Improving university hopes?

Question

I am 16 yrs old and aiming to go to one of top universities in world, Harvard is the dream, and have achived over 90% in all exams at school so far.

However, i know extra curriculum activities are very important, therefore i was just wondering what are the best things to do. They don't have to be all extra curriculum activites for example you could answer other things like "write a book".

I live in UK but answers from US would also be very useful as i do hope to go to university there, any well recognized activites there?

Answer 1

Student government is always a big plus.  Having an after school job shows responsibility and maturity.  Write some papers and get them published.  It doesn't matter how small or obscure the magazine is that publishes them; publishing is the point.

Good luck!

Answer 2

you'd better move to the US first and do the extra curriculum activities there, so they would definitely be recognized.

Answer 3

the exam grades don't make a difference, its the FINAL grades for the course that matter!

for extra curricular activities join several clubs in school and do school related activities.  Also join something outside of school to round out what you are doing besides studying.

A lot still has to do with what you score on your SAT tests.  The competition for the Ivy league schools is very competitive.  People with perfect secondary school careers get rejected all the time.../

Answer 4

You need to involve yourself in community activities like hospital, volunteer, church, public events, sports etc.

You want to go to one of the most prestigious schools to become a professional and a leader. They will want to know why you belong here. If you do not have a track record of involving yourself in the community, how will you become a leader in gov't or the community after you graduate?

Even living in the UK, you can get involved in gov't action groups, volunteer at the local hospital, help at the red cross or St Johns amubulance or church group.

Answer 5

volunteer at places such as hospitals, animal shelters, elderly homes.. those are all respected things to do in USA

join lots of clubs in ur high school in UK... join drama club, the debate team would be great since u wanna go to harvard.

I would also reccomend moving to the USA to finish high school, as some of the other people said.

good luck.  

Answer 6

Community service is a boost. I've done volunteer work such as the "PanMass Challenge" in that field.

Answer 7

Why on earth do you want to go to Harvard?

If you want to go to a top university, go to Cambridge or Oxford.

You'll spend much less time doing your degree and it'll be worth more. My parents know people from the UK who have got a degree (which takes three years as opposed to four in the US) and then completed their masters in the US in like a year or two. So their degree was worth not only more than a four year one in the US, but more than half the US masters degree too...

You'll also leave with a lot less debt. University for international students in the US is phenomenal. You'll spend the rest of your life paying it off. In the UK, tuition fees and loans mean you only pay back 9% of what you earn over £15,000 a year (i.e. you earn £16000, you pay 9% on £1000) and if after twenty five years you haven't paid it back, it's written off.

Have you considered all these things? Just because Harvard happens to be at the top of some list that says it's the best, doesn't make it true.

Come on, you know it makes sense...