SL2College

Advice to a prospective undergraduate student from a Harvard graduate:
 

The author, Kamilka Malwatte graduated from Harvard University and is now a J.D. Candidate (2011) at Cornell Law School. In this article she shares her thoughts on what to do, what not to do and other useful information to keep in mind when applying  for admission to a Bachelor’s degree in a competitive U.S. university .

There really isn't any Harvard-specific advice I can give as to what you can do to make your application the best possible, however good general advice is to:

1. Get the best SAT scores you can, on both SAT I and II- You've heard it before but I will say it again, even a perfect score doesn’t guarantee admission to any college but having really strong scores can only help your application. So take time to prepare for the SATs and take lots of practice tests. The Fulbright Commission has a lot and I took many past tests to prepare, which I feel helped a lot. Also, as a foreign student one thing universities do look at is how well you have done in your own education system. I don't know if you went to an international school or private/public school, but if you have final exams coming up make sure you do as well as you can in those. From the point of view of admissions officers, how well you perform in your own system of education shows something about how you are as a student, which can't be really measured by how well you do on the SATs, which may be an unfamiliar test format. So, while strong SATs are, I think, absolutely necessary, a good-but-not-marvelous SAT score can be offset by a really good academic record in your own exam system.

2. Get good recommendations- Again, this is common advice, but good advice: make sure you get them from people who really know you and your work. Ask teachers who know you well to write about you, about how you approach your work, how you participate in class and in extra-curricular activities and such. I really think good recommendations are crucial. I found it helpful to ask teachers if they wanted a copy of my CV or a copy of a paper I had written for their class, so they could mention specific facts in their letters. Also give teachers plenty of time to write the recommendations.

3. Personal statement- My roommate in college worked at the admissions office and she said that admissions officers do spend hours reading the essays and discussing what each essay tells them about each applicant. So you really can't spend enough time working on your essay. Try writing about a couple of different topics, then show them to some people who know you (who can tell you whether they think it sounds like the "you" they know) and also show it to some people who don't know you (so they can read it and tell you what it tells them about you). Then spend lots of time writing and rewriting so that the essay is tightly knit and describes something about you as a person. I know that can sound a little vague, and so the best advice I was given was to think about the essay as an "interview". As in, if you had the chance to sit down with the admissions committee and they said "tell us why you would be a great addition to our class", what would you say? You'd probably talk about what you want to do in college, about some experience you had, about your family, about some area of academics that interests you or what you want to do with your education etc. Don't try too hard to sound "intellectual" or try and figure out what the admissions committee wants. Just be open and honest about what interests you and what you're like as a person.

4. If you have a chance to attach another additional optional essay, or write a paragraph on why you think a certain college is a good choice for you, do it. I think it shows admissions officers that you are very interested in the school and that you've taken the time to really consider the questions they're asking you and give a real answer. On that note, make sure you tailor your essay to the question. You don't want to send in a standard essay that might not be the answer to the question they're asking. With Harvard it doesn't matter, since they're on the common app, but that’s something to think about when you are applying to college in general.

5. When asking for information, do have a set of specific questions ready. It is more helpful for them when they have specific questions, rather than a general "what should I do to apply to college" question.

As a general answer, there really isn't anything "special" I think Harvard looks for that is different from what any other top-tier college.  Basically, they want to see that you're a thoughtful, intelligent, engaged person who is mature for your age, and genuinely interested in the world and people around them and who will be able to make the most of all the vast resources the university has to offer.  I don’t think they want you to take yourself too seriously. After all, we're still just teenagers out of high school (or, at least, YOU are). My roommate, who worked at the admissions office, told me that the admissions officers would be a little skeptical of applicants who seemed like they were using dictionary synonyms and overly stilted language just to sound serious. Write the way you normally write and keep it simple.

Other general advice: make sure the application looks "professional". No spelling errors or typos or missed answers. Put your name and high school name on each page so it’s easy for admissions officers to keep track of your material. And also try and send it all in one packet, not in many different parts. It makes it easier for the admissions staff, and it shows courtesy and professionalism on your part. Follow the instructions! It sounds simple, but again, my roommate would say how admissions officers complain about how people wouldn't follow directions like "Please list your achievements even if you plan on attaching a resume".

So, good luck with it all!