Harvard Admissions?

Question

I'm only 13 but I really want to get into Harvard

I know I won't be applying any time soon but what are some things I can do to better my chances to get in when I'm older

I'm already a big part of the community, but I know I do more, my grades are good but plenty of people have told me that you can't just have a 4.0 and lots of community service hours

Also how many reccomendations should I get and what kind of people should I get them from.

Answer 1

sweetie.
you sound exactly like me at 13.
I am 17 now and am getting my apps together for admission.
trust me, dont stress over it... yet.
You have plenty of time to get your resume together and high school will really help you in choosing the right classes and fields you wanna go into.
My advice is this:
1. Become good friends with your high school counselor :) They know everything there is to know about colleges. Whatever you want to know or are concerned about, dont hesitate to go talk to them.
2. Taking loads of Honors courses in high school may look good on a college application, but only if you can show that you handeled it. If you have a bunch of Honor classes, but have a crappy GPA, that shows that you arn't capable of holding it all up. Since freshman year, I have been taking two to three Honor courses and I have maintained my 4.0. GPA. By setting aside some good electives and things that interest you will make high school much more worth it.
3. National Honor Society is an amazing opportunity if you have the brains. It looks great on college resumes.
4. Extra curriculars are good, as well as VOLunteering! Maybe taking part at a summer job will also look good.
5. Take a VARIETY of random electives. Trust me, they will come in handy when you are picking your major. I have taken everything from art to philosophy to self defense. haha. I loved every minute of it too. It really helps you find what you like to learn about and maybe what you are interested in for the future. Dont be afraid to branch out... have some friends to take it with you!

Hmm. what else? haha.
The thing is, I understand how you feel because I always was way ahead of the people my age. But if I have any regrets in high school... it's maybe spending too much time stressing over acedemics. I love being on the honor roll, etc. But I really wished I spent more time being with my friends and football games, parties, etc.
So really set your priorities and enjoy being a teen. College will always be there. But high school only happens once, so live it up :)
Let me know if you have any other questions, I am glad to help.

Answer 2

In order to be qualified to get into Harvard, you need an unweighted GPA of about 3.8 with a weighted GPA over 4.0 (because you will have had lots of AP and Honors classes). You will also need SAT scores close to 2200 (out of 2400).

Being qualified is not enough. Only about 8% of those who apply get in. If we assumed that 50% of those who apply are qualified (and I suspect it is greater) then 84% of qualified students are rejected.

That means you need something to set yourself apart from the other applicants.

Lots of community service is nice -- but let's face it, it is not verifiable and lots of applicants will lie about it. I suspect that the top schools don't pay as much attention to it as people think.

Recommendations are important. It is much better to get them from someone who really knows you than from someone important. A letter from a teacher who knows you is better than a letter from a congressman who knows your father. Don;t worry about how many letters you need. You will find out when you are ready to apply.

For students who are qualified, I suspect that the admissions essay is a big factor. Spend a lot of time crafting it.

Answer 3

You must have a good brain as well, persistence and desires. Obviously being part of the big community or having a good grades are only small part of passing to this university.

Think of something unique, experiment on something and make sure people will be amazed you they saw the uniqueness inside of you.

Hmm..to make it simple, think of Harvards benefits towards you and your benefits towards harvard. Then if you think that Harvard may benefit you a lot, well then, I should say, congratulations, you have higher chances of passing to harvard