I have an interest of going to Harvard. I want to be really successful in life, so I want to go to one of the best schools. The thing that troubles me is my grades. I have never gotten straight A's before. I've gotten very,very close, however. I have always gotten A's and B's. In the first part of the year, I had a 3.8 GPA. My grandfather went to Harvard, and he served on the admissions board, and I heard that having a family member that went to a certain college, especially Harvard, helps a person get in. He said he believes he can help me get in. I am a freshman in highschool, so I have a lot of time to change things, so what can I do to help my chances more? What are my chances?
2007-02-08 11:45:00 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
You would almost have to be balanced in almost everything. Great accomplishment academically, almost perfect standardized test scores, very active in extracurriculars, and a great ESSAY-they are critical admission factors to get into those prestigious Ivy League school, like Harvard and etc. And challenge yourself as much as possible by taking rigourous courses which means you gotta put that much more effort into it you would send them a wrong message if you take all the hard courses but not do well. Just focus really hard for the next three years in high school. Good luck buddy!.
2007-02-08 14:36:18 · answer #1 · answered by MrEntrepreneur 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like I said the first time you asked this, it's not that hard. You're a freshmen. Plenty of time to change things.
Get straight A's if at all possible. Take the highest courses your school offers. I have to assume your school offers AP or IB courses if you say your family is fairly well off. Take those.
Get a very high SAT/ACT score.
Do lots of extra curricular activities. Don't overload on them though. The idea is actually more quality than pure quantity. They want special kids. So, playing on a team or being a president of a club isn't enough. Just doing some volunteer community service won't cut it. Be nationally ranked in a sport is good. Doing research that gets published is good. Things like that.
Make sure to get to know your teachers and school counselors. You want perfect letters of rec from them (or whoever you ask).
Yes, getting help from your grandpa is nice. However, you haven't made it clear what kind of pull he has. You say he used to serve on the admissions board. Is he still in contact with the current members?
The idea is to make them have no problems when your grandpa asks for their help in getting you in.
As a freshman, there's no way to judge your chances. It's far too early.
2007-02-08 20:03:37 · answer #2 · answered by Linkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is true that having a family member as an alum will help you, but only a little bit.
A 3.8 is excellent! Keep up the good work. If you want to be successful, you have to work for it, and it seems like you are willing to do that!
To increase your chances:
Keep your GPA up, study hard!
Study for the SATs so that when you are a junior you can score high.
Participate in clubs and organizations (hold a leadership position if possible, treasurer or VP, etc.)
Community Service! (believe me, colleges look for community service)
And by all means, see how your grandfather can help. There's nothing wrong with having an experienced family member guide you.
Talk to your guidance counselor if you need more help.
2007-02-08 22:33:45 · answer #3 · answered by Jersey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL!! I am a freshman too! I like you also entertained thoughts of going into harvard. But then I thought, do I really want to be a lawyer or a doctor? Not really, so I am looking for a different school. And it isn't always the best school that gets you far in life, there are very good turn outs with tech schools too!! You also might want to consider studying abroad :)
2007-02-08 20:21:49 · answer #4 · answered by silverboy470 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Really good grades and tons of after school activitys and the grandfather can help too. Take latin and join JCL (Junior Classical Leauge), SBC(student body consol) and any other club you can get in the newspaper will be good to
2007-02-08 19:56:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having your grandfather will help but that alone will not get you in.. your best bet would be try to maintain a 3.5-4.0 in hs along with getting involved with activities and run for class president, vp, ect.. take hard classes (honors, ap) and take an sat prep class to help get your score up there...good luck
2007-02-08 19:49:58 · answer #6 · answered by Allstars 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋