<p>I noticed that there wasn’t a thread yet for those that received likely letters, so I wanted to start one that would also include stats for those who are curious about the people that receive likely letters. I borrowed the template from another forum, so please let me know if you want any additional information. Also, I want to remind everyone that it is a holistic process and a lot of the people who receive the likely letters are recipients of a blessing from God, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t receive one. After all, Harvard only sent out 100 non-athletic likelies this year. </p>
<p>Objective:</p>
<ul>
<li>SAT I (breakdown): 760 Math, 740 Critical Reading, 800 Writing; (2300)</li>
<li>SAT II: Bio E 700, Bio M 690, Math I 690, Math II 650</li>
<li>Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/214 </li>
</ul>
<p>Subjective:</p>
<ul>
<li>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Clubs: Class Officer (President All 4 Years), Student Council (Officer 1 Year), Key Club (Officer 1 Year), Spanish Club (Officer 3 Years), NHS, Kindness Club, FCA, UIL Academics (Regional Qualifier 2 Years), Rotary Interact Club
Music: Piano (10 Years), Euphonium in Marching and Symphonic Band (Top Band, State Solo & Ensemble Qualifier 2 Years)
Sports: Cross Country (Varsity 3 Years, Team Captain, Regional Qualifier, Team MVP), Track (Varsity 4 Years, Regional Qualifier)
Additional: Youth Group (Very active member, President of Youth Leadership)</li>
<li>Job/Work Experience: Six Flags Ticket Seller/Guest Relations Representative (July 2008-Present)</li>
<li>Volunteer/Community service: Various Mission Trips, Key Club Volunteer Hours, Nursing Home Visits, Food Bank Work, Angel Food Ministries Distribution</li>
<li>Summer Activities: Trip abroad to Spain after freshman year, but nothing too big outside of work and summer school</li>
<li>Essays: Common App Essay: I reflected on my long list of EC’s and mentioned how I decided sophomore year to cut down on my EC’s in order to focus and derive pleasure from my activities/ Supplement: I described how C. S. Lewis’s novels have shaped my life, especially the Chronicles of Narnia, also making the connection between our church denomination (both Anglican).</li>
<li>Teacher Recommendation: Two great recommendations, one from a Physics and AP Bio teacher, the other from an AP World History and Dual Credit U.S. History professor. Both really highlighted my personal characteristics and were very well written</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: Fantastic! I have grown to know my counselor the last two years, so she had a good idea of who I was as a person</li>
<li>Additional Rec: (I’m not sure if they reached the office before my app was reviewed, but I’ll assume they were) One from my Youth Director and one from my Piano Instructor, both really good and both showing sides of me that aren’t necessarily seen in the classroom.</li>
<li>Interview: Awesome! It lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes and my interviewer and I instantly clicked and had great conversations. He said that I was well-qualified and he wished me luck. My favorite part of the process. :)</li>
</ul>
<p>Other</p>
<ul>
<li>State (if domestic applicant): Texas</li>
<li>Country (if international applicant): </li>
<li>School Type: State</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Black (Mother from Jamaica, Father from Trinidad)</li>
<li>Gender: Male</li>
<li>Income Bracket: Upper Middle Class</li>
<li>Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM (Diverse Caribbean background)</li>
</ul>
<p>Reflection</p>
<ul>
<li>Strengths: Well-rounded, a little bit of interest in all of the major quadrants, strong SAT I scores, strong GPA, Class Rank, Personal Essays that weren’t overly complex, and prayers!</li>
<li>Weaknesses: SAT II scores, not as much volunteer work as I’d like to have, only a few AP scores (although this is limited due to school size)</li>
<li>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I prayed more than I ever thought I could! Haha, I believe that God led me to the acceptance and he kept me on pace throughout high school, always working hard, yet not obsessively trying to be the best. I think they liked my well-rounded resume and the fact that I tried a lot of things and had at least a small amount of success in most of them. I was also very eager to get accepted to Harvard, so they might have sensed it in my application somehow. </li>
<li>Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at Auburn, Likely Letter from Dartmouth and Likely Letter Equivalent from Rice, I am still awaiting notification from Brown, Cornell, and Columbia, however, Harvard is my first choice.</li>
</ul>
<p>In the end, just be you and do the best you can do! You never know what might happen. When your dreams come true, you will have the best feeling ever, so hold onto that and work hard for what you want to achieve. :)</p>