Harvard related question?

Question

If I was gold at the International Science Olypiad both in mathematics and physics, would that provide me with a chance to join the Harvard?

Answer 1

If this is the only qualification you have, then the answer is no. But if you also have a very high GPA, and a very high SAT, and are graduating from a well known school that has sent kids to Harvard in past years and those kids did well there, then I think you have a better chance than most applicants.

Harvard, and all the elite schools such as the other Ivies, Duke, Stanford, UChicago, MIT, Caltech, - they all want kids who are not only smart, but are also leaders, competitors, creative leaders. So, gold at an international competition is a step in the right direction.,

With Harvard, though, there are no automatic admissions.

Good luck.

Answer 2

I attended Harvard and did a lot of math contests in high school. Many IMO team members end up at Harvard (or at least with an acceptance letter), and gold medals certainly help! However, I know some people with similar such qualifications who were denied a spot at Harvard because they had weak grades in school outside of math/science. Some, from what I understand, had difficulty putting together a coherent application essay, and may not have interviewed particularly well.

So the answer is that someone in that position usually would be able to attend Harvard, but that it's not an absolute guarantee. Provided you can show above average skills in other domains, you'll almost certainly get in, and you will certainly get into some top school.

Good luck!