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Okay...You all know whats going on...I would really like responses from those who have been admitted...You're probably annoyed by all of the posts in this area...Sorry, I was too...hahaha
Harvard College and MIT sent me apps...I'm going to apply no matter what but would just like feedback and tips...Thanks

Age: 16
Class of: 2004
Location: California
Ethnicity: Latin American
SAT Test Prep: 3 hours of reading Barron's
SAT1: 1480
SAT2s: TBA
^taking writing, mathiic, and us history on june 7
Class rank: 1/650
GPA: 4.5(weighted)/4.0(unweighted)
^maintained whilst ailed by Valley Fever(infamous in the CA Central Valley, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico area...Missed 3 weeks of school...Sick for 5 months...Tip: Don't skateboard during dust storms)
Classes: GATE English 9/10, GATE Geometry, GATE Biology, AP Biology, GATE World History, Forensics(debate), AP European History, AP Computer Science, Honors Algebra II, Honors Math Analysis, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Honors Govt/Econ, Honors Spanish 3, AP Spanish 4, AP English Composition, AP English Literature, Honors Physics, AP US History, Orchestra(3 years)

Clubs and Organizations:
Interact Club member
Cinematography Club member
Science Bowl Team
Lincoln Douglas Debate(Regional title for Sierra League-7th place)
Academic Decathlon Team Captain for 4 months until relieved of duties due to illness
Volunteer at local homeless shelter
Tutor for elementary school students(free of charge, of course!)
NHS
CSF
"We The People..." team member next academic year
Mock Trial next academic year

Hobbies: Guitar, Videogames, Skateboarding, Performance Driving/Tuning...joining SCCA in Fall

Thanks again for spending time looking at the profile of an anxious student. Boost my ego! j/k

By Cheerios128 (Cheerios128) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 04:22 am: Edit

What's GATe?

Your stats look very nice.
Are you a liberal arts major?
Harvard sent me an app too...they send lots of people apps.

But i would encourage you to apply to any school. You have nothin that would set you back.
But i must add...have you received any awards in your activities or such?

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 04:28 am: Edit

Indeed...Tons of trophies and medals from regional lincoln-douglas debate and speech competitions placing 1st-3rd...2nd place in the region in Science Bowl(bah...4 questions away from nationals!!!)...Oh yeah...Outstanding Violinist Award for orchestra(but that is only school-wide)...Also a recipient of two Governor's Scholars Awards...Third one comin' next year...heheheh

oh yeah...GATE is a program for "Gifted And Talented Education" in California...hahahaha...i know, its a lame acronym. I was going to join the soccer team in 2002 but stupid illness!!!

As to my major...I have yet to decide: I am very interested in engineering(mechanical or computer) and law...Opposing forces...heheh.

Just tell me if the ellipses are annoying...

I'll be taking Pol Sci40 at UCLA this summer as well as...I dont know what else.

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 04:55 am: Edit

I spilled 7UP on my keyboard and now my ffffffff-key is sticky!

By Cornellian07 (Cornellian07) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 08:56 am: Edit

Welcome to Harvard, my friend. Or MIT. Or wherever you want to go. The fact is that you're a Hispanic American with a class rank of 1 out of 650, and with 1480 SAT. You would practically be a shoe-in even without your extracurriculars. Your activities seal the deal. If I were you, I would not decide whether or not you can get in, but where you should go once you're accepted.

By Soozievt (Soozievt) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 10:05 am: Edit

You certainly sound very accomplished and I wish you well as you should have some fine chances there. Think of what you want to play up on your application cause as far as stats and being Hispanic to boot, that part you have.

Just curious cause you guys are saying Harvard sent you an application. I noticed yesterday that my daughter got that too. I had been wondering how she got on some list for that (not that it means a heck of a lot!). We actually visited Harvard and while she liked it, particularly the house system and location and all, she has now chosen to study architecture and they do not have a major for that in undergrad but when we visited she was looking into engineering at the time and went there. I am an alum of Harvard for graduate school and I lived in Cambridge for four years and it sure is a fun place to be for your college years. I wish you much luck and congratulate you for your achievements thus far. Keep it up! Go for your dreams.
Susan

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 02:17 pm: Edit

Do you think it is advisable that I apply early action/decision or would i do just as well against the normal pool of applicants???

Thanks,
Robert

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 06:55 pm: Edit

TTT!

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 04:45 pm: Edit

To The Top!!!

By Koori (Koori) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 04:57 pm: Edit

do early action....harvard has that (but you can only do it there...new rule this year). early decision is binding...and you never know what the other schools will offer you, because you are certainly very talented, and they will probably have scholarships and such for minorities.

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 05:13 pm: Edit

So do Harvard early action and regular decision for any other schools?

By Koori (Koori) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 05:19 pm: Edit

yes! i'm not sure what other ivy has ea. oh wait, brown does also. what other schools are you considering besides harvard and mit? is there a location limit for you? b/c cal tech is good too...

By Fiachamp (Fiachamp) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 08:03 pm: Edit

I visited Caltech...It seems a bit too hardcore and nerdy for me, though I really like California. In CA, I'm looking at Stanford and Berkeley, of which I have visited both...Beautiful campuses and awesome student body. Outside of CA I'm only looking at MIT and Harvard...I really dont know what else would be good because I have never been in that area.