Harvard REA – What should I focus on?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hi! I’m a junior thinking about applying Harvard REA and I’d love advice on what to focus on over the next year + how realistic my chances are at T10s.

  • Demographics: Asian ,F

  • School: Large competitive public high school

  • Intended major: Neuroscience / Pre-med

  • SAT: 1560

  • ACT: 35

  • GPA: 3.93 UW, 5.23 W

  • Rank: Top ~8%

  • Coursework: 13 APs so far (more planned senior year)

  • Awards/Honors

  1. HOSA Nationals – Top 20 (international level)

  2. BPA Nationals – “Best in Show” / Top 3

  3. National Honor Society

  4. AP Scholar Award

Extracurriculars

  1. Club Officer for both Computer Science Club and Orchestra/Violin

  2. Founded a nonprofit in junior year focused on visiting senior citizen homes; organized multiple visits and student volunteers

  3. Shadowing: Observed multiple surgeries at a local hospital over the summer (neurosurgery/medicine-related)

  4. Summer Research Program at a local college (competitive selection) – did research related to biology/medicine

  5. 100+ volunteer hours at international festivals and community events

  6. Violin: Play at a nonprofit organization for community events / senior homes

  7. Tutoring: Teach math at a reputed middle school and also at a local tutoring institution, working with younger students on foundational and competition math

College List (non-safeties)

  • Harvard (REA)

  • Rest of HYPSM

  • Johns Hopkins

  • UPenn

  • Brown

  • Cornell

  • Columbia

2

Answer the supplements - showing about you, what you think, how you think. Focus on those things most important to you. Be yourself.

Btw - can you assure $95 a year plus med school ?

3

This is an extremely top heavy list. These colleges have very low acceptance rates and therefore, it’s just about impossible to chance someone for admission. There are many many many well qualified applicants at all of these colleges who don’t get accepted.

Just noting that you can take the required courses for medical school applicants at just about every four year college in this country.

Before you target all of these reach schools, please please find a sure thing for admission, that is affordable for your family, that you would be happy to attend. This is THE most important college needed on your application list. You say this list doesn’t include your “safety schools”. Really those are most important.

You don’t mention budget in your post, but this absolutely should be considered if medical school is in your future. Medical school will likely be over $100,000 a year, and federally funded loans will no longer cover the cost to attend. You will likely need either assistance from your family OR you will need to take private loans to help cover the costs.

Can your family pay the full cost to attend these reach schools? You can run the net price calculators but right now they are set up for students starting college in fall 2026, and that’s not you. For the 2027-2028 academic year, you will use 2025 tax year information. Since 2025 hasn’t quite ended, you will need to figure out the year’s totals. So…use the NPCs as an estimate only. And yes, colleges do change their financial aid formulas and awarding policies…so what is this year might not be next.

Please read the thread I’m linking here. This was a VERY strong student. NMF, top in class, excellent course rigor, excellent ECs and LOR, excellent essays. He was rejected at ALL of his colleges senior year of high school, an outcome that no one expected. He did land well on his feet after a well crafted gap year, but his senior year was not a happy time. You don’t want to be this student. Read the whole thread. It’s older, but admissions have become even more competitive since it was written: