Life’s about taking chances.
It’s about stepping out of a comfort zone and taking the road less traveled. For Noah Harris, that’s the Ivy League. Last month, the Oak Grove senior was accepted into Harvard, one of the most difficult colleges in the world to get into.
Of the 39,506 people who applied to Harvard for the Class of 2021, only 2,037 (roughly 5%) were admitted to the prestigious university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And the average ACT score composite at Harvard is a 34 out of 36, while the average GPA is 4.1.
Still, Harris took that chance in a heartbeat.
“I’ve always done a lot of activities and always worked hard in everything I do,” Harris said. “But it was never to get into a school like Harvard. I just took a chance, and I worked hard.”
“You never know what you can accomplish if you don’t try.”
Stating the obvious here, it was not easy. When most students his age were enjoying weeks of the sun-filled 2017 summer, Harris was putting in work.
“I was working on these essays all summer,” Harris said. “Drafting and redrafting. Working on my resumes. And the interviews and recommendations. There’s just so much that goes into it.”
Then it was just a waiting game leading up to December 12th of last month. To make matters worse, Harris, a basketball standout at Oak Grove, happened to be playing in a game that Tuesday night, as the news arrived via his email. He knew all about it, too.
“I didn’t really play that well,” Harris recalled. “I was thinking about the Harvard thing the whole game, because I knew that the email was in there. I was just really nervous.”
Harris finished that game with 6 points, and the Warriors beat South Jones, 65-38. After that came a moment and a notification he’ll never forget. Accepted.
“Then I came home, opened up the computer and gathered my family around. It was just pure joy,” Harris said. “It’s one of the most surreal type of feelings I’ve ever had. I don’t wanna say it’s my best accomplishment, but just getting accepted, it’s really an honor.”
Safe to say he’s just getting started. Harris plans to major in political science in an effort to become a lawyer one day.
“There’s just something really great about being able to help people in need through the legal field,” Harris said.
If he works at it as hard as he does in his studies, basketball, violin or pretty much everything else in life, chances are Harris will reach that goal.
“I don’t wanna say I’m a perfectionist, but I just want to do the very best I can do in everything,” Harris said with a smile. “Whether that’s sports, music or school. I just wanna be the best.”
