So you have decided that you want to attend a small Ivy League school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Simply put, Harvard looks for leaders and world-beaters. Harvard seeks out highly talented and driven self-starters who will be leaders in their fields, whether it be in the academic or business realm. Harvard rates every applicant in two separate areas on a 1 to 6 scale (1 being the highest and 6 being the lowest): (1) Academic Rating and (2) Personal Rating. Harvard, like all Ivy League schools, looks for students who love learning for the sake of learning. An applicant with the highest Academic Rating of 1 out of 6 at Harvard would have these credentials: Top 1-2% of high school class Most challenging courseload of AP courses SAT/ACT and SAT II scores in the 99th percentile Glowing letters of recommendation indicating that student is best out of applicants from past several years from his/her high school Intense love of learning, as evidenced by academic research outside the classroom with a college professor leading to publication in a journal Potential to be leader in academic field in future An applicant with an Academic Rating of 3 out of 6 at Harvard would have these credentials: Top 5% of high school class Most challenging courseload of AP courses AT/ACT and SAT II scores above the 95th percentile Strong but unexceptional letters of recommendation Lacking the intense love of learning of other students, with some independent reading outside the classroom but no published research with a college professor Driven to achieve by competition more so than by a true love of learning Harvard, like all Ivy League schools, looks for students who are the best at one thing and not for students who are well-rounded. Examples of applicants with the highest Personal Rating of 1 out of 6 at Harvard would be: Published author Intel STS Finalist (top 40 in country) Olympic medalist Soloist at Carnegie Hall US Math Olympiad Qualifier (USAMO) Awards at the national level Patent pending (without parental involvement) Examples of applicants with a Personal Rating of 3 out of 6 at Harvard would be: Awards at the regional level Significant commitment at a high level to a few activities Student Body President All-State Orchestra Captain of a varsity sports team Nationally ranked debater Well-rounded and involved but not the most passionate about anything Read More..