This is John's mom. One thing you might notice is that John's dad and I aren't in this video. That's because this whole process was John's. We support him and his siblings but Harvard was not on our radar and wasn't *our* dream. It's really easy for parents to get heavily involved in this process and make it their own goal, but I'm not sure that's the best path to success. I have read that parental involvement matters way more for kids from marginalized groups, and that makes sense to me. Otherwise something like this needs to come from intrinsic motivation. And John's motivation wasn't Harvard itself, per se, but becoming excellent. That's important to see too.
Susan Fish beautifully said! I completely agree with you, and John seems like a bright kid who's going to excel at life no matter what. Thanks for your insight; it spoke volumes as to where John got his wisdom and drive! Good luck at Harvard John, you deserve it!
Harvard, Smarvard, Darvard. School is school, education is education. Don't know why people push it like Harvard is the best but other schools are inferior. How about "How I got into college?" I get sick of the Harvard glorification which almost sends the messages that if it isn't Harvard it isnt good and your resume wont be looked at. VERY PRETENTIOUS SOCIETY by mentioning "HARVARD"
i built a big machine learning project in 11th grade at a summer camp and never once thought to use it in a science fair.... i think i need better influences in my life
Trust me man being smart and good at track isn’t anything special. I have met a lot of people like him and if you think there are only a few of these perfect human beings I can assuredly tell you that no there are many and no they are not perfect and that everyone has there own imperfections and quirks.
Zephyr That’s not true. All people of different backgrounds have the same opportunities of being intelligent and wealthy people. The difference is only how much effort those people put into chasing their goals.
lol the minute I heard you say 'Grade 9' and not 'ninth grade' I knew you were Canadian! And then I looked at your whiteboard and it said OFSAA! So cool to see that you're from Ontario too. Please keep uploading these videos as I would love to know more about your application process and Harvard experience. I'm graduating Class of 2018 and would love to know more tios and tricks about the international/US app process as I apply!
I literally replayed it like three times when he said ofsaa to see if that’s when he really said haha I was so excited because I go to school in a small town and always wanted to go to Harvard!
Irene H. Average at my high school (School of Science and Engineering in Dallas) was 1360 my senior year. Once you begin to get in the 1470+ range out of 1600 I’d say that differences in scores don’t matter as much anymore. A university isn’t gonna choose a student over another just because s/he has 10, 20, or 30 points higher in their SAT score. I received a 1500 myself and ended up at Yale, and many of my high school friends received scores ranging from mid 1400s to I believe 1570, ending up getting accepted to places like MIT, Harvard, Cornell, UPenn, Stanford, Columbia, and a few other elite schools. Scores just below that range (around 1300-1450) ended up at other top tier schools such as Rice, Boston University, Claremont McKenna College, Amherst, etc. But I think something that should be stressed here is that SAT/ACT scores are not everything. Good scores should be supplemented by extracurricular involvement and strong, defining essays, the latter being the most important in my opinion. Crafting common app essays that accurately reflect on who you are as a person within 650 words cannot be stressed enough, and it is within these essays that students should focus on SHOWING what they bring to the table so the university gets the entire picture of who exactly they are evaluating (I capitalized “showing” because many students make the mistake of telling who they are instead of drawing overarching pictures of their identity through their writing). It is very difficult to do given the word limits, but it is definitely possible!
Señor NG Yeah but looking at the price to go to those schools is not awesome. I spent 1 semester I u of Chicago and tbh dropped out because I didn't liked it.
I know a guy with a score of 1600 and he had a mental breakdown just as he was starting his career. I think it's really better to be above average (IQ between 120-125) with moments of brilliance. You can still be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, scientist, astrophysicist etc. without having to carry around a burden of thinking you can solve every problem in the world.
What I like about your video is that you really tell u about your journey and your experiences rather than giving us generalizations about how we should excell in ECs and volunteering and how it's equally as important as grades and SATs. Like everyone knows that, yet lots of people make videos about "how to get into harvard" or "how I got in" repeating what we already know. Thanks for this refreshing, enlightening video.
John Fish Hey man, is in grade nine in Ontario (same area as you) I was just wondering what high school did you go to? Were you in AP classes and stuff like that?
I'm a good student, I mean a really good one but in recent years I haven't been serious towards my study . Now I want to get in Harvard University. Please guide me as my school grades are average and I will be giving my SAT exam this year
Great video! As a UK-based student, the US admission process seems very bizarre to me. There's a focus on extra-curricular which we simply don't have in the UK - you might flag up a science convention but only in the footnote of your personal statement when applying, and unless your academics were a bit thin on the ground, you certainly wouldn't mention your sporting commitments. In my personal statement, I'd only mentioned my love of what I was studying at A Level, the books I'd read, the additional qualifications I'd taken (a higher project and an extended project) and a few words about my experience reading history thus far. My interview process at Oxford was similar to John's trip to Harvard. I took the aptitude test when I was in Tokyo, and I was subsequently invited for interview at my chosen college (Lincoln) who gave me a free room for the week and free food. I fell in love with the place then and there, but I hated the interview process (which is most stressful). Nonetheless, I was somehow successful, and (grades-pending) I'll become a full time student there from October. An interesting thing to note is that in the UK, you apply to up to five universities at the same time through a central system (UCAS) - I also went for UCL, LSE, King's, and Royal Holloway as my insurance. The absolute maximum a university can charge in the UK is £9,500ish for a domestic student, which is paid for in the form of a loan which is written off automatically after 30 years, and because I'm Welsh the local government pays a substantial amount of the loan on my behalf.
Hey Ed I’m looking at Oxford and Cambridge for masters programs in biomedical engineering. I reside in the U.S so I’m not familiar with the process there.
depression really hit me at year 9 (grade 9) and threw me off. I was always at the bottom of the school until I got recognised for my gifted and talented for science in year 7. but after that 5 years on I'm doing a lot worse. Thank you for inspiring me to keep trying to become great in myself. You are amazing
Telling me to actually listen is a case of a pot calling the kettle black. If you actually listened to him you would realize he is very right wing but he is smart about it, he is a sweet talker, he luls you into safety while spewing veiled propaganda. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing my friend, be very careful with Jordan Peterson.
a few weeks ago i came across your video, A Day in the life of a sc comp student and then i stopped then i watched more of your videos and it kinda gave me a lot more motivation in some way to get me more into my college, somehow you got me pumped for my new semester coming up and i thank you. Your videos are simple, cinematic and... just real. Thanks :)
Hi John! I'm a Portuguese speaker and I'm learning English, but I'm on a level basic and I'm very, very, very bad when comes to write in English! So forgive me for the typos in this comment. I would like you to put subtitles on your videos because I'm not able to understand them without subtitles... If you can do that, I would be very grateful.
Your channel is super interesting to me and how everyone is on a different path. I’m probably around the same age as you but my experience with high school and college was / is so different. It’s interesting to see someone so motivated (just in general from watching your videos) in a seemingly stressful academic situation. Keep up the vids!
I just stopped the video at 1 minute after saying he was gifted lmao that's why he got into Harvard, there's no secret to it he's just rlly smart. But good for u bud.
I am truly taken aback by this story! You actually went to one of the top colleges in the world. If you don't absolutely change this world in the future, then I think many people would be surprised. Intellect and strength are an undervalued combination of traits in the world, for sure, and you exemplify it. That being said, go out there and absolutely wreck it. I am not going to assume authority where I do not have the right, so I will say to just do the right thing, and go out there to absolutely wreck it.
Whenever I feel unmotivated to sit down and study and get stuff done. I come watch one your videos and instantly I’m in the mood to be productive. In a way I copy you, started organising my desk and drinking tea and all that before the study sesh. It works lol so thank you!
tl/dr; Identified at a young age as academically smart, carried on doing what he was good at, worked hard and made smart choices, and had a solid family for support. Fair play but no great surprises, it's pretty much exactly how I'd picture someone getting in to Harvard.
This is awesome, great story. You are very inspirational John! Keep up with the great content. It's awesome watching someone who shares the same love that I do with running and filmmaking.
ImExcrutialz if you like reading you should read the book Born to run It's about a tribe who can run up to 100+miles in a day without getting really tired It explains their secrets and also has American runners in the books and it shows that the American runners who excel in their field shows the same techniques as the tribe
Enjoy your high school years, just be consistent. This means study, be involved in EC's, and do the right thing, always. There is no correct pathway to getting into a good university, there are only different pathways. I would not be worried about getting into Harvard as a freshman lol. One tip I will give you though, is to have a personal relation w/ all your instructors - to where they know your name. This will play out in your favors for many reasons (i.e. letter of recommendations, benefit of the doubt when getting your grade, etc.).
I would say to try to keep your gpa and rank up as much as possible as it is the most important freshman year, try to volunteer a lot like at a hospital or something, and participate in clubs and try being in a leadership role helps a lot like Vice President, secretary etc. Also when it comes time to take the sat and act, study study study so you're prepared. Anyway good luck!
blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum about a year ago I was going through the same situation (I'm nearing sophomore year), and this article, written by someone who went to Harvard himself, was very helpful to me. Hopefully, you'll find it as useful as I did.
I know this video is old but I’m in my 10th year of high school and keeping my grades up so frustrating and hard, it used to be so easy keeping A’s and B’s but lately I’ve been dropping F’s and some of my teachers are so strict in grading and at the same I started varsity volley ball and everything is so damn scary at this point because I’m graduating in 2 years and seeing this video kinda puts in at ease when you said you started dedicating yourself to a sport.
aw yay john! this video made me so happy! i am so glad you are getting this opportunity, you deserve it! so excited for you and ur next adventure...miss you!
I wish I stumbled across this earlier in my life, I've watched several of your videos and I love them. I struggle with hope and this gives me more influence to do what I want in life. WHAT I WANT. It's a great feeling and I really appreciate you. Thank you!
Great video John. It’s important for youth to hear firsthand the process you navigated to get into Harvard. Keep up the good work and amazing videos.👍🏽
thats a perfect career plan you have made to head start. you are so fortunate to get in to one of the finest institute in the world. Have a great life ahead.DO great to inspire many people.
Starting my journey as an international student at a community college...I am very happy to see many people accepted to good schools and I want to achieve that myself too. Overall, great video!!
Hi, I am a 10th grade student from Poland. Our high school starts at 10th grade and is very challenging. This year I have 16 subjects to pass. We have grades from 1 to 6 and 6 is the best. Most of the time you have to win a competition to get 6. Last year I had the best GPA in my school: 5.67. This semester my GPA will be much lower propably like 4,4- 4,6, maybe even worse because I missed a month of school. I was playing in film ( I played in many films in my life and I want to continue It) and I had some problems at school. Now I have a problem only with advanced math ( this is the only one advanced subject I have this year, It's normal in Poland and almost everybody in school has a problem with math. My school is one of the best schools in city) and maybe one other subject. Propably I will have 2... My teacher told me that I shouldn't worry so much because I will be better next semester/year and It's normal on my situation, but I am afraid that It destroyes my chances for getting into Harvard or any Ivy.Next month I will find some extra activities, now I volunteer only. I want to study science, especially biology and It's one of my passions. I think I have a chance to write SAT well If I improve my English. I want to take many activities and I can tell a lot about working on a film set and my passions, but I'm afraid that my grades won't be so good. Do I still have a chance for getting into Harvard ( or maybe some other Ivy)? Sorry for mistakes and thanks for answeres.
some of you really need to check yourself before commenting, I just started following you, college is college and its amazing you got into Harvard! all the best to you, from looking at your videos it's easy to see you will do great things. "haters" are 99.9% jealous germs.
Not enough kids begin to think this diligently about what they actually want to achieve through their education as early as you did. For this reason I usually advise upper year students to take a year out, work a little and get a feel for 'real life' and the value of money. Throughout this time I suggest that they let it all brew in their minds (This isn't to say either path is advantageous over the other). I think it's excellent how you articulate what your thought process was so clearly. Whilst you're obviously an exceptional example in terms of aspirations (1540 wow!) in that you were able to aim at such a prestigious path, I hope that kids watch this and start thinking about really checking in with what speaks to them in life, and then spend time concocting a constructive plan to get there. Your videos are really interesting mate, and as a result I hope there are lightbulbs going on in the minds of students everywhere! subbed!
If you could further describe the process of how you contacted the coaches and convinced them to let you visit the campus, that would be great! I'm a tennis player and I'm hoping to see how I would be able to do the "early, early decision" Thanks so much! Very helpful video :)
JustSoNotorius Lmao before you tell other people to do their research.. Stanford isn’t even an Ivy League school. The third best considered Ivy is Princeton
Hachi Resendiz does 'Ivy League' really mean that much though? It's a sports conference. Stanford is more selective, has better job prospects/salary, grad school matriculation, etc. than a lot of the Ivies.
Also, I played lots of music at honors levels in my whole school; and studied lots of Spanish competitively, attended international math competitions and became founder/president of the computer engineering club at my school. In other words, participate a lot in what you love and do what you enjoy.
Great story mate, well done on the running achievements and working your way into the school. Would also love to hear about how computer science became your passion along the way in another video.
this is a really cool video, thanks for making it. I'm going to attend college in the fall as well, and I had to write so many essays and apply to so many scholarships to get my first semester to be free. My college gave me academic scholarships (which are super hard to recieve), and I also one department scholarships that were given to me because of my major and my academic work ethic. Good luck in school!
Can you PLEASE make a video about how to write a college essay! How do you persuade and connect with the readers? What kind of things should I talk about in my life? How short should it be? Please help! I love watching your videos and I just found your channel. My dilemma in life is a little different. I am 14 years old but I am in college studying to get a major in Science. I want to transfer to an ivy league soon and I think I have my eyes set on Harvard. I already think I have a good shot, but this essay is driving me nuts. Please make a video!
Isabel Torres lol you know my cousin hired a professional writer to write a mail for a college application and it was amazing I mean he can write it himself but his parents thought it would be better to hire one who is already perfect at these things
2nd year in a row of almost making it yo OFSAA, lol maybe next year! but congrats on Harvard!!!!!! happy to see someone on RU-vid from a school close by who's also applying to the US. best of luck in the future!!
Collage should be free and open to every one. The system is wack. People like me with no parents, no money, and physically disabled have very little options to be anyone.
I like how you said you haven't really thought about university and I constantly think about University and how what I want to do when I grow up and I'm in 7th grade. Also I did track too for 6th annd hopefully for 7th but I get your struggles 🙃
If it was possible I just have liked a thousand time this video !!! A revelation for me, thanks ! Harvard is my dream school, I’m in 11th grade in Europe (Belgium)
Hey, John. I'm 13 and am almost finished with my first term of freshman high school (year 9 in NZ). I have all the AP classes. I passed the tests but barely passed some others and got good grades on my progress report. But, I have been and am extremely stressed out. As of right now, I have a speech to complete and lots of math homework as well. I just can't. I know it's cheesy, I want to believe in myself but I really can't do it. It's also difficult for me as I don't have a study space and my parents don't want to buy me a desk or chair. And even when I try to work in the living room, I'll always end up being told to do something that isn't my responsibility but my parents (such as watching my sister while their literally on facebook? They've told me plenty of times that they're "resting" but that's bullshit unless they were actually sleeping and getting rest). Not to mention that my mom is giving me more chores, great timing right? I mean I think my family is my main root of these "problems/distractions." However it's my parents, especially since they treat me like shit and when I try to stand up for myself, they say like to-- threaten me or verbally/ sometimes physically abuse me as well. I sometimes just can't handle it. I do have depression and have began building up anxiety due to how badly my parents handle situations. I also have trauma from past experiences. I could go on. :( Sometimes, it would be easier to just kill myself, wouldn't it?
Hey. It may seem hard right now but I promise you that it'll get better. It might help you to talk to someone--if you're in NZ hit up www.kidsline.org.nz/Home_312.aspx . I've used counseling services before when I'm feeling down and overwhelmed, and trust me, there's no shame in it and they really help.
What year were you in when you contacted the Harvard coaches? This video actually made me learn something very useful as I do a sport and have good grades would like to do the same thing with the likely letter as you.
1. His voice is calming 2. He studies at Harvard 3. Has good taste in music 4. Has a cute lisp and smile 5. Makes amazing videos and a successful RU-vid channel! CAN YOU DATE ME
Congrats on achieving your goals dude! If your young keep your goals high but don't let colleges like Harvard Yale and MIT overshadow your highschool experience. There are many schools that are great and even offer better education. What you did was great because it sounds like you were were able to enjoy extracurriculars and use it to your advantage to reach your goals.
