As a senior at Harvard, here is some advice I would give my high school self.
In high school, I would have never imagined actually attending Harvard for college. I thought that to get into Harvard, one had to be a genius, as well as be able to pay what I thought would be a large sum for Harvard's cost of attendance. I did not think I would be an outstanding applicant, and I'm happy to share that my future took a different direction. In reflecting back on my time in high school, I'm happy to share some words that I would tell a younger version of myself.
College Admissions "Whole-Person Review":
A big reason why I held doubts about myself in high school, and my ability to get into a good college, was because I would compare myself solely to the numbers I saw on the internet when I looked up a school's average SAT score for admitted students, or when I listened to students listing their extracurriculars on a YouTube video. This data that I took from fragments of people's applications made me feel like if I wasn't doing 10 or more incredible extracurricular activities in high school, and I didn't have a close to perfect score on a test, I wouldn't be considered by competitive colleges when I submitted my application. Learning about Harvard's "whole-person review" process, helped me realize that, in fact, there isn't one formula to get into Harvard. Every element of a student's college application is reviewed in its context, and admission officers consider the opportunities that students had access to while in high school. The admissions office considers all elements of your application, which includes test scores and GPA, as well as recommendation letters, what you did in your free time, your personal statements, and so on. Click here to read a bit more about what Harvard looks for in its applicants. All of this to say, try your best, but don't count yourself out because one element of your application isn't "perfect".
Hard Work in High School Does Pay Off:
As a high school student, I often wondered, "Is all of this work really going to be worth it?". I worked hard in my classes to ensure I was getting good grades. I got involved in some extracurricular opportunities through different school clubs. As I look back, I realize that my hard work in high school paid off greatly in two main ways. The first is that it made me a person who was able to work hard on challenging tasks. It allowed me to see how far my own drive could take me. It also helped me develop valuable skills in leadership, studying, and in my work ethic. Secondly, my hard work during high school made me a strong applicant when I applied to colleges. It led to my acceptance into many great colleges across the country, most of which offered me a full scholarship because of their need-based financial aid programs. All of this to say, I firmly believe that hard work in high school can and typically does pay off.
Senior year of high school Ana wearing her new "Harvard Class of 2025" crimson shirt.
Believe in yourself:
One of the most important things I think you can do for yourself, at any stage in life, but especially in high school, is to believe in yourself and your potential. You have to believe that you have what it takes to excel in your current situation and that you have it in you to accomplish whatever your goals may be. Of course, accompany this with actionable steps to get to those goals. But I do believe that at the back of this must be a strong belief in yourself. I would add that it is very helpful to surround yourself with others who also believe in you and your potential, whether that be teachers, family members, or friends. Had I not believed in myself, I never would have even thought of submitting my application to schools that seemed to be out of reach like Harvard.
Ana with the two people who most supported and motivated her during high school, her mom and brother.
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Admissions
Financial Aid
AnaClass of
'25
Hi y'all! My name is Ana, and I am a senior in Leverett House studying Sociology, with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights. I was raised in a border city in Mexico and then moved to South Texas, where I’ve lived for the last ten years.
