Harvard University?

Hey guys I'm a freshman in highschool and currently a straight A student. What do I need to do to have a shot in getting into a school like Harvard?

Harvard University?
I have a son in Princeton and another in Carnegie Mellon. I am a Princeton alumni.





1. Focus on the sciences and math and plan to apply to the engineering schools. If engineering is not for you then you can easily transfer into the other departments. But it is easier to get into engineering schools at the Ivy's or equivalent than any of the other departments. The US needs more engineers than we are currently graduating. Also there are better grants and scholarships available to engineering students.





2. If you are an athlete also, stay focused on one sport and excel at it.





3. If you are into music/theater/singing focus on one of these activities and excel at it. If you are in chorus you have to make it to All State level.





4. Get involved in the school newspaper or TV station if there is one. Be a leader in this activity.





5. If you are into scouting, be sure to achieve your Eagle.





6. Be involved in community activities: help out at your place of worship or at the local old folks home. Maybe teaching old folks how to use the computer.





7. Obviously, SAT, SAT II and AP scores are exceedingly


important.





8. Straight A's is not the only thing. It depends on the competition at your HS. Have other students of the HS been previously admitted to the Ivy's or equivalent?





Bottom line, work hard, stay focused and be the best you can be at everything you do. Good luck. Setting yourself these great goals at this young age is fantastic. Aim for the stars you may land on the moon !!!!
Reply:Publish a book, do original research, start a business or non-profit. Remember, everyone applying to Harvard basically has a 4.0, lots of sports and music and extra-circulars, so even getting all that just puts you even with the other 30,000 applicants. You need something original to stand out.
Reply:Do outstanding throughout High School. Get into as many AP courses as you can and do great in those.





When you are closer to graduation, take the SAT's and score very high. There are books and classes on the SAT because there are many "tricks" to doing well on it.





Also Harvard and any top ranked universities are very, very expensive. So it helps if you come from a wealthy background. If not, don’t worry. It’s not exclusive to the Ultra Rich.





I Plan to attend Harvard Law School and this how I've planned it, since I'm not rich:





Once I graduated High school, I went to my Local College.


No big deal. I've done very well here. I'm graduating in June with my AA (Associates), and I've already been accepted to Washington University in St. Louis which is Ranked # 12 in the Nation. When I finish my BA (Bachelors), I will move on to a better school (Harvard or equivalent).








The point of the way I've done it, Is to save countless thousands of dollars. It is very Important to find out how much money will you make in your field. Is it worth going to Harvard and spending $130K on your education and only making $60K a year??





If you want to be a lawyer or MD, then it may be worth it.





BOTTOM LINE:


The whole Idea when you graduate High School should be you have the option to do whatever you want. That means getting outstanding grades, aspire to greatness, and taking your education seriously. It is a lot of work, but that’s why they pay you so much. They pay you a lot because it isn’t easy. If it was they would ask, "Why would I pay you $100K when I could pay her $60K and him $40K?"





I respect your high aspirations! Work hard and cash in later!
Reply:Keep in mind that Harvard, because so many highly qualified students apply there, turns away perfect applicants all the time. So keep your eyes set on your goal - Harvard - but also consider other schools that you may like.





You sound like you may stand a chance at Harvard. Keep up your grades. Do well on your SAT or ACT. Take some AP classes and the appropriate AP exams.





Take an academically rigorous program at high school, but also focus on the things that you love. Schools like Harvard, again because they are so competitive re: admissions, tend to get a lot of applicants with high grades and high test scores. So why to they end up rejecting those "perfect" applicants, and sometimes accepting people whose tests are a bit lower, or grades are a bit lower? Because there is something about that student that makes them unique and interesting.





Admission to Harvard and like schools goes beyond grades and test scores. Try to show them who you are, and what you like. So, some examples:


-If you love music, take the normal highschool curriculum, but also take all the music classes that you can, and participate in music-related activities.


-If English is your thing, take all the regular highschool classes, but also take creative writing classes, if that's an interest. Write your your literary journal. Write for your school's newspaper. Work on your town's local weekly newpaper.





In terms of extracurricular activities, if you already know what you like to do, feel free to focus in that area now. Also do a few other things, for fun. But if you don't, then spend your freshman year exploring various clubs and organisations. As you move through school, start to focus in a bit more, see if you can excel in any one (or two) areas.





Do volunteer work, if you can. Most schools are looking for that now. Ideally, try to find a focus with that, too. It's fine to do walkathons and pop around to various volunteer organisations, but as high school progresses, try to begin to spend most of your volunteer time with one organisation, doing something important to you. However, if you need to earn money for school, then many schools will accept work experience in lieu of volunteer work. It depends on your personal situation.





Look at Harvard's webpages. On their pages for admissions, they list the minimum number of courses they require in different subject areas. Make sure you take them.





And if you like Harvard, also consider:


-Dartmouth


-Brown


-Yale


-Columbia


-Williams


-Amherst


-Smith


-Wellesley


-Middlebury





Good luck!
Reply:you need your grades to be an A


have good attendance


do things like run for school president
Reply:You need rich parents.
Reply:Community service, clubs, and some sort of activity that will show leadership (Student government, head of a club). Also, a good SAT score and some trips/study abroad to foreign countries that don't use English are helpful. Try participating in a science fair or a contest for writing. Plus, get to know your guidance counselor- he or she will write a good recommendation!


Hope this helps!
Reply:Harvard isn't that good of a college.
Reply:FIRST U MUST FINISH HIGHSCHOOL