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8/100 days of productivity | I’m not sure if many people have read this essay, but after I read this, I immediately knew I had to make a post about it. It shows a Harvard Alumnus’ full Harvard application, including commentary and tips. I recommend those that want to apply for top schools such as the Ivys, Stanford, MIT, etc to check it out! And the earlier, the better! Since the essay is quite long, I decided to give an overview.
These are the main topics he goes over:
1. A big spike (read more here)
“In your fields of interest, what can be such a big Spike that it completely overshadows everything else you can do? Think broadly. Think ambitiously. What are the steps you must take to achieve this?”
The biggest mistake students often make is being well rounded. Forget this! You want to have a big spike! “Ideally, this spike is what makes you world-class and makes colleges think you’re going to accomplish great things in your lifetime. What we’re looking for is something truly impressive that is difficult to do and sets you apart from the bargain bin of well-rounded students.” That’s the only way top universities are going to notice you. Sure, for less fastidious colleges/public universities they mainly care about academics, but for those that want to receive the top of the top education at the most prestigious universities, the only way to get noticed is to stand out. Now you may be thinking, “this is impossible! I’m not that special and there’s no way I can be.” But, you’re wrong.
- It’s okay to be unbalanced. This means that you can focus on being especially skilled at one topic, but not-so-accomplished in another. If your passion is on biology, you don’t need to score a 5 on the AP English exam.
- Focus less on things that make you “well-rounded” such as taking as many APs as possible and doing a crap ton of volunteer hours. Sure these are necessary, but 10 AP classes isn’t so much different than 8. A lot of volunteer hours seem fake and can even harm your application! Also focus less on those useless extracurriculars such as sports, instruments, etc (unless they help your application). Manage your time wisely and you can save up to 900 hours to focus on developing your spike.
- Find your passion and let this be the topic of you spike. You can achieve this spike mainly through extracurriculars, such as doing research projects at local universities, attending national-level (or even state-level works) competitions, joining clubs, etc.
- One really big spike could basically be your passageway to elite colleges. One would be participating in a camp/program with a very low acceptance rate. For example, Allen went to Research Science Institute, with an acceptance rate of 5%, which definitely stood out.
2. Academics (read more here)
“Are your test scores, coursework, and grades good enough to comfortably put you in the 99th percentile nationwide? What is lacking right now, and how can you make the biggest improvement with the least amount of effort?”
Of course excelling in academics is extremely important as well. However, many students excel in academics and doesn’t make someone extremely special. It’s still needed though–top universities can’t just accept someone who has straight Bs!
- Take advanced courses: AP, Honors, IB, etc.
- Participate in competitions: International and national level competitions set you apart.
- Do well on your AP, SAT, ACT, etc tests! Strive to achieve full scores and those 5′s on your AP exams.
- Obviously, do well in school. Get your GPA to a 4.0 or higher. Take courses that you are passionate about and will help your future/future career.
- Keep in mind that perfect scores and GPA will not guarantee automatic entrance. Outstanding academics is mainly a plus and is what universities look at after other requirements to filter out the best of the best.
“NO ONE looked at my test scores alone and thought, “Wow, based on his GPA and test scores, Allen really deserves admission!”
3. Recommendations (read more here)
“You need at least two teachers you engage well with, in different subjects, to write your recommendations. Get three to be safe. Who are these teachers? How can you interact with them, inside and outside of class, to get them to advocate for you 100%? What can you do to make them say you were one of the very best students they’ve ever taught?”
Teacher recommendations are extremely important to your application! If you can get someone even more significant (not saying your teachers aren’t significant) than your teachers, that’s definitely a plus (for example, your principal or even the mayor).
- Bond with your teachers and make sure that they know your learning style and personality. Make sure you have meaningful connections both inside and outside of class, and would be good advocates on both an academic and personal level.
- Schedule meetings with your counselor! There could be thousands of students at your school. Your counselor can’t possibly get to know every single one of them, but they can get to know you if you let them!
- If you run for a position in student government, chances are the staff will know you better. You could even get a recommendation from your principal, which would set you apart, since usually principals only recommend a handful of students.
- Make connections with other important people in your community. Some students volunteer with the mayor, and the mayor would write a recommendation for them. A recommendation from the mayor would definitely stand out compared to a recommendation from a counselor, which is what basically every student gets.
4. Essays (read more here and here)
“What is the Personal Narrative you want to tell? This can change over time, but start thinking about who you are as a person, and how you can show that through your application.”
- Your personal statement/essay is the main way a college gets to know YOU; the way you think of yourself. The other parts are only your test scores and what your teachers think of you. So in your statement, be sure to reflect your character and your passions. If your essay question topic is diversity, focus on showing the administrators how you interact with different people!
- Three main things colleges are looking for: hints of your personality, honesty, and eloquent writing. Remember to focus on a specific event/idea, use your own voice, and always, always edit your essay.
- Remember your essay doesn’t have to be a big topic/issue. If the prompt is fixing a problem, you don’t have to say “ending world hunger.” It can be as simple as fixing a toy car. In fact, writing about a big issue is usually not the go-to since they are very controversial and open-ended. Just remember to show your personality and how you think.
- Make sure you’re open-minded–remember that the administrator doesn’t necessarily share the same views as you!
- Plan/start your essay well before-hand, let’s say 2 months in advanced. That way you have time to edit and develop your ideas before submitting. Pick a topic that you can write about/have a passion for. You can read examples of golden essays that students who were accepted into many of the top universities wrote for inspiration.
