Just received my IB results - advice on Harvard?

[oggiwiggo]

Hello everyone, 

 

I have just received IB results, and am wondering whether it is worth applying to Harvard. I do not know the application process terribly well, and would therefore also appreciate if anyone could give me some guidance upon what is involved in it (i.e. interview, SATs, IB results if considered...).

 

I obtained 43 + 7 in my extra subject, for a total of 50/52. I was 1% off a 7 in Maths SL and will request a remark, so I could possibly find myself only loosing one mark overall.

 

Hence, I would strongly appreciate anyone's advice upon applying to Harvard or ANY OTHER IVY LEAGUE university given my situation, and whether I have a realistic chance of getting in.

 

I also am bilingual in French and English and am taking a gap year. How do IVY league schools perceive gap years?

 

Thanks

[veregudmen]

First and foremost, congratulations on your score. It's a brilliant score, and regardless of whether or not you get the 1 extra point for Math you should be proud of it.

 

Now on the subjects of Ivy League universities. You have a brilliant score, but it's not enough to know whether or not you have a shot. Have you done the SATs? What have you got in them? What extracurricular activities do you have that make you stand out? How is your transcript? 

 

It is always worth applying, especially since USA universities don't have set entry requirements like the UK or other countries. That being said, Harvard, and the rest of the Ivy League, for that matter, are immensely difficult for anyone to get into. People with perfect grade averages and SAT scores get routinely rejected from those places. 

 

The only advice I would give you is to apply to safety schools, i.e. schools which are easier to get into (and which you like) and match schools, schools which are reasonably selective but not unrealistic to expect to get into, aside from the Ivy league school(s) you want to apply to. 

 

On the subject of gap years, as long as you don't spend it lazing around at home and watching TV or something like that, the Ivies love it. Harvard has an essay on their website on the importance of a gap year, and from what one of my friends at Harvard tells me, before enrolling, they ask incoming students if they want to take a gap year and offer them all sorts of random incentives to do so. Cornell and Columbia also recommend them highly; I spoke to some people in Undergraduate Admissions at both universities recently and they told me that they strongly recommend gap years because it's an opportunity to cool down from the stress of high school, it lets you mentally prepare, and in the time you get, you can do all sorts of things and can have different experiences which ultimately hep you in college and beyond.

 

You shouldn't just limit yourself to Ivy league schools though, look beyond just them; you'd find some pretty great schools, with equal or similar reputations and academics.

Edited July 8, 2014 by veregudmen

[flinquinnster]

Congratulations on your results - that's a brilliant diploma score, especially considering your extra subject!

 

Just to add onto the good information and advice above: final IB results matter a lot less than you think they might. It's great that you've got your score in hand, but that is just the beginning. My personal advice is to spend a lot of time thinking about (and perhaps getting material and inspiration from a gap year) and then writing/editing/getting feedback on your essays - I think that the key thing to remember is to articulately emphasise 'why are you special?' - so special that these universities, who see lots of applications with perfect academic records, have a reason to admit you. 

 

I personally applied to a few US universities: Harvard and 2 other Ivy Leagues (Yale, Pennsylvania) and Stanford. Because I was also applying to UK and Australian universities, I'll admit that I sort of ran out of time (and enthusiasm) to do the applications as well as I wanted to, though I was pretty happy with my SATs. I did manage to get accepted to Penn, but only wait-lists and rejections for the other universities. So yep, from my personal experience, I'd definitely agree that a perfect IB score doesn't guarantee Ivy League admission.

 

EDIT: this might also have some information/advice that's useful for you!

Edited July 8, 2014 by flinquinnster

[oggiwiggo]

Hello all, 

 

Thank for the advice so far. In fact, I have never really considered America, but rather the UK. I am aiming for PPE at Oxford, and was just discussing the US with a friend who is also interested in going there. 

 

Regarding my gap year, I am working in accountancy. Essentially, I am doing an internship, nothing crazy or overly creative such as travelling the world as many students do. As flinquinnster posted, applying to different systems (e.g. USA , UK...) means spreading one's resources and thus the time and effort that can be put in to applying in any given place.

 

I have not yet taken SATs, nor ACTs, and am by no means an expert on either of them. I will be preparing for Oxford's TSA, to hopefully ace it this November

 

Given my inexperience about the US system as I have never really considered until receiving my results recently, could someone give me a -brief- outline of the steps in the application process, such as SATs (obviously), but also essays (what are these?) and more. You may think I am a complete idiot, but I have simply been accommodated to the British system up until now. I have always dreamt of going to the US, but was thinking more long term and MBAs.

 

Lastly, how do IVY league schools view internships during a gap year? They are not a very philanthropic thing to do after all! Regarding extra-curriculars, I am not outstanding, but having participated in several activities at school, I am sure I can come up with something worthy for an application. 

 

I am looking forward to hearing from you all! And thank you already for the threads posted here!

Edited July 8, 2014 by oggiwiggo

[veregudmen]

No one assumes you're an idiot, relax.

 

Assuming you're completely new to the US system: 

You have the SAT 1, that is, the traditional SAT test, with 3 sections out of 800 each, or the ACT, which is 4 or 5 sections out of 36 each. the SAT has Math, Critical Reading and Writing, the ACT has Math, Reading, Writing and a Science section. Generally, engineering types prefer the ACT, but you should look up past test papers in both and see which you prefer. Universities have no preference between the two.

If you take the SAT 1, some universities demand 2 or 3 SAT Subject tests. These are out of 800, and are in one subject. Different subjects have different grading curves; Math 1, for example is easier but extremely strict- a 49/50 will make you drop 30-40 points, while math 2, which is tougher, can get you an 800 with something like 42/50. 

 

The process is basically like this:

you create an account with the Common Application system, or some other application syndicate (e.g. the Universal Application or the UCA), unless your university has its own application system (e.g. Georgetown). Each system has 2 or 3 essay prompts, to which you will have to write 400-500 word essays on. These are sent to all the universities you apply to using that syndicate. After that, you create an account with the individual universities and answer their supplemental essays. Usually it will be 2, one that is usually random, and one that asks why you want to go there (Why Yale, etc). 

Either before, during or after writing essays, you upload your transcript, have the College Board send your SAT scores, and ask teachers to write you recommendations for the universities you're applying to. 

 

Finally, you pay the application fee (something like 50 dollars per university, though it varies) and your application is sent.

 

You do have to decide a few things beforehand, like what type of application you're sending in. There are 3 main types in the USA:

Early Action

Early Decision

Regular Decision

 

Early Action requires you to send your application in by Nov 1, and notifies you if you've been accepted by mid-December. It is not a binding acceptance; you don't have to enroll if accepted this way. However, some universities apply restrictions; you can only apply to one Early Action university in the USA if you apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Stanford, or a few others. Other Universities, like Georgetown and the University of Chicago, leave it open, so you can apply to other US universities at the same time.

 

Early Decision has the same deadlines as Early Action, with the caveat that if accepted, you are obligated to attend. You can choose not to enroll, by simply not showing up (one of my friends did that with Duke ) but it's highly unethical and you will lose the deposit you paid. Additionally, you will not be able to enroll at another US university then. 

 

Some universities have an Early Decision 2, which involves sending the application by Jan 1 and get a decision by February. 

 

Regular Decision is the regular application process and deadline. You apply by Jan 1, and get notified by the end of March. Nothing binding here.

 

Some notes and pointers from me:

 

Unless a university specifies that it doesn't use it, just use the Common Application. It's much easier and just about every university there uses it. 

 

Make sure that you finish the SAT by October. Presuming you're applying this year, universities won't get it on time if you do the SAT after that. 

 

If you apply for financial aid, finish the application for the same quickly. Some universities consider the fact that you need financial aid when deciding whether or not to admit you. Keep that in mind. 

 

When talking about extracurriculars, focus not on what they are and the stuff you did and how great it is (though don't leave that out). Rather, focus on what you learned from it and how that experience contributed to making you the way you are. 

 

The US application process is not based on who is the most academically talented, the way the UK is, but on who can contribute most to the university community. This is why extracurriculars are important in the US,The kathak dancer with a slightly lower grade average thus stands a better chance of getting into a selective university than a plain-Jane student with a higher grade average(not that you would stand much chance with downright bad grades). Focus your essays on you, and on why you would be the best fit for the university. 

 

Spend a lot of time on your essays. Your grades will not be a clincher, i.e. they are more of a basic benchmark than a reason to admit. The essays and extracurriculars ultimately end up making the difference.

 

Ask teachers and your school's college counsellor for recommendations early, and very nicely. They're typically very busy, and aren't even obligated to write recommendations. You need to make sure the teacher:

a) Wants to recommend you

b) Would actually give in a good recommendation. 

 

It doesn't matter that it's not volunteer work or travelling the world or something like that. It's what I'm assuming is a new experience, which will definitely be beneficial to your thinking, work ethic and general future life. That's the main point of gap years, to have experiences that give you perspective. Whether it's done through volunteer work or through interning or through working is irrelevant (from a university perspective) as long as you aren't doing anything illegal. 

 

All my advice is based off of my interactions with admissions officers at Harvard, Yale, Cornell and Columbia. You should still ask other people about this stuff though, particularly people who have actually gone through the process.  

 

Good luck!

[flinquinnster]

Again, I think that veregudmen has done a fantastic job of summarising the process of applying to US universities - I can't do it any better!

 

Just to add onto what you yourself have mentioned, I think it's definitely true that applying to both the US and UK (and potentially elsewhere as well) is spreading yourself thin. They are very, very different systems, and invariably you only have a limited amount of time and effort to put into the applications. Based on my personal experience, I would probably suggest that you choose either one of the US or UK (from what I've read you seem more keen on the UK, though I could be wrong) and focus your energy on applying there. UK applications, especially for Oxbridge, do require a lot of form-filling, writing, testing and interviewing - and unfortunately it goes on at around the same time as the US application process as well. I'm probably biased based on my own experience, but I'm just going to put a good word in for applying to the UK rather than US. I think the application process is simpler and makes more sense - in that everything you do is more apparently relevant to you as a student as opposed to other things about you. 

 

However, given that you do have more time on your gap year, I think it is definitely reasonable to apply to both countries - just keep in mind that it requires a lot of time and effort. The application process is a useful and interesting experience, albeit a time- and money-consuming one. Best of luck!

Edited July 9, 2014 by flinquinnster

[oggiwiggo]

Yes thank you both for the wonderful guidance and advice. You have been extremely helpful. Just out of interest, flinquinnster, what are you doing now with such perfect IB gardes?   You seem spot on regarding the UK system. 

[flinquinnster]

Yes thank you both for the wonderful guidance and advice. You have been extremely helpful. Just out of interest, flinquinnster, what are you doing now with such perfect IB gardes?   You seem spot on regarding the UK system. 

 

I'm going to be studying law at Cambridge (Queens'), barring any major disasters! Hence why I have a bias for UK over US universities.

[yii yann]

Hello all, 

 

Thank for the advice so far. In fact, I have never really considered America, but rather the UK. I am aiming for PPE at Oxford

 

Another one

[Ryoika]

Hello everyone,

I have just received IB results, and am wondering whether it is worth applying to Harvard. I do not know the application process terribly well, and would therefore also appreciate if anyone could give me some guidance upon what is involved in it (i.e. interview, SATs, IB results if considered...).

I obtained 43 + 7 in my extra subject, for a total of 50/52. I was 1% off a 7 in Maths SL and will request a remark, so I could possibly find myself only loosing one mark overall.

Hence, I would strongly appreciate anyone's advice upon applying to Harvard or ANY OTHER IVY LEAGUE university given my situation, and whether I have a realistic chance of getting in.

I also am bilingual in French and English and am taking a gap year. How do IVY league schools perceive gap years?

Thanks

Hi,

First of all, congrats on your results!

To speak about the universities, they do not take IB results as foremost criteria to accept the candidate.

I know a girl who got lower than 40 in her predicted grade, but had a great extracirruculars and great SAT score. She got into Ivy league schools.

So make sure you build up your extracirruculars and SAT before you apply! You would not get into Fall term, because as of right now it would be too late to prepare for these. I think you have to apply on upcoming Spring or maybe a few years later because as far as I know, people spend more than a year doing SAT. The girl I mentioned started her SAT in grade 10.

[avnish]

Congratulations on your results - that's a brilliant diploma score, especially considering your extra subject!

 

Just to add onto the good information and advice above: final IB results matter a lot less than you think they might. It's great that you've got your score in hand, but that is just the beginning. My personal advice is to spend a lot of time thinking about (and perhaps getting material and inspiration from a gap year) and then writing/editing/getting feedback on your essays - I think that the key thing to remember is to articulately emphasise 'why are you special?' - so special that these universities, who see lots of applications with perfect academic records, have a reason to admit you. 

 

I personally applied to a few US universities: Harvard and 2 other Ivy Leagues (Yale, Pennsylvania) and Stanford. Because I was also applying to UK and Australian universities, I'll admit that I sort of ran out of time (and enthusiasm) to do the applications as well as I wanted to, though I was pretty happy with my SATs. I did manage to get accepted to Penn, but only wait-lists and rejections for the other universities. So yep, from my personal experience, I'd definitely agree that a perfect IB score doesn't guarantee Ivy League admission.

 

EDIT: this might also have some information/advice that's useful for you!

Your grades are awesome!! Did u actually get a perfect 45/45?