Puh-puh-puh-please (chance) me

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>I know it says this is my first post but I’ve been addicted to this site for a while now–expect to find my name more often. Anyway, I thought that I might start with the customary “Chance Me” thread.</p>

<p>State: Louisiana
White Female
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted)
Scores: 2090 (740 Reading, 670 math, 680 writing) just retook it in Dec., SATIIs: French w/ listening 650, Math I 700, Lit 730 (retaking Lit + French and taking Math II in January)</p>

<p>Current courses (“Gifted” ranks above “AP” here, my counselor sends a letter to explain this):
Eng IV (G)
Film as Literature (G)
French VI (AP-highest level availiable)
West. Civ. (G)
Calc (G)
Creative Writing (G)
Portfolio Development (must audition to get into class)
Physics II (AP-not offered as gifted)</p>

<p>Previous years are very strong and with a more humanitarian bias than a math/science bias. The weakest point in my transcript is probably the fact that I took Business Computer App, but it was school required.</p>

<p>ECs:
Student Council (11th grade - Representative, 12th grade - Special Events Coordinator)
French Club (10, 11 - Executive Board Officer, 12 - Co-President)
Beta (10, 11, 12 – Secretary)
Model UN (11, 12 – Secretary General aka president)
Key Club (9, 12)
Big Brother/Big Sister (9, 12)
Film Club (11, 12)
Student Parking Association (12)
Fencing (9 -12) ranked 7th women’s foilist in state in age group
Firelight Children’s Theatre (11, 12 – Lighting Director)
St. Anne’s Church Altar Servers (4-11, 12 – Head Altar Server)
Guitar Lessons (11, 12)
EF Tours England and Scotland (10)
Homecoming Court (12 – Maid)
National Honor Society (11-12)
Governor’s Program on Abstinence (12)
Teacher’s Appreciation Week Committee Chair + Founder
Special Ed. Christmas Dance Chair</p>

<p>Summers:
People to People Student Ambassadors, Malta to Paris (2007) - in process of earning college credit for this.
Vacation Bible School Volunteer (2004 - 2006)
Northwestern State University ADVANCE Program (2004)</p>

<p>Natl Merit semifinalist, hopeful finalist
Alexander Hamilton Award
Student of the Year Semifinalist</p>

<p>Rec.s: good, my counselor is known for doing a good job.
Essay: I’d certainly like to think it’s good. In it, I tak about Louisiana and how no one has pushed me to achieve but myself (seriously-my dad told me I don’t have to go to college). It relates, really.</p>

<p>Hooks:
Art portfolio (hopefully - the Harvard rep I met seemed pretty excited that I was submitting one)
Being from Louisiana (said rep also expounded the fact that too few people from here attend Harvard)</p>

<p>Intended history major.</p>

2

<p>eh i dont know if youll have a good chance.
what school are u from?</p>

3

<p>You probably have as good a chance as anyone. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>lol “gifted” courses–a bit derogatory to the people who don’t take it no?</p>

5

<p>Hi Sam… </p>

<p>test scores: probably lower than most harvard acceptees. If you haven’t taken the tests too many times already, I’d try to get it up to 2200’ish.</p>

<p>courses: don’t know if you’ve taken ap exams, but it seems like you’re taking the most challenging classes at your school, so that’s a plus</p>

<p>ecs: very active in school, but minimal accolades on state/national level. national merit semi helps, but that’s pretty standard among harvard applicants.</p>

<p>art: hard to judge</p>

<p>being on in louisiana helps.</p>

<p>i think besides test scores, the biggest challenge for you right now is that it’s hard to see from your list where you passion lies. it seems that you’ve joined a lot of ec’s, but have you really taken them anywhere. overall, right now your app probably isn’t the strongest. however, if you can convince your interviewer that you’re a nice, normal, amicable individual who’s also passionate and driven about something, then you’ll have a fairly good chance.</p>

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<p>oh hey. im from louisiana, too. which city/school are you from?</p>

<p>@ Narcissa: thats just how it works in louisiana.</p>

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<p>Get your SAT up to around 2260+. Your Class Rank? Good ECs. SAT Subject Tests Are A Little Low. Harvard Probably Wants High SAT Math Level II [Math Level I Is Like SAT Math] Good Luck!</p>

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<p>@ tongchen1226</p>

<p>That’s how it works in New York, as well.
In the case of Hunter College High School, anyway.</p>

<p>I laugh whenever I see that a school describes its students as “gifted.”
It’s a great ego-inflater.</p>

<p>Sadly, I’m only “talented” :)</p>

<p>@ OP</p>

<p>I agree with asdfjkl1. You do have as good a chance as everyone else.
Which means, in my opinion, that you are a competitive candidate.</p>

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<p>Lol. It’s amazing how ppl work up Stuyvesant and the other 8 Specialized Science High Schools. Parents think if kids go there, it’s a free ticket to Harvard which is complete b.s… Even at Stuyvesant, you have to work hard and stand out. While 20%+ of the class go to Ivies. Very Few Around 3-7 Get Into Harvard. 3-7 Out of 500 Kids. At my public high school, we’ve seen years with 4 kids into Harvard and average about 1-2 per year. It’s all about hardwork. Not really where you attend.</p>

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<p>^hmm yeah we have like 10 ppl total go to HYP each year, out of about 350 last year. (haha this year we have over 400 ppl and sophs have 500 ppl -.- we need a new school)</p>