<p>I haven’t taken the SAT yet, but when I’ve done tests I’m scoring in the high 700s (770-800) for math and 600s-700s for writing and reading. I don’t have a perfect gpa, 3.7 unweighted roughly, but I’ll have done single variable and multivariate calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, complex analysis, real analysis, and two or three more math classes (all done on the college level), along with calculus based physics, and two economics classes along with probably 8 ap classes total. Considering this, would this offset my gpa and could I likely be accepted to Harvard?</p>
<p>^^ Those academic accomplishments just get you to the starting line for Harvard. If you want to get in, you have to bring something to them that they want – leadership? athletics? organizational skills? Bringing a good – even great – academic record is just par for the course there.</p>
<p>Anything’s possible, but it depends also on your ECs. People get into Harvard with 3.7s, but usually its because a) they have a great class rank still or b) great ECs/essays/recs.</p>
<p>You’ll have to do more than take advanced math classes to make up for mediocre (by harvard’s standards) SAT scores and a poor gpa.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to shoot you down, but be careful about assuming good grades in advanced math courses. Analysis is much, much different from high school calculus and really understanding the material takes a great deal of background–proofwriting, abstract thinking, problem solving, etc. It would be pretty ridiculous to ingest 8 semesters’ worth of undergraduate math unless you are really motivated by genuine curiosity(as opposed to resume padding) and willing to focus for large chunks of time on difficult problems.</p>
<p>I’m not taking high school calculus, I took calculus through the community college in town. The other courses I’ll be doing in analysis (real and complex analysis, maybe even a class in manifolds :D) along with the other aforementioned course would be independent study courses through my current differential equations teacher who would emphasize proofs (and also would be a great recommender, either him or my math teacher who has known me from 8th grade till now (I did zero hour algebra I, which I failed and then became very interested in math afterwords, pushed myself, and taught myself algebra I-precalculus to test into calculus).</p>
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<li>Even if you scored a perfect 2400 on your SAT, that would not outweigh your transcript and course rigor. The reason most given by admins: The SAT (or ACT) is a one day snap-shot, whereas Course Rigor/GPA is a 3-year window. Harvard actually values AP tests higher than SAT’s because it’s a year-long window. See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 2 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 2 - The New York Times)</li>
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<p>“We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. High school grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT. The writing tests of the SAT and ACT have predictive power similar to the subject tests.”</p>
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<li>Think about this: Why do students with 2400 SAT’s and 4.0 unweighted GPA’s get rejected by top colleges every year? The short answer: Because something was missing in the rest of their application – it could have been non-passionate essays, or a lackluster recommendation or SSR Report. See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 3 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/harvarddean-part3/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 3 - The New York Times)</li>
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<p>"Recommendations from secondary school teachers and counselors are extremely important at Harvard and at many other colleges, particularly those with selective admissions processes. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, our admission officers review the two required teacher recommendations and the counselor report with great care, often commenting on them in writing on “reader sheets” in each application.</p>
<p>We often project the recommendations themselves onto large screens so that all members of the Admissions Committee can see them during the subcommittee and full committee review processes in February and March.</p>
<p>Recommendations can help us to see well beyond test scores and grades and other credentials and can illuminate such personal qualities as character and leadership as well as intellectual curiosity, creativity, and love of learning. Along with essays, interviews, and other materials in the application, recommendations can offer evidence of an applicant’s potential to make a significant difference to a college community and beyond."</p>
<p>==>> Bottom line: With a 5-6% acceptance rate, everything in your application package matters. Without being able to read your teacher recommendations and SSR Report and comparing that information to your transcript, course rigor and test scores – no one can chance you with any certainty. Best of luck to you in the admissions process!</p>
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Bottom line-- with stellar grades, EC’s LOR’s, etc, the chances are still over 90% that applicants will not get in…</p>
<p>^^ Agreed!</p>