How to get into Harvard, by the kid who didn't. | Shyam Handa | TEDxYouth@CherryHillEastHS

How should a student mold their lives to have the best possible chance of getting accepted to an Ivy League school? The answer might surprise you...
Shyam Handa is a senior at Cherry Hill High School East. When entering high school, many people told Shyam to be as well-rounded as possible. He listened. During Shyam's high school career, he conducted impressive research on myocardial ischemia reperfusion, he raised over $28,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, he participated in tennis, he played piano, and he was the co-captain of the Cherry Hill East Ethics Team. When it came time for college acceptances, though, he noticed an interesting trend. He began to think that maybe being well rounded is a detriment when applying to Ivy League schools. He did some research, and this is what he found...
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@nolanfirlotte2160]

my left ear loved this video!

[@kaelin9228]

Canadian Psycho omg I thought it was just me 😂😂

[@nikitaxo8846]

i literally changed the video and came back then checked comments

[@ravigopinathan2835]

I'm didn't have that problem when i just tried it. It just sounds like it's being he has a mike and speakers in the room and the recording is picking up both the speakers in the room, and his voice right as he speaks.

[@putsomerespeckonmaname540]

LOOOL SAME HERE

[@prem5er]

ROFL :D :D U made my day!!

[@yo9062]

I'm at Harvard - and I wouldn't listen to this guy. Just be yourself, distinguish yourself from others and excel at what you do.

[@yo9062]

And keep it in mind, there are more graduate students here than undergrad. So you don't have to come here out of high school - in fact I wouldn't encourage that. Get out there, explore the world, once you know what you want to do, choose an Ivey league school the propels you in the world. It would offer you resources you do not have at disposal and make you into a scholar/leader in the field. It's not about the smartest guy in the room, it's about the ability you have to believe in yourself and the people around you. Good luck!

[@ahmedimtiyazpasha8195]

i'm from a south Asian country....currently doing major in finance & marketing ....my CGPA is below 3 though i still have pretty good chance to upgrade my gpa upto 3.3 .....i love to write story , vocal singer ....any way i can get chance in Harvard ? .....what should i do to apply in Harvard ?....i live in small town , belong to a ordinary family ...i want to explore , achieve something bigger ....i want to do it badly !!

[@tuancj6160]

CHeck213 can I ask what u did to get into Harvard?

[@briangallardo3246]

That's literally what he said

[@prantikdev1885]

Really

[@IPoopMyPantsSomeTime]

His use of statistics is kinda bad. One thing I'd like to point out is 6/100 people accepted is the rate of everyone who applies, not 6/100 of valedictorians plus perfect SAT's that apply.

[@MAHEEPCHHABRA]

David Trinh supposition. Assuming. He supposed that if the ones applying even had the best of what is considered to get into an ivy i.e. High SAT scores, Sky high GPA scores and extra curricular activities even then, there's a bigger chance that you won't get in than the chance of you getting in.

[@qwertytv9451]

Actually, that's not what he said. He clearly said 6/100. Stop trying to sound smart when you have no idea what you're talking about.

[@Zombihilanth]

Lol he said if everyone in he audience was a val with perf SAT and good at sports and an instrument only 6/100 would get in. That is bad math my dude, dont defend some pussy that cant admit that harvard rejected his shit ass.

[@ccorsen6467]

he said he didnt even apply

[@shyamhanda5685]

actually, the use of statistics is well done because the almost everyone who applies fits that criteria...

[@popap1995]

If you didn't get into Harvard, you are the last person who should be giving advice on how to get into Harvard.

[@stopmotionstory5628]

Kinda true...but probably failure teaches you the value of success and what it takes to achieve it

[@purefatdude2]

@@stopmotionstory5628 Yes but that implies that you succeed at the end.

[@henryonce-ler2919]

Too be fare... He didn’t apply

[@Jasminabc123]

This is all wrong. My roommate and I are attending Harvard right now and we are watching this video and we are basically the opposite of all these things.

[@kingburrito7773]

prove it

[@Nicole-em7iv]

no its actually true.. Most students at med schools and ivy leagues are both well rounded but also extremely talented at one thing.

[@Jasminabc123]

Lol ok

[@wiltingodin9626]

It's not all wrong because having the spike increases your chances by a lot. You probably got in being well-rounded but having really good SAT scores and AP grades. I think this guy's acedemics held him back, not his well-rounded resume. Not trying to be mean but he doesn't seem to have Harvard level intellectual ability.

[@OberoonMarteel]

They mistake maturity for intelligence alot of the time

I helped my daughter to get into Harvard as a grad student. She's Spaniard and she has always attended Spanish public schools. I can say what it took for her to get into the PhD program: work, work and work, with a pinch of good luck. From 5 AM, no weekends, no summer holidays. How to do that? Love what you do. Do not try to do things just because others do. Try to excel in what you get. Do your best in every ball. No problem in being round, as long as your perimeter is huge. She never thought of going to Harvard until she started to think where would she meet the best teams to learn from. She was never obssessed with this or any other institution. The Ivy League was unknown to her by the time she was applying. By the way, she refused anoher Ivy League for exacty the same reasons she was told an Ivy League university chooses to refuse an otherwise excellent student: lack of passion.

[@sylvia1797]

I wish people would stop over-analyzing how to get into these schools. There is no formula. And even if there was, one shouldn't base one's activities and interests solely around getting into a school like Harvard.

[@AleksandarPirtovsek]

+Sylvia Bloom exactly totaly agree with you

[@seriousleelee1143]

Love the way you explained it, 100% agree

[@junyaophoon6670]

anybody annoyed by the tightness of his pants?

[@iLoveTurtlesHaha]

His eyes were above that. Just sayin XD

[@jacalynbaglieri801]

Junyao Phoon yes

[@POPDATA]

The only good thing about this ted talk was his tight booty and bulge

[@queenbee7786]

LMAO

[@seanybravo]

He's not that great of a speaker and this isn't anything new and idk if it really deserved a red talk.

[@seanybravo]

meant ted talk

[@tonyyang1293]

He does have a point on how stronger friends motivates you but I don't believe academically mismatched friends could stop you, and I absolutely don't agree that going out once a week is bad, that's just ridiculous.

[@bennyksmusicalworld968]

Title: “How to get into Harvard” Step 5. “Don’t worry about getting into Harvard”

[@googleaccount8244]

how do people get selected for Ted talks?

[@ellararitan3649]

Google Account anyone can be a TedX speaker. At my school, people were begging me to be a speaker and looking for speakers for their event...and I'm just a fellow HS student lol

[@charlieallega8883]

I hate to be that guy, but you shouldnt have your med school picked out before you've taken Organic Chemistry or physics...

[@minhquando100]

Chimmy Chummy oh my goodness thank you for saying this. I know so many bio majors that ended up regretting doing bio and pre med in the first place.

[@rhettruggerio148]

Excellent speech and very helpful!!

[@axxon3000]

bruh the way this guy walks and talks are very annoying

[@jonathanmercedes7623]

I'm so tired of watching all of these Ivy League high school students go crazy and talk about Harvard, ugh my head is gonna fucking explode

[@quantumcrash7266]

Columbia was my "dream" school. I got in, hated it, and transferred. A person should choose the school that is a good fit for their ambitions, values, and personality; What can that school offer to YOU? The application needs to make sense in terms of "fit" and you need to convey that to admissions. Forget about the brand and so-called ranking. That's bull. Research the schools that are right for you and apply to them.

[@gabep3132]

This is the equivalent of someone with 5,000 subscribers making a video on how to get famous on KZbin.

[@doink4997]

Actually I'm a big follower of Warren Buffet's ideas and I've seen many of his speeches, and in one of his speech he clearly said that you should not waste your money in these expensive universities. Instead he recommended get a diploma from a cheaper college and invest the remaining money in a good stock, and by the time you complete your graduation, you'll be already ahed of those who wasted their money.

[@fattypattygaming112]

he is just basing off how OTHER people got into Harvard. he just got opinions and statistics. terrible statistics

[@itallofreitas3333]

Thanks for your advices !!! I wanna study Art in the USA

[@yashjoshi4866]

stopped the video at 1:00 coz i realised that i dont need to change myself for a college :)

[@MAHEEPCHHABRA]

CREATIVE GENIUS you dont need to change yourself. Not what a person you are. But you gotta change the things you focus on. Like instead of going for different sports, you better go with that instrument you like to play or maybe be dancer if you want. They basically want people doing what they love to. Not what others think they are supposed to.

[@japjotsingh3266]

Lesson I comprehended - If given a chance to give a TED talk then don't tell to do what you haven't done yourself.

[@alvarotapia6004]

Simply spectacular

[@benritchybruno5967]

It doesn't matter what school you went to what really matter is that how can you get a job in the real world after you graduate college and start making good money i don't think too that all Harvard graduates get a great job right after graduation people have to know that college doesn't guarantee your career it guarantee your education cuz you paying for it.

[@saber3032]

my favorite step is the 5th one

[@adityarao5721]

someone great once told me never belive 3 things , lies , damn lies and ''statistics! '' his statistics sucks!, jus becoz the some ivy league students told him that they started their homework between 4-7pm he jus takes that as his premise. moreover, he doesnt sound as smart as a harvard candidate who is supposed to be charismatic. no offence! gud look!

[@ashnasingh9280]

Aditya rao mark Twain! “There’s lies, damned lies, and statistics”

[@divyyy4358]

Great talk dude!!!! Btw, Warren buffet went to UPenn 😁

[@krishnaprakhya4612]

So you expect us to have an extremely sharp spike going out once a week?

[@faisalqadirabdu]

thank you man this video really helped me in the situation i am in right now :)

[@Ange-or2np]

or be a legacy

[@AtteItk]

why is the audio in mono?

[@watz03]

Began specific and went way too generic

[@bobjordan1167]

TEDx should feel embarrassed posting this to their channel.

[@Joji_143]

he still went to a better hs than you

[@k4vl411]

How To Pass Your Driver’s Test - By a Blind Person.

[@howeijian4277]

1:12 he was expecting the audience to laugh at his joke

[@user-ko2qj7tt4z]

ليه مفيش ترجمه Why is there no Arabic translation?😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@ORGANICsoulJAZZ]

Stop you didn't get into Harvard. Get over it

[@alankn6508]

danggg he fineee. how is no one mentioning this?

[@shahzaadi_2353]

i am student. And how can i apply 7C's of communication on this vEDIO?

[@jessicaamoore]

Well, why don't you be the best at everything you do?

[@soleilsaint-cyr338]

omg my local hs had a TED event

[@mauricedrew3150]

95% ivy league obsessed kids would be successful , HAPPY , less debt..doctors, lawyers , MBA , teachers etc at their state schools!!

[@ididntmeanto5636]

I'm so confused, Harvard is my dream but I'm not sure what to do.

[@jailanrayvon434]

Thank you so much for the tips! I enjoyed this but I do not want to go to Harvard university I prefer Cornell university.

[@katherineesquivel139]

same tips work

[@jailanrayvon434]

kat gonzales Exactly why I watched the video!

[@mansithakur1758]

+jailan 61201 really? but why? I thought everyone 's first choice was Harvard

[@jailanrayvon434]

the.great.person .x​ I personally prefer Cornell because, being founder in 1865 they carry a lot of tradition. It's in New York, where I've I always wanted to live. There's a number of reasons why I prefer Cornell over Harvard. Harvard's not for everyone. 95% of the people who apply get cut so they odds would definitely be stacked against me.

[@naveensahureviewsurgeryins3918]

Sir can i get admission in Harvard University after b. Pharmacy

[@creativemind2586]

How can I study MBBS in Harvard?

[@dimitribillian8272]

I go to that school!! Lol

[@nitintripathi8165]

so I have a question.. I am an international student.. and want to be in harvard university... my big spike is programming so should I go next level with it... and they gonna accept me because I want computer science department. . please anyone answer me..

[@OfficialHobbitFan]

*accept

[@rovicalwencandava5083]

Nitin Tripathi Sorry, but you didn't provide a question...

[@Vanessa-yi9po]

Yes do go to the next level with it!

[@maimunamay6198]

Try to set up a computer science club if your school doesn't have one. Teach others to code and participate in programming on a national level. Get work experience in computer science during the summer as it's bemeficial

[@MuchonjiNelson]

No audio

[@synthguy7774]

"How it feels to be a man as said by a robot."

[@mia4992]

okay, i have a question. i have been a straight A student for as long as I can remember. but this year (first semester) has been a bit bad for me concerning academics {i am 9th grade}. i am not american, therefore i literaly have no clue how gpa is calculated. by the time i go in grade 12, will my average grades (Bs, As, Cs) from 9th grade's first semester really matter? can i still make it to an ivy league if i keep straight As during year 10,11, and 12? please, help!!! i do have a lot of extracurriculars, and i have been published in licensed newspapers and magazines for my short stories. I NEED ANSWERS!!

[@maimunamay6198]

Claire Tyler Harvard want a well rounded class, not necessarily a well rounded person. My advice would be to show Harvard that you have a passion, and stick to it. Consistency and commitment to your passion is so important. Also, the grades are pretty important as well. Harvard need to know whether you are actually capable of leaving with a degree, so try to take the best classes your school offers, and get the best grades. Try to score the highest in your class.

[@samuelcamachopalencia5737]

That's cool but he seems like he doesn't care a thing

[@nahleeca2280]

I couldnt focus the entire time because this guy is MAD THICC B

[@mmjamel9617]

I’m so annoyed because of his pants 🤬

[@dhruvgupta9090]

ever heard the name of iit or iim aceeptance rate is o.75 and 0.1% for iit bombah

[@prag3037]

The reason for that is in India, all the students pretty much compete for the same exact thing- an engineering degree or a medical one. Hence, over a million Indian people write the JEE main exam per year, and these the IITs being pretty hard to get into, only about 0.5 percent of them get in. However, on a worldly level, even IIT Bombay ranks somewhere in the 100s.

[@sabbirahmedhimel4527]

the funny part is usually schools having such high rankings are simple braggers of monopoly plus the ranking is usually based 95% on research facilities, alumni and other bogus stuffs. If you genuinely want to base talent then Harvard or MIT don't literally stand a chance against toppers of our low-ranked Indian schools. Though it might sound sardonic and pretentious but honestly in merit-based standpoint the " QS or any other * ranking is plain BULLSHIT

[@prag3037]

Sabbir Ahmed That's not entirely true. While MIT and Harvard really don't deserve the hype they get, they're still amazing universities. Research facilities are not bogus, they're pretty damn important for a university one of whose primary concerns is research. IITs base your value on how much of your life you are able to sacrifice sitting at your desk and studying. They don't really deserve a high ranking either.

[@xynyde0]

"They really don't deserve the hype they get". Umm, not quite correct. I agree with you about IITs and NITs, but MIT or Harvard? They really deserve the hype.

[@MattGarcyaDC]

The hell is this? I thought the highest gpa was like a 5.2 or something

[@Superbabygurl1ify]

AP classes and other college leveled classes add more weight to your GPA. My highschool was only 4.0.

[@ORGANICsoulJAZZ]

He sounded like he was about to cry

[@luxmberg5434]

GPA 6.55? How is that possible>

[@luxmberg5434]

No I mean like that should literally be impossible. The most you can get is 5.

[@Madu4ify]

Actually if you take AP classes it gives you an extra point in like every 2 ap classes, so if he has A's and all AP classes is possible to have a 6 GPA

[@Cameron-hs5ry]

Its probably on a different scale than the traditional 4.0 Scale. They probably use a 6.0 Scale where with AP classes you can get up to a maximum 7.0 I would presume.

[@JackMeoff46]

Yavex Last time I checked, max GPA was 4.5,and almost no one has such a high average.

[@lance-pubg8970]

i am from india and i am in class 11 may i apply for Harvard University for studying mbbs.

[@athensdazzle9632]

The Great Guy lol forget about it

[@rakshitbawalia8035]

Athens Dazzle Dude you know nothing about his scores, extracurriculars etc. Don't discourage him.

[@kanekiken5736]

"Beta focus on NEET"

[@milly4543]

there's no MBBS at Harvard. If you want to go to Harvard Medical School then you have to complete a 4 year undergraduate degree first (preferably from Harvard since it feeds into HMS)

[@prantikdev1885]

Sure

[@sabbirahmedhimel4527]

2-3% people get chance in Dhaka university or BUET and that also after passing the competitive admission tests . If only harvard would have admission tests like in countries such as India and Bangladesh then I doubt Americans would even be able to get into harvard.

[@traiwitz2736]

Sabbir Ahmed thats just fucking racist. "I doubt Americans could get into harvard" worry bout youself fuckass, dont worry about americans

[@traiwitz2736]

Sabbir Ahmed btw im bengali too

[@sabbirahmedhimel4527]

what a butthurt ostentatious fellow you are . Who said Im thinking about america or anybody I dont believe my language indicates any of that. First learn to type " yourself " and a decent language. Speaking all cacophonous harangue only shows youre someone who cant control his or her temper : your identification is not Bengali youre just ..stupid and proud of it... Grow up first then reply sensibly

[@sabbirahmedhimel4527]

Brother, please reply relevantly to my comment. My post is not a trash bin . I do respect your point of view but again my post here is about scrutinizing the very particles to find talent not condemning the milieu of a country . To be honest SAT and ACT are decent tests but in reality the hardness and competition of those tests don't even dare to " match up " against the tests of IBA, IIT . period.

[@sabbirahmedhimel4527]

I took the old SAT last year and I swear believe or not i got 2270 with only a week of preparation. Do you know in global competitions such as olympiads Harvard, MIT, Stanford often ends up being beaten badly by hackneyed "trashy schools" like BUET ( in Bangladesh ) better search google and then reply . I am just trying to differentiate getting into Harvard doesn't mean you're the smartest (always ) but of course the facilities you get for self-development in Harvard are simply light years ahead . It is a Google- searched statistical fact that the number of " merit population " in India exceeds the entire population of the US. ( btw I'm Bangladeshi and yes I didn't study in the national curriculum I did my IGCSE and IAL levels under Edexcel )

[@samuelstrachan2726]

Is could quite possibly be the absolute worst ted talk ever. So many poorly used and bias and/or stupid statistics. To name a few, causation/correlation was a major problem. like 4-9? That's irrelevant. Please delete ASAP

[@addisonlewis8581]

Exactly, a survey of 8 people tells nothing. Also, his slides were mixed up (1:11)

[@bebeerin]

that's the difference between a ted talk and a ted x. there is a special process for being chosen to give a ted talk. anyone can give a ted x

[@Kyle-ke4hk]

i’m genuinely confused if it’s a joke or not

[@insecticaa]

he sounds kinda dead inside

[@samsingh1209]

you know he had to do it to em

[@Jasna88]

only advice: have very much money. i man, why do we need videos?

[@rachelpadgett6902]

Please stop walking in circles

[@Thomas-er8xg]

Mono-channel audio?

[@charlieshin9868]

WTF is with wrong with the audio

[@selinaali9367]

His voice is zzzzzz

[@humanalltoohuman]

How to be a millionare, by someone who is poor.

[@kian6533]

That was kinda cringe tbh

[@bobjordan1167]

Princeton is the new Harvard.

[@adityarao5721]

harvard wouldnt give a shit to that statement. if princeton is the new harvard then, harvard is '' the harvard''

[@qiannivan5287]

Very interesting topic, from a boring speaker.

[@codlover93love24]

This was so bad

[@roons2424]

nope

[@vishnuvardhan337]

Harvard it's just a university

[@romax4351]

One of the worst speakers I've ever seen

[@jaysethi733]

What an ineffective, boring speech/speaker