Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

just out of interest, has anybody been accepted to harvard without a 1400+ SAT score or high GPA?
I'm trying to see what my chances are and whether I should try to apply - although i'm retaking my SATs, i doubt i can get up to 1500..and my grades (British system) are not exceptionally high..i do have good ECs and am very interested in languages (i speak five fluently and study another two), but I do not know if that will help..
any advice?
cheers.

By 80drofnats (80drofnats) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 12:12 pm: Edit

besides minorities, athletes, legacies, and other special interest cases, there are probably 50 or so kids a year that get into harvard with say 3.6 and 1350, but these kids have the refugee shelter in africa and curing a disease or top piano player in the world type of ec's, not just some regional recognition in science olympiad or whatever

By Saxfreq1128 (Saxfreq1128) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 04:12 pm: Edit

yes, everyone. Let's use this as an opportunity to suggest that minorities are getting in with 3.6's and 1350s without "curing diseases" or playing in Carnegie Hall.

(rolls eyes).

Have some class.

To answer the OP, anything is possible. I'd worry less about what got other people in, and more about what about YOU can stand out and get YOU in. The more unique you are, the better.

By Madelinemay11 (Madelinemay11) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 04:51 pm: Edit

"curing a disease or top piano player in the world type of ec's"

You don't know what you're talking about. There isn't a single case of a high-schooler ever solving any disease. I know two students that got into Harvard with 1400 SATs...but they didn't get into many other Ivies or S+M.

OP -- Harvard has all kinds of students, some are way more brigher than the others that get in. You definitely have a shot, especially since you've studied in the british system, which is quite a bit better than American education (ugrad)

By 80drofnats (80drofnats) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 05:49 pm: Edit

c

By 80drofnats (80drofnats) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 05:54 pm: Edit

don't give me this "have some class" bs, your obsession with political correctness is blinding you from the facts. I am definitely not anti-AA, but it is very true that a whole lot of minorities with the numbers listed get in, especially underprivileged ones. the op asked if people get in with those stats, and i answered one of the most common situations in which people with those numbers get in.
And as for the second post, no, no high school "cures diseases", but many get in with lower scores that have made a significant contribution to intellectual community, like isef and siemens winners that discover new things about the brain. And yes, Harvard does frequently take world class musicians that aren't spectacular students.

By M0o (M0o) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 06:53 pm: Edit

80droftnats, saxfreg, Madelinemay..thanks so much for the replies! i was just getting slightly worried after reading everyone's else's stats, so i had to ask. This has raised my hopes a little!
thanks again. One more question - does it help if i'm an international student (half Dutch half Russian,live in Holland but study in England) because i've heard mixed things from other people. And since English is my third language, would the universities take that into account if my verbal score is not that high?

By Mr_Sanguine (Mr_Sanguine) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 06:54 pm: Edit

lol Madeline...I don't think he meant "curing a disease" to be interpreted so literally.

By Saxfreq1128 (Saxfreq1128) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 08:15 pm: Edit

I didn't deny that minorities get in with those numbers. But your wording suggested that URMs that got in did not have to achieve anything on par with the significant achievements you listed to get in, and that, my friend, is false.

By 80drofnats (80drofnats) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 09:15 pm: Edit

yes, if english is not your first language colleges give you a break on your sat verbal. applying from england is difficult, harvard tends to use semi "quotas" i.e. they'll take a kid from a particular school every year.
in response to Saxfreq1128's post, it is true that about half of urm's that get in are significantly lower in achievements and stats than the whites and asians that get in, while there are many highly achieving urms as well

By Ken (Ken) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 12:00 am: Edit

These days internationals don't have an excuse for getting low verbal scores. Where I come from students speak 3 0r 4 languages and score between 700-750 on the verbal. Some get in, some don't.

By Abeppu (Abeppu) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 12:45 am: Edit

I really think it falls to your application, essays, and teacher recommendations. My favorite new insight into admissions is that admissions officers don't admit individuals; they build classes. They don't want some monoculture of ASB president/valedictorian/highschool researcher/debate club/ editors in cheif of newspapers. They want what will be interesting, not impressive. They don't just want a laundry list, they want the person that will make class discussions fun. Show that you know what's going on in the world, that you're creative, that your experiences, likes, attitudes, beliefs, values and skill sets are different. Harvard is impressed by people that do undergraduate research in epidemiology, not just because they've accomplished so much, but because they've already shown maturity, dedication and drive. If you can stand out from the milquetoast mass of 1400+ SAT scores and 4.0 GPAs with ASB leadership and state level awards for playing the clarinet, you've got a shot. You just can't be part of the crowd, or be trying to be part of the crowd.

By M0o (M0o) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 02:02 am: Edit

thanks! that was really helpful!

By Davidrune (Davidrune) on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - 02:24 am: Edit

A guy in my school got into Harvard with just 1400 SAT scores.

But...

1. He was the best debater in the country.
2. He had a lot of amazing extra curricular activities.
3. He had close to a perfect GPA.

The odd thing is that he applied EA and he didn't get in. But that was before the debating thing.

By Hopedart (Hopedart) on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 12:42 am: Edit

Unfortunately guys, there is a girl who was on this medical research team sent to Kenya found out the cure of a local disease there. She's applying to Harvard. She has two published books and is being recommended by George Dubya.

By Jerew (Jerew) on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 - 09:59 pm: Edit

I think that post is a hoax.

By Kebree (Kebree) on Monday, September 27, 2004 - 06:23 pm: Edit

that post was a joke