Scholarship from a place like Harvard

[Stratosphere]

I haven’t been the best of students in school. When I say that I mean I have really bad grades my GPA is a bought a 62 now. I have recently be studying theoretical physics and astrophysics lately and I have found that it is something I want to do. I have taken IQ tests that consistently score me at a bought 150 adult IQ. I can't say that it too far off because at 15 when we take really big tests I haven’t ever had to study or even try to do well on the tests like all the other kids I know who score at a bought 70-80 even after working so hard, and I've always scored at least a 90 or above (in math usually 100). The reason I have such a low GPA is because I am too lazy to do the homework, my theory is if I already understand it why do the homework? So my question to you guys is if I take the SAT as a senior and I score really high will I have a chance of getting a scholarship from a place like Harvard, or is it impossible because my grades would be garbage? I suppose if I can't get a scholarship from Harvard I can get at least c's in my classes but that would take away from my time I study the important things in life like physics and astrophysics. I figure that by the time I am a senior I will already know differential equations from studying my self.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I'm afraid you're putting the cart before the horse here.

Before you worry about a scholarship, you have to get admitted. Do you think Harvard is saying to themselves, "we really need someone who is too lazy to do homework and can get at least C's in his classes"?

If you want to go to Harvard, you need to start getting A's. Having a high IQ is not enough by itself - you need to accomplish something. Furthermore, even if Harvard were more impressed by test scores than accomplishments - and I assure you they are not - 150 won't cut it. Approximately 5000 high school graduates per year have a score at least that high, and the size of Harvard's entering class is 1650 or so.

 

[cristo]

Why would you not do your homework if you then only score mediocre grades in the class? It seems to me that you've got your priorities all wrong here. In high school, the number one priority is to perform well in the classes you are taking. If you can complete that and have free time, then you can self study things like differential equations, and astrophysics, but if you cannot perform well in your high school classes, you should focus your time on doing so.

 

[Stratosphere]

Ok, thanks for the advice I guess should do better next year. I can guarantee I can get all A+'s in school if I wanted to. If I start getting A's in my next year since school is over now (12 days left), will I be able to have a chance at getting into Harvard?

 

[philnow]

Ok, thanks for the advice I guess should do better next year. I can guarantee I can get all A+'s in school if I wanted to. If I start getting A's in my next year since school is over now (12 days left), will I be able to have a chance at getting into Harvard?

You'll need more than a year's worth of A's to get into Harvard.

 

[Stratosphere]

You'll need more than a year's worth of A's to get into Harvard.

No I meant through the rest of my high school career.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If I start getting A's in my next year since school is over now (12 days left), will I be able to have a chance at getting into Harvard?

Nobody can tell you that. What we can say is that if you don't, you will have no chance.

 

[philnow]

Just out of curiosity how many years do you have left in high school?

 

[Tibarn]

If it's still early enough in your high school career, they may overlook poor grades if you show major improvement and get glowing recommendations from your teachers. However, there are no guarantees that you'll get in even if you get straight A's from now on and get a perfect SAT score. Getting into Harvard is a crap shoot. Even if you don't get in, there are plenty of other good schools out there that probably will accept you if you improve your grades.

As far as getting a scholarship, this is from Harvard's website:

Does Harvard award merit scholarships?

No. Harvard is firmly committed to allocating resources to sustain our policies of need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid. Our unusually talented student populations — chosen in a very competitive admissions process — would, in any case, complicate the equitable distribution of merit-based awards.

http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/financial_aid/faq.html#6"

 

[Stratosphere]

Just out of curiosity how many years do you have left in high school?

I’m in the last 12 days of ninth grade.

 

[diazona]

Well, you might have a non-negligible chance, but when college application time comes around, do be prepared to explain why you have a year of low grades on your record...