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Can someone maybe give me some advice about the admissions process for Harvard?
I plan to apply for Harvard University very soon, and I am curious as to what are requirements needed.
I plan on going into their Pre-med program, following with Harvard Medical School after 4 year University.
And take my 3 year residency and Cardiology fellowship.
I am going to be a Cardiologist. :)
Is their any specific things you know of that they look for in the applicants? I know they only accept 10% of their applicants, but I have the will to try. :)
I plan on going into their Pre-med program, following with Harvard Medical School after 4 year University.
And take my 3 year residency and Cardiology fellowship.
I am going to be a Cardiologist. :)
Is their any specific things you know of that they look for in the applicants? I know they only accept 10% of their applicants, but I have the will to try. :)
The asker of this question selected no best answer.
answers (4)
On a side note, there is a policy at Harvard (and all Ivy-League) schools that if your parents combined make less than $60k a year, then you get to go there for free.
#1 Get better grades.(they won't accept anyone less than a 4.0, no matter what)
#2 Get better SAT scores(they are pretty stingy on these, so take it twice if you have to to get a great score)
#3 Do more extra-curriculars(this is a requirement. You won't get in unless you have a few on your record. i.e. community service/outreach, internship, sports, volunteering)
#4 Get a recommendation letter from the highest ranked professor, principal, or someone else very influential(This is very helpful from what I understand. Get a governor or senator and you're in great shape.)
#5 Get some life experience. They're going to want a written letter explaining something you've done in your life and how it inspired you, changed you for the better, and made you want to succeed. If your story is about doing your volunteer work, that's OK. But if you went to Africa and worked in a hospital on malaria and AIDs patients for 6 months, even better.
#6 Make more money. 9.75 times out of 10, you can't afford Harvard. So hope that your parents are rich or you can nail a scholarship somewhere. I'd recommend learning to play golf or polo or some sport that you can play for the Harvard team and get a full-ride scholarship.
Good luck.
#2 Get better SAT scores(they are pretty stingy on these, so take it twice if you have to to get a great score)
#3 Do more extra-curriculars(this is a requirement. You won't get in unless you have a few on your record. i.e. community service/outreach, internship, sports, volunteering)
#4 Get a recommendation letter from the highest ranked professor, principal, or someone else very influential(This is very helpful from what I understand. Get a governor or senator and you're in great shape.)
#5 Get some life experience. They're going to want a written letter explaining something you've done in your life and how it inspired you, changed you for the better, and made you want to succeed. If your story is about doing your volunteer work, that's OK. But if you went to Africa and worked in a hospital on malaria and AIDs patients for 6 months, even better.
#6 Make more money. 9.75 times out of 10, you can't afford Harvard. So hope that your parents are rich or you can nail a scholarship somewhere. I'd recommend learning to play golf or polo or some sport that you can play for the Harvard team and get a full-ride scholarship.
Good luck.
Definitely try to get some extracurriculars if you can, just volunteer somewhere sometime(especially if it's with someone you know really well because then you can get them to vouch for you and say you did it for a year or two).
Also, if you run track, try to become really really good at it. Run in some meets and try to lure Harvard scouts.
They do really have a golf team, like most 'good' schools. ;)
Definitely get a letter of recommendation, if a family member or friend of a friend is a professor or General in the army, or whatever the hell, it will make a nice difference.
And when you write your essay, put some real thought into it. Everyone has the grades and extracurriculars so sometimes it comes down to the letter of recommendation and the essay. Don't just breeze through it.
Also, if you run track, try to become really really good at it. Run in some meets and try to lure Harvard scouts.
They do really have a golf team, like most 'good' schools. ;)
Definitely get a letter of recommendation, if a family member or friend of a friend is a professor or General in the army, or whatever the hell, it will make a nice difference.
And when you write your essay, put some real thought into it. Everyone has the grades and extracurriculars so sometimes it comes down to the letter of recommendation and the essay. Don't just breeze through it.
Hey! I went to Harvard! Twice... :)
Exemplary grades, extracurriculars and essays. I would recommend that you find an interest in community service and do it well. Your community service work will be weighted heavily. If you don't get in, don't forget the Harvard Extension School. COMMUNITY SERVICE! Go big, do it well.
Private message me for additional help.
Exemplary grades, extracurriculars and essays. I would recommend that you find an interest in community service and do it well. Your community service work will be weighted heavily. If you don't get in, don't forget the Harvard Extension School. COMMUNITY SERVICE! Go big, do it well.
Private message me for additional help.
source(s):
Accepted into Harvard Class '99
Accepted into KSG MPA Class '02
Accepted into Harvard Class '99
Accepted into KSG MPA Class '02
The best thing to do is find out from someone who actually graduated from Harvard. (I got in, but went elsewhere. I have relatives & friends who are Harvard alums. I recruit for a different Ivy school, tho', so..)
There's no doubt, a solid academic record AND a lot of community service & extra curricular activities help. Most of the kids who get in the Ivy school for which I recruit are top 5-15% of their class (most of the time, but not always) who ALSO have solid community service & extra-curricular activities on their resume.
For my school, we look for kids who are well-rounded-- academically & socially. Kids who seem like they have common sense, not just book sense. Kids who keep up with current events, kids who have NON-academic activities-- like volunteering at a shelter for the homeless, theatre, tutoring other kids, etc.
I can't say what Harvard looks for, but that is what my Ivy alma mater looks for in applicants.
Some kids do get admitted because they show genuine interest in furthering themselves, show real potential as a member of society because of the work they've done, & because of their work ethic & general attitude IN SPITE of their so-so grades.
Recommendations play an important role. In my experience, a recommendation from alumni carries more weight than a great letter from your favorite math teacher in HS.
Test scores on standardized tests carry less weight than you think. But the higher the test score, the better.
Really, schools are looking for (in my opinion) signs & a track record of your dedication (to school and society), & that you are truly interested in improving yourself -- perhaps your community too.
Unfortunately, a LOT of legacy kids (i.e. children of alumni) get into these prestigious schools because they are the offspring of an alumna/alumnus -- not because of their academic skills.
The application essays should make it seem like that school you are applying to is your 1st choice -- without actually saying it's your 1st choice. It can't appear as if you wrote 1 essay & then used the same essay for the 15 other schools you applied to.
Brown nosing and mindless sycophant type answers on your application are pretty transparent. However, your essays on the application should contain no (serious) grammatical mistakes, no spelling errors, etc. And neatness counts. Originality, if tasteful (and G rated) could work for you as a wildcard plus. Admissions officers aren't looking for drones nor clones in students.
You have a better chance of getting in if you also get to know the admissions staff --which means, you need to start talking to them 1-2.5 years before you graduate from HS.
And yes, some applicants do this, & they have a better chance of getting admitted versus people who take 2 hours to fill out the application the day before the application deadline.
I think the Harvard graduate's answer (above) underscores the emphasis on community service as an important part of one's "credentials".
There's no doubt, a solid academic record AND a lot of community service & extra curricular activities help. Most of the kids who get in the Ivy school for which I recruit are top 5-15% of their class (most of the time, but not always) who ALSO have solid community service & extra-curricular activities on their resume.
For my school, we look for kids who are well-rounded-- academically & socially. Kids who seem like they have common sense, not just book sense. Kids who keep up with current events, kids who have NON-academic activities-- like volunteering at a shelter for the homeless, theatre, tutoring other kids, etc.
I can't say what Harvard looks for, but that is what my Ivy alma mater looks for in applicants.
Some kids do get admitted because they show genuine interest in furthering themselves, show real potential as a member of society because of the work they've done, & because of their work ethic & general attitude IN SPITE of their so-so grades.
Recommendations play an important role. In my experience, a recommendation from alumni carries more weight than a great letter from your favorite math teacher in HS.
Test scores on standardized tests carry less weight than you think. But the higher the test score, the better.
Really, schools are looking for (in my opinion) signs & a track record of your dedication (to school and society), & that you are truly interested in improving yourself -- perhaps your community too.
Unfortunately, a LOT of legacy kids (i.e. children of alumni) get into these prestigious schools because they are the offspring of an alumna/alumnus -- not because of their academic skills.
The application essays should make it seem like that school you are applying to is your 1st choice -- without actually saying it's your 1st choice. It can't appear as if you wrote 1 essay & then used the same essay for the 15 other schools you applied to.
Brown nosing and mindless sycophant type answers on your application are pretty transparent. However, your essays on the application should contain no (serious) grammatical mistakes, no spelling errors, etc. And neatness counts. Originality, if tasteful (and G rated) could work for you as a wildcard plus. Admissions officers aren't looking for drones nor clones in students.
You have a better chance of getting in if you also get to know the admissions staff --which means, you need to start talking to them 1-2.5 years before you graduate from HS.
And yes, some applicants do this, & they have a better chance of getting admitted versus people who take 2 hours to fill out the application the day before the application deadline.
I think the Harvard graduate's answer (above) underscores the emphasis on community service as an important part of one's "credentials".
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