<p>Here is the thing, I am a very ambitious person. I was really hung up on going to Columbia. That was my goal, I wanted it so badly. I remember when I got rejected, I kept Peter Osvath on the phone for almost an hour, asking what I need to do to get in.</p>
<p>And then one of my professors asked me, do you care about going to Columbia or becoming a mathematician? It’s good to have high goals, but it’s also good to have a backup plan. I care about becoming a mathematician rather than being a Columbia PhD.</p>
<p>To me sure it’s great to work at Harvard, but the odds are just against you. I’m not saying don’t apply, but focus on MATH. Odds of getting into Harvard, if the applications were randomly picked is roughly less than 5%. That’s if the applications are random. </p>
<p>Look at other schools as well as Harvard. What field do you want to pursue? Harvard is quite good in most subjects, but there are a lot of schools that are also good in a lot of those subjects.</p>