thoughts regarding harvard 2+2 chances
background: white american male
qpa: 3.3 gpa: 3.5
gmat: tbd
major: engineering
status: going into junior year and studying abroad in HK
resume: start-up web development company at 15, which raised money for second start-up at 16, which developed performance parts for exotic cars (manufactured in china); researched through university in net-zero energy buildings this past summer, and researched what it would take to convert a local school to be net-zero with its energy
i started out as a business major but wasn't into it and ended up just developing more products through my company instead of going to class which left me with a 0.9 qpa. after this i left to LA to pursue trying to build an entire new car since i had done so much research on different factories for all parts of a car and since there was a huge shake-up in the market to make a more environmentally friendly automobile. was seen as too young by investors (i was 18), thus decided to be less stubborn and go to school, but pursue a product development degree rather than business since that's what i loved more. i would always develop new products and not spend any time marketing or stuff like that.
this last summer i decided to do research because i love learning about the newest stuff and what is going to happen in the future -- i stuck with sustainability because i got more interested in it after looking at how to make cars more sustainable. while doing research this summer, i learned about a topic within sustainability that fits my personality and dreams perfectly. i plan on pursuing researching this during school this year and also next summer. i need harvard to help me build a large business around this topic.
leadership:
- lead a start-up that brought me and a few of my small-town friends to LA at just 18. to some this may not be a big deal, but no one in my family had ever left this small town since our ancestors originally immigrated from europe.
- fought back from a 0.9 gpa to currently 3.3/3.5 and in engineering
- have been featured in bodybuilding articles; motivating other college students focusing on lifebuilding -- went from 140lb now 180lb; 0.9qpa now 3.3; and now going for harvard
- i have already been leading 3 other engineers around this new sustainability research topic -- and i plan on getting even more people while in HK, and also finishing a few other excellent leadership ideas while in HK
pros:
- solid proof from a very young age that i am different and want to have a large impact on the world
- i'm having a transformational undergrad experience from mentally to physically; with proof that i am hungry and continuously improving upon myself, and plan to do the same at harvard
- strong essay ideas that really tie everything together, with clear vision of what i intend on doing with an mba and why i need harvard mba
cons:
- gpa is still low. i'm well aware that i need to absolutely kill it while in HK and also kill the gmats
- i'm not sure if my entrepreneurship is very business-like even though i would argue that it was never what i was most interested in, i was most interested in product development. my sustainability research topic strongly ties together my love for product development and why i'm choosing business for masters rather than continuing research
- i wont be the smartest applicant, but i feel i will prove that i'm the type of person that is willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goals
thanks