Last year, Harvard University’s acceptance rate was 5.2 per cent, the lowest in its history. This implied that, from a pool of more than 39,000 applicants, only 2,037 were admitted to the Class of 2020.
One of the successful applicants was Abdelrhman Saleh of King’s College Saint Michaels, an incredibly bright 18-year-old who, regardless of his outstanding results and obvious potential, wasn’t even planning on applying until the last minute.“My cousin had to convince me – I never really thought I would get in,” he explains, a hint of astonishment still detectable in his tone. Abdel was too modest even to picture himself attending a university like Harvard, but his cousin was right to insist that he at least try: Abdel was not only accepted by Harvard but also received a full scholarship to study there.

Nurturing young talent

Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Abdel has spent the last two years in the UK, preparing himself for university. He had known for a long time that he wanted to study at a top university, an ambition that, as he was aware, required hard work, discipline and excellent academic results.He found the perfect setting for achieving those standards in the prestigious boarding school King’s College Saint Michaels, a place that he now claims “feels more like home than home does”.King’s College Saint Michaels was, in fact, the first institution to see that there was something special about Abdel, and decided to invite him to study at the school on a full scholarship. “From the moment we met him, we knew he was brilliant: conscientious, hard-working and studious, but also personable and friendly,” says Stuart Higgins, the principal.During his time at Saint Michaels, Abdel has been deputy head boy, run the History and Politics Club, and organised fundraising events and activities (he raised money for the victims of the Nepalese earthquake, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and the CLIC Sargent Foundation). On top of this, he obtained excellent results in his SAT tests.But even after all these achievements, Abdel hasn’t lost one bit of his humbleness. He is most certainly destined for great things, but probably one of his best qualities is a commendable modesty.

What are you going to study at Harvard?

Probably physics. I haven’t made up my mind yet, and the American liberal-arts system will allow me to explore multiple fields before choosing a major. I will spend my first year taking courses in economics, philosophy, statistics and history, which will give me a much better idea of what I want to major in.

Was it very hard to win a place? What was the process?

I took the SAT and two SAT Subject Tests, one in maths and another in physics. These were standardised American college entrance exams that the university required. I scored 2,380/2,400 on the SAT, which was in the 99 per cent percentile, and I scored 800/800 on the two other tests.Then I had to ask my teachers for recommendation letters, and I had to write some essays – equivalent to the personal statements UK universities ask for. Later, I was invited for an interview with a Harvard Alum, which didn’t go very well, and at that point I lost hope.But I regained hope when I was invited for another interview with a senior admissions officer at Harvard, Ms Janet Irons, the person who makes the decisions. Luckily, that interview went better than the first one, and I received my acceptance letter two short months later.The most time-consuming part of the process was writing the 20-plus essays for the 20 universities I applied to. Each university asked for its own essays as part of the application. I also had to balance all this with my social life and the five A Levels I am studying. My writing skills improved a lot over this period.Most US universities have what is called a holistic admissions process. Admissions officers put as much emphasis on one’s experiences, personal qualities and contributions to the community as they do on academics. The universities usually want a well-rounded class with scientists, artists, athletes and clowns.Harvard’s acceptance rate was 5.2 per cent, the lowest in the university’s history. The acceptance rate for international students like me was even lower.With an acceptance rate this low, there is some luck involved with every admissions decision. I know that dozens of well-qualified people who deserve a place at Harvard as much as I do have been turned down, and that motivates me to make the most of this opportunity.

Do you feel the school helped you to achieve your goal? How?

In all honesty, I believe that, if I hadn’t attended King’s College Saint Michaels (KCSM), I wouldn’t have been accepted by Harvard. Everyone here was very supportive throughout the application process, especially Mrs Waite, the assistant director of education at KCSM. She spent many hours writing my recommendation letter, filling in forms, sending my grades, and even speaking to the Harvard admissions office on the phone.I met people from over 60 countries while studying at King’s College Saint Michaels. This helped me shape my views about my culture and religion. I have also developed a more cosmopolitan, compassionate view of the world and its cultures. I had breakfast with a Brazilian, lunch with a Lithuanian and dinner with a Dane. Not everyone gets to live in such a diverse and multi-ethnic community, and I think that gave me a slight edge in the application process.

Why did you choose King’s College Saint Michaels?

While living in Egypt, I was studying for British IGCSEs, and I was planning to study International A Levels afterwards. I wanted to study A Level physics, chemistry, maths, further maths and Arabic, but my school only allowed me to study two subjects. Universities in Egypt don’t require more than two A Levels.This was why I started looking for a school abroad. I can study as many A Levels as I want at King’s College Saint Michaels. King’s College Saint Michaels wasn’t like any school I had attended before. It is a boarding school in the tranquil English countryside, teaching people of different nationalities. Contrast this with the metropolitan, densely populated, loud and mono-ethnic city I grew up in. I felt that living in a new, unfamiliar environment was really thrilling.
 In addition, English boarding schools have this awe associated with them. I always saw them as places of discipline, heritage and academic excellence. And I knew that attending a boarding school would be great preparation for university life.

Was it difficult to adapt to the school?

When I first arrived here, I was overwhelmed with new people, new extracurricular activities, new food, and demanding academics. But I got used to the place, and now it feels more like home than home does.

Do you feel prepared for university?

Going to Harvard, or any university for that matter, is a daunting prospect. However, attending King’s College Saint Michaels taught me independence and discipline, which will be very useful at university.My perspective on my culture and the cultures of others, which I have developed at KCSM, will also help me get along with the diverse people I will meet while at university.For more information about King’s College, visit www.kingscollegeschools.org

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