Anonymous wrote:9th grade is way too early to tell what her chances are, and also way too early to have a dream school. Have her focus on developing her interests, getting involved in ECs that are interesting to her, etc. Do not talk too much at home about Harvard being the best, etc. There are so many great schools out there and people who are so fixated on getting into a particular one will create unnecessary angst in an already stressful time. You can also educate yourself on what opportunities are available at lots of different schools, as there are pros and cons of going to private v. public, large v. small, etc.

by the 7, 8th grade it's pretty clear what the chancer are. sure, there are some late bloomers, some highly pressured kids will burn out, but in most cases the potential is apparent.

Is this a joke post that people are answering seriously?

If the mom was a genius she should have chosen a husband whose family name is on a building. This kid should consider Bucknell.

Troll

If the parents are geniuses maybe they should apply for continuing ed at Harvard

Answer this honestly –
What does she like about Harvard?

If it’s brand name and status, then no, she’s not the kind of student they want beyond your application need and contribution to low acceptance stat. Schools like Harvard are very good at giving everyone false hope to believe they have a chance so as to get more apps and keep their acceptance % low and status high.

If she has a legitimate good answer for why she wants Harvard that’s unique to their faculty, research resources, curriculum or culture, and is already working hard to pursue someone along that track on her own by age 14, then sure, she has a chance. If she has no clue and hasn’t initiate something on her own that sounds like what I’m describing, then she is not the kind of kids they are looking for and they know how to weed out these kids.

Probably not. She should be more of a superstar by 9th grade if she wants to go to Harvard, placing at international compeitions for kids, strong and monetized tiktok presence, being the best at her sport at a national level, etc.

"In a volunteer program to help prep for applying". And SAT prep classes in 9th grade.
So the kid volunteers, not out of altruism, but to look good on paper? And if the kid needs tutoring classes now, that does not say anything good about her aptitude.

9th grade is way too early to tell what her chances are, and also way too early to have a dream school. Have her focus on developing her interests, getting involved in ECs that are interesting to her, etc. Do not talk too much at home about Harvard being the best, etc. There are so many great schools out there and people who are so fixated on getting into a particular one will create unnecessary angst in an already stressful time. You can also educate yourself on what opportunities are available at lots of different schools, as there are pros and cons of going to private v. public, large v. small, etc.

If she’s already in SAT prep classes, do you memo what her SAT mock test score is? Straight As in a non-well know high school means nothing. They are a dime a dozen and admission officers at top colleges like Harvard equate them to a B or lower from a known school like Andover or Stuyvesant.

This isn’t to sound rude, but is she interesting? She so far only participates in things that most high school students could do. You want Harvard? You need to show that you are exceptional and a leader in your community. Id beef up her extracurriculars and make sure she’s a favorite amongst teachers

Anonymous wrote:Maybe? Perhaps if she is at an underprivileged low income public school that will give her a small boost. Also if you happen to be in North Dakota or another underrepresented state, a small boost. Or applying through Quest Bridge.

But there is a slim chance for all of the very best students applying.

Harvard doesn’t take questbridge. They were the first college to drop Questbridge.

She should know that the odds aren't good: last year, about 3.6% of applicants got in.
(And while there are no doubt some unqualified students who apply just because it's Harvard, she should assume that the vast majority of applicants have her same accomplishments or more.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can public school kids get into a school like that?

In 2019 the Harvard Crimson reported that 63% of students came from public schools so apparently, yes public school kids can get in.

Yes though keep in mind that includes athletic recruits and kids who go to schools that are technically public but nationally know (Stuy, Bronx Science, TJ etc.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:can public school kids get into a school like that?

In 2019 the Harvard Crimson reported that 63% of students came from public schools so apparently, yes public school kids can get in.

But when you realize that only 10% of kids go to private school, that number looks pretty crappy.