allarice
allarice,
Harvard
B.A.
Harvard, Yale, Stanford. A kinda boring student, really leaned on those essays. Thrilled to be at university (still) and excited to help other students navigate this process!
Features Included
3
Essays
8
Schools
12
Scores
5
Advice
4
ECs
1
Sports

Background

Hometown Boston, Massachusetts
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
AdmissionRegular Decision
Class of2019
First Gen College StudentNo
English First Language Yes
Other Language(s) Spoken Mandarin

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT)
  • Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
  • University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
  • University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

Applied for a B.A. in

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

School Specific Advice

More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

Personal Statement
668 Words
Failure experience
I screw up all the time. It’s a well-cultivated skill, from being irredeemably clumsy – table corners migrate into my path and coffee-cup holders snap in my grip– to forgetting important appointments and hiking up mountains with maps in languages I can’t read. It’s sometimes demoralizing, often embarrassing, and always unavoidable. But to me, that adaptability is the most important trait I have: first being willing to make mistakes, and then always, always learning from them. I’m...
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Supplemental Essay Unique question posed by school
526 Words
I became a seer at seven. Armed with a bandana, a Magic 8-ball, and a carefully-constructed paper fortune-teller, I proceeded to enlighten my fellow citizens of their fates. Did Mrs. Littlefield bring hot chocolate today? No. Would there be a snow day tomorrow? Unfortunately not. All this, of course, was determined by the precise method of asking second-graders to choose a number and color, results corroborated by the flashing lights of an electronic pool ball. Needless to say, not all...
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Additional Essay Details
1603 Words
I wrote a crapload of college application essays. I didn't apply to a bazillion schools - 8 is about average for where I live - but every school except one had at least one major supplemental essay. In my opinion, the major thing to keep in mind is to be yourself. The one school that rejected me was the one school everyone pushed me toward, but also the one that fit me the least as a person -- so I have...
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General Admissions Advice

My advice about getting recommenders
132 Words
I think teacher (and counselor) relationships can make or break an application. They're so important. When I stopped to chat with an admissions counselor from one of the most selective schools I applied to who'd read my application, she...
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What I’d change about my application process
280 Words
The first thing is to try and not stress out. Seriously. I know this is easier said than done, but with a solid strategy (remember to pick safeties you truly feel like you'd be happy at) and lots of work, you'll end up somewhere that's good for you. All my friends wound up with college results that, although not always what they originally planned for, they're perfectly happy with now. If I could go and do it over again, I'd redo very...
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List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience
307 Words
Interviews very by alumni and by school. The first note of advice is, for interviewing for Harvard (and specifically Harvard, as they're the only school I know of that do this): bring a resume. Harvard interviewers are required to ask for SAT scores, and many will want to take notes on exactly what extracurriculars you did in high school. A resume makes you look prepared and informed. The second is that having a resume in your bag is always a good idea. Don't pull it out immediately, though; leave it for the end of the interview, if the interview seems...
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What set me apart from other applicants
411 Words
I got lucky. Really. College is a crapshoot, and there are so many qualified people and just not enough seats. I still can't quite believe I was accepted to the schools I got into. I don't want to be reductive of my identity. But from the basic premise, that I applied as an upper-middle class Asian female from New England with no legacy or connections to speak of, as well as no truly outstanding achievements - I didn't win the Intel competition or a Math Olympiad or intern for the President - it's still mind-boggling that I was accepted almost...
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How I chose schools to apply to
339 Words
It's really important to have a plan when applying to college. Like any guidance counselor worth their salt would say, have a list of reaches, targets, and safeties. You don't need too many targets and safeties if, judging by Naviance data and other school resources, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get into those schools (for me, my target was Michigan, and my safety Northeastern). I personally was originally set on MIT. It was mostly because my mom had done her post-doc work there, and she assured me that the rigor of the work there was second to none. I was...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.50
 
Rank
Top 1%
 
High School TypePublic
College Classes In High School
Academic Performance in High School Steady
Explanation of Low Grades

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1590
on 1600 scale
Highest SAT
2370
 
SAT Score Details
 
Original SAT Score2370
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep
PSAT Scores
Other Standardized Tests

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details9 classes and scores

Sports

SportsSoccer

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesDebate Club/Team, American Cancer Society, Local Orchestra / Symphony / Band, Tutoring/Mentoring
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

How Spent Summers
Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received

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