Hello! My chance me post is here, but to put it shortly, I’m a low-income international with a low GPA but also some great research experience. When I attended the Leiden Summer School in Linguistics, a really well-known academic in my field invited me for an internship at a Max Planck Institute (which I won’t name here specifically), and that’s quite surprising as I’m a high school student.
Well, I’m going there next July, and I found out today that Harvard has a research center in collaboration with this institute I will be interning at. Is there any way I can use this information in my Harvard admissions that would put me ahead? Or are these institutions aimed at PhD students and post-docs, well, irrelevant in undergraduate admissions? Because at the same time, I’m thinking, this isn’t really that big of a deal since American students do research with these Ivy League professors all the time.
This isn’t true. I’m going to say that the vast majority of high school students here do not do research with an Ivy League professor. Most high school students here don’t even apply to the Ivy League schools…or really care about them.
The devil is in the details. What exactly will you be doing in terms of research with this professor? You should include this in the activities section of your application if it’s worthwhile.
The US is very big, and the Ivy League schools are very small. American students do not do research with Ivy League profs all the time. Maybe a handful a year get this opportunity. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
What ever there is about you that enabled you to get this internship is also going to be seen by admissions committees. I think the fact that you got this internship shows that there is something there that is unusual.
If you can afford to take the internship and you’re interested in the subject then go for it. It will help YOU, whether or not it impacts your chances at Harvard. Doing something that is intriguing is a great thing-- it may not get you into Harvard, but it will help your intellectual understanding of a topic regardless.
If the only reason to take the internship is the Harvard admissions angle- I’d rethink it. Admissions is such a low probability event from the git-go, so even DOUBLING your chances really doesn’t mean much…
What a nice update! Glad to know about your exciting opportunity!
I would say that, generally, when students try to get recommendation letters from the professor of a specific University or somehow get connected to that school’s non-Admissions folx in order to boost admissions chances to that school, the attempt usually tends to be futile.
BUT! I am by not means saying that you shouldn’t pursue this. It’s a wonderful opportunity (high school me is so jealous of you right now!). Here’s the thing, you boost your chances by:
Simply strengthening your application overall, which benefits your application to ANY school
While AOs won’t think: “Woah! They worked at this research center that partners with us, so this partnership is a plus on their application!” They would think about how you are indeed a great fit for the resources of the school and that you’ll contribute positively to this school’s sources and research. This also helps confirm your interest in a specific school.
This is a wonderful opportunity! I hope you make the best out of it. As I have previously mentioned, your achievements are beyond college admissions. No matter the results for now, they will carry you very far, especially if you’re interested in grad school!