stats as yours, it really is going to depend upon whether you can frame your ECs and write your essays and have LORs that all work together to make the admissions committee sit up and take notice - and from what you present, there is a heck of a good reason for them to take notice! Please don’t sell yourself short. You sound incredible, as if you are going places.

Is writing a statement with a question mark at the end of it the new written equivalent of upspeak? Has it come to this, that smart, accomplished young women now lack the confidence to even write a statement, let alone speak one?

If you want Harvard, I suggest that you mention that you invented your own language, and that you’re interested in possibly concentrating in linguistics. That “little” translation machine learning thing you mention sounds amazing - could be the showpiece of an application. Harvard has a leading department in linguistics, and it’s not that common for people to do what you already have. You sound like a language genius - except that you are so high achieving and doing so much, that you don’t realize how exceptional this is! MIT might also be interested in you because of this, possibly Stanford. You can also add Berkeley, UCLA, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Cornell, U Chicago, Georgetown.

I’m not saying that you must emphasize linguistics over Econ/IR/Public Policy. It’s just that so many applicants are interested in Econ/IR/Public Policy, that you won’t stand out from the pack, even though your credentials are impeccable. Relatively few high school students have an interest in linguistics at all, let alone one as highly developed as yours. I really think that Harvard is the place for you, what with its having leading departments in all the areas you’re interested in, and the fact that you might be able to use your demonstrated accomplishment in linguistics, and demonstrated achievement in applied linguistics, no less, to make yourself stand out from the pack.

Don’t bother applying anywhere that you and your family aren’t willing to pay for, what with UVa at in-state price already in the bag for you, unless you just want to have an acceptance letter suitable for framing to put on your bedroom wall. You might be surprised that some of the Ivies would give you fin aid, if you get in, especially Harvard.

Now go get 'em. You’ve got all the elements for a successful application. In the second essay for Harvard, tell them all about your interest in and experience with linguistics, maybe tie it into public policy/IR with a tower of Babel opening line, with a theme of how communication saves the world. Have fun with it!

And if you wind up at UVa, that is still amazing, nothing to be ashamed of.