Time to get real

Colleges & Universities Harvard University
1

<p>Ok people, the stress and the inability to share my problems with someone is killing me, so it’s about time that I guess serious about this and set my feet on the ground. I’ll try to explain my circumstance the best I can, and I hope you can help me determine whether these hopes and dreams are absurd and a waste of time or if, in fact, I still have a chance.</p>

<p>I’m in one of the top schools in Panama (a private K-12 school). Before entering the 9th grade I said to myself: ‘‘I’ll make the best of these years, in order to get into my dream schools Cornell or Harvard’’ (pretty high expectations, dontcha think?). </p>

<p>2 years have passed, and I’m currently in the middle of my junior year, same school. My promise made in 9th grade was not at all accomplished, neither it was the next year. Both years combined GPA are a bit more than 3.2, unweighted, and almost fail a subject in my sophomore year. This poor performance made me not get accepted into the honors program in Math and Physics which started this year (the only 2 honor courses that my school has), nor I was accepted into the AP English program (the only AP the school has). Despite all this, this year however has been somewhat better than the last 2, managing to raise my GPA to a little past 3.4</p>

<p>I’ve also managed to maintain a nice set of extacurricular activities throughout high school (they don’t offer much either), and am planning on founding a student council for the school.</p>

<p>Now, please let me explain the reason behind this. I’ve always had a somewhat weak character, so the people in my school somewhat took advantage of it, up to the point that I was influenced by them. You see, people in my grade, the majority, does not care about their future at all, and drift through the days just studying enough to pass, or to prevent failing the subject. There are of course students that have high grades. Unfortunately for me, I decided to befriend the people that did not care about school. I started to fail some tests, behave badly, and just to think that anything mattered anymore. This mentality became worse in the 10th grade, when I almost fail my Trigonometry subject. It wasn’t until summer before my junior year that I realized the mistake I have done and that there was now little time to repair it. So before junior year began, I said to myself: ‘This year, I will truly do my best, and try to get away from bad influece in order to devote entirely to school’. But to make matters worse, on the first day I was put in the classroom with the same students I was trying to get away from! So the struggle began. Believe me, it is hard to concentrate and motivate yourself on a classroom that all that it does is complain and fails to pay attention to subjects. On top of that there’s the psychological bullying, in which I won’t get into details. Don’t you think that by being exposed to this kind of attitude everyday, anyone would eventually succumb to it?</p>

<p>On top of everything I’ve developed a serious procrastination, I cant seem to concentrate well enough. Even though I want to study and continue working towards my goals, I just can’t seem to do it. I even sleep in the afternoons, something I’ve never done before.</p>

<p>Now I feel a terrible anxiety, and stress everyday. I’ve been trying everyday my hardest, because I do not want to give up my dreams. But every time I say to myself that I will do it, I suddenly get discouraged again because I think it is too late.</p>

<p>I want to go to Harvard. It might seem like a crazy idea after everything I’ve said, but I really want to push myself up to that point, even if I fail. I have many personal reasons:

  1. I want to make my family proud, and by that I want to shoot for the best.
  2. I can’t afford any private education in the United States, so Harvard is one of the few choices that may exempt me from tuition if accepted
  3. I want to push myself to my limits, and really try to do it, even if I fail.</p>

<p>I haven’t took the SAT yet, but I know that I will need a very high score to make up for everything. I will also make 200 volunteering hours and an internship when summer arrives here.</p>

<p>So, please. Tell me if this goal is real or crazy. Sorry if it sounded cheesy or didn’t make any sense at all, but there are many things i wanted to say that I could not organize my ideas very well</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

2

<p>Well…get started then. But if you think about it, what’s the worst that can happen? What will you do if you’re rejected?</p>

3

<p>There are lots of other school you should look take a look at, as they too offer good financial aid. Harvard is certainly going to reject you, so don’t try aiming for one specific school like that just because of the name prestige.</p>

4

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>Listen, I’ve had the same problem as you and I know how it feels to dream goals but not to do everything to your full capability to reach those goals. I have supposed friends that are on a completely different plane of thought than I am. They don’t have any goals. They just want to keep living their lives doing nothing while I have dreams of changing the world. Grade wise I’m not in the same boat as you. I have pretty decent stats but my problem came in maintaining those stats and to keep dreaming my dreams. In here you can’t let your friends disturb you. You have to be selfish in your education.</p>

<p>Why are you getting distracted? Why do you procrastinate? Why do you feel discouraged. I think it’s because you’re scared. Its because you’re afraid to let down not your parents or your ambition but rather, yourself. The only advice I can give you is to trust in yourself. Why do you want to go to Harvard? So you can accomplish your dreams. Dreams can be accomplished without it too. Don’t let colleges dictate your life or your happiness. That does NOT mean you should give up though. You’ve wasted some years. All right, don’t and move on. It may seem like the hardest thing to do in the world but just go out there and show yourself and the world that you won’t let this get to you. Because ultimately, you’re working towards something far bigger than your friends or distractions. You’re working towards meaning, towards an ideal. Don’t treat books or homework as work but treat as something satisfying, find knowledge more rewarding because no matter how cliched it is, its true. Don’t you get that feeling of discovery or accomplishment when you solve a hard math question for example? What if you could replicate it every day of you life. Think about that.</p>

<p>To be honest, there’s very little anyone else but YOURSELF can do. We can only encourage you. But remember, it can be fought and it does get better, loads better. Trust yourself, trust in your goals, and trust in your ability. You’ll go places.</p>

5

<p>And if you apply to American schools at which your scores are far above average, they may still provide you with money to attend. I’m American, so I don’t know for certain, but there’s definitely at least money for American students with high scores… This would be a good “Ask the Dean” question. (Especially just the monetary aspect; while studying in the U.S. for money may be possible, I do not think Harvard is likely.)</p>

<p>Also, I’m sorry, but “I have character problems” is not going to be good enough. They do sometimes excuse people who had life throw them a bad situation, like a Mom with cancer, and so didn’t academically live up to their potential. But the adcoms, in all of those cases, believe in their potential (which you may share), but they also believe, most strongly, in those students’ good character. By your own admission, you do not have that. Sorry, but no. If you do turn it around and get great grades and succeed from here on out, you can explain that you used to be too immature to succeed around your group of friends, and that could possibly be a legitimate extenuating circumstance. But as long as the problem continues, and you continue not to succeed, it’s a poor excuse.</p>

6

<p>There are only a few institutions that will be need-blind for international students. For most places, the ability to pay is factored in the admission decision. You GPA basically made you not competitive at those few need-blind institutions.</p>

7

<p>If your post title is true, then read through some admitted students and some rejected students’ profiles</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1112322-official-harvard-university-2015-decisions-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1112322-official-harvard-university-2015-decisions-thread.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In summation: you’re not a viable candidate. Plz expand your school search list.</p>