<p>@Visionary123 but how do I send updates that aren’t tangible like pdf awards or something?</p>
<p>Anyone else here into Alternate History or Science Fiction? </p>
<p>@hezekiel: Those are two of my favorite genres! The project I’m currently submitting to literary agents is alternate history/fantasy, and I’m working on a science fiction project right now! Do you read YA? </p>
<p>@calliemoon11: When I write YA by the seat of my pants and just let the dialogue flow, but for MG I definitely have to sit down and really think about it before I can write anything. Your technique sounds like a fantastic way to develop voice. I’m surrounded by high schoolers/adults all day, so I am not as tuned into MG speech patterns as I’d like to be. I’m trying to read more MG books and pick up on the voice there, but it’s definitely a challenge. </p>
<p>@otter101: Well, welcome to the Harvard thread 
I actually don’t know that many high school YA writers in real life, so it’s awesome to find so many on this thread! I’m also really into journalism, and I had a blog earlier in high school, but unfortunately it’s been gathering dust lately. I totally understand getting new, shiny ideas too quickly! I have a word doc that’s just full of story ideas I like but haven’t gotten around to Good luck with querying this summer! It’s so stressful, but a lot of fun. I actually love writing query letters, haha. Synopses are a different story…</p>
<p>@PcollegegirlP: Your positivity is awesome 
If we can see that from just a couple of posts on a discussion board, I’m sure adcoms will be able to see it and appreciate it as well. It’s a wonderful trait to have, and will definitely serve you well wherever you end up. And thank you so much!! I genuinely believe that whatever college you (and everyone else on this thread, for that matter) attend will be so lucky to have you as a student. This thread is awesome, and we’re definitely beating the other early applicant threads!</p>
<p>@frozens Thank u so much ur words are very encouraging, honestly!
You, urself are amazing and very passionate about Harvard… I really respect u for ur outstanding writing skills!!!
I bet all of u guys will make an amazing community and really achieve a lot no matter where u end up going…U guys are some of the coolest people I’ve had contact with!
And yessss, this thread is BLOOMING! </p>
<p>@HobbitTon, what do you mean?</p>
<p>@visionary123, like I got an update that I’m speaking in some new places overseas, so I want to update my AO on those new venues.</p>
<p>My son’s friend just received decision from Harvard yesterday. Anyone else?</p>
<p>What… how?! Via likely letter? Decision aren’t supposed to come out for almost three weeks.</p>
<p>@efr009 that’s so cool! Was it a likely letter? </p>
<p>Thank you, @PcollegegirlP! You’re awesome and I very much appreciate your kind words
And @efr009, is he an athlete? It’s possible that this was a likely letter, which I believe only athletes generally receive in the early round.</p>
<p>@Visionary123 ohhhhh okay thanks for the explanation I guess I have to wait until next month 
</p>
<p>@hezekiel I love science fiction!</p>
<p>@frozens I’ve also been trying to revisit MG books from my childhood. What are some of your favorites? (And I totally agree about synopses! Somehow, it’s really hard to summarize what your own novel is about. My interviewer asked me what my latest book was about, and I was like… O.o)</p>
<p>I love all of you guys so much! Even if I don’t end up getting in, I’ll always be really grateful to have been a part of this community. This thread always brightens my day. Thank you for being such wonderful, supportive people. <em>steps off soapbox</em></p>
<p>@efr009 Congratulations to him or her!!! That’s so exciting! Yes, I’m wondering, too: likely letter? Athlete?</p>
<p>Does anyone here go on Quora to look through philosophical posts? I love doing that and found a really nice post answering the question: What is the most disturbing truth about life? here: <a href=“http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-disturbing-truth-about-life”>http://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-disturbing-truth-about-life</a></p>
<p>Just thought I should share that with you guys in case it changes some people’s lives for the better. :)</p>
<p>Edit: My favorite post would be the one saying “That most of us are not “living” at all.” with The Dalai Lama Answers a Question graphic. (It may or may not be said by Delai Lama but the concept it’s still there) </p>
<p>@calliemoon11: My all time favorite MG novel is Savvy by Ingid Law. I first read it in seventh grade, and I’ve regularly reread it ever since. I highly, highly recommend it! The writing is fantastic, the characters are so quirky, and the plot is absolutely magical. Another one of my favorites is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. The author really nails the details and the characters are very three-dimensional. A more recent MG novel I’ve enjoyed is Rump by Liesel Shurtliff. I love fairy tale retellings (as I’m sure you can probably tell, lol) and this one is really imaginative. And I couldn’t agree more about synopses! They’re a pain in the neck, probably because it’s insanely difficult to condense an 80K novel into 500 words without sacrificing a lot of the plot. I’d take ten queries over one synopsis any day!</p>
<p>@fairyfantasy: Thanks for sharing! I’m going through that post right now, and it’s an interesting read </p>
<p>@calliemoon11 from a while back-- yeah, I’ve submitted science fiction and a short story to Scholastic before. I love writing but wish I had more time! Writing balances my physics side, I believe, and mustering up the creative energy to finish a piece is just as hard as anything in physics.</p>
<p>Have you read the teenager poems published by Scholastic? They boggle my mind. I feel like poetry is a genre I’ll never be able to break into, because it takes a different plane of genius. </p>
<p>@fairyfantasy in response to that quora post (btw I love quora for the physics posts), what do you think is the best way to live life? Is the Dalai Lama’s advice basically just “find a job that you love and spend time with your family and remember to take breaks”? I think it’s more complex than that. </p>
<p>Hi everyone, I have been following this thread for a while but have not had a question or comment until now! I had not gotten an interview contact/request until yesterday and the interview is not until December 9th. I know this is probably too late to have an impact on the early decision, so does the late interview point to a deferral or even a rejection? I don’t know what to think? I live just south of Cambridge, but no one has ever applied to Harvard SCEA before. The interviewer is typically assigned to my school (he usually interviews a few kids in an afternoon), so I don’t know if he thinks the timeline is the same?</p>
<p>@calliemoon11 @frozens Thank you! You all are so kind I head my high school’s paper and as for blogging, it’s mostly just personal stuff. I didn’t submit a writing supplement for Princeton (did you guys submit one to Harvard?), because I thought I showed enough of my creative writing/expression through my essays. Yes, the YA fan club! </p>
<p>You may want to call the admissions office because this sounds like a valid concern. The interview does seem late.</p>
<p>@otter101 I’m applying similarly—Biology focused major with a minor in English or something of the like. I don’t think this is too common. </p>