Leo Garcia

Anxiously senior Leo Garcia pulls into a McDonald’s parking lot and grabs his slick iphone from his younger brother, junior Ricky Garcia. Sitting in the drive through line Garcia reads the email he has impatiently longed to receive. The excitement poured out of Garcia, the email read he was an admittance into Harvard. Unable to contain the news, screams of joy erupted from his small grey car sitting in the drive through.

“I felt extremely confident about my interview, essay and application. However the odds were not in my favor. I honestly believed that I was going to get deferred,” Garcia said.

Only 15 percent of early applicants get admitted into Harvard, this year 4,692 people applied early action and 977 of those applicants were admitted. Throughout his high school career Garcia set his goals for Harvard. Starting the fall semester, Garcia will major in Mathematics or Biomedical Engineering. After undergraduate school Garcia wants to go to medical school and study to become a heart surgeon.

“I look forward to exploring a whole new environment, adapting and developing new relationships with great people,” Garcia said.

Since third grade Garcia knew he wanted to become a doctor. By setting his goals high, Garcia is on track towards a very successful life. Although Harvard was his number one, his back up schools were The University of Texas and The University of Minnesota Twin Cities. A Harvard scholarship of $63,000 was awarded to Garcia based off financial needs and merit.

“Do not let high school become a competition. Cherish the people around you and continue to change yourself to become a better version of you,” Garcia said. “Do not base your success by the status of those around you.”