How Do You Get Into Harvard With Average-Ish Grades?
Yes, your gap year will probably help. I’d wait to apply for the year that you actually want to attend Harvard. As others mentioned above, there are kids with stronger grades and scores than you that will be rejected. But, the converse of that is that there are kids with weaker scores than you that will be accepted. Scores matter to a degree. Harvard is also looking for something else that separates you apart from the crowd. As Fitzsimmons has said many times in interviews, Harvard admits not just individuals but “a class.” A little bit of this, a little bit of that. So they love kids that are legacies but also kids who are the first in their family to attend college. They love violinists and painters and Westinghouse winners. But they also love kids who are just sort of generally smart. More specific advice: -Make sure your letters of recommendation are extremely strong. Letters saying you are a good kid and all won’t cut it. The person who writes the letter should essentially be in a
