Shellee Howard shares how her son got into Harvard studying biology without debt, covering his path through advanced coursework, early research, and strategic summer experiences like clinic work in Kenya. She emphasizes building mastery and momentum rather than chasing program names, and tailoring the approach to each child's readiness to avoid burnout.
Harvard Bio starts with curiosity.
That's gonna challenge him to think deeply. My son Ryan, my firstborn, came home from middle school spring of his 8th grade year and he says, "Mom, I love biology. I am fascinated by cellular biology." And I said, "That sounds amazing." What happened at school today? And he says, we had the opportunity to diagram an actual cell. And he was so excited. You could see his passion, the spark in his eye, the intellectual curiosity. I knew at that moment there was gonna be something connected to biology or chemistry or— You don't need a resume in middle school. You need curiosity and confidence.
9th grade decisions for Harvard Bio.
By the time my son graduated from 8th grade, we had a pretty good idea that math and science was his secret powers. And so when we built his freshman classes, we focused on how could we get him into the highest level in math and science while not burdening him in his other classes. So we looked at everything the school had to offer, and he was already a year or two ahead in math, so we had to petition for him to get into a higher math, and they allowed it. They wouldn't allow him to take AP Bio until his sophomore year, but he could take honors. So we had him take the most challenging math and science classes his school would allow, and then ultimately we had to put him in dual enrollment and college-level courses. Just had a natural gift.
What mattered more, rigor or readiness?
My son was ready for a challenge. He never backed down from a teacher who questioned him or challenged him. He looked at it as more of an opportunity to prove his point. Gently, quietly, but it was important to him. He needed the rigor to stay connected. He needed it to stay challenged, and he needed it for his intellectual curiosity. So what mattered more, rigor or readiness? I definitely think he came ready to experience rigor, so I would say both of them were very important for his success.
Is Harvard bio worth it?
For my first, he really didn't show signs of any overwhelm until the spring of his junior year. And there was one day when he asked me, "Mom, is this ever gonna be worth it?" And I promised that it would. When he got his Harvard acceptance, he looked at me and he says, "Mom, yep, that was worth it." So really it's understanding the child. My second hit burnout in her second semester of the sophomore year where she was really being challenged by her AP classes. My third, he really didn't reach burnout. He was a steady student all the way through. My fourth, she reached burnout her freshman year. She wasn't a, an academia. She was really challenging herself to get A's. So all four of them had their own path. And I would encourage you parents to really lean in on your child not the age or what others are suggesting.
How do grades and intellectual curiosity work together?
The whole profile that colleges are looking for is who is your student, what have they done, and how have they proven what they want? So intellectual curiosity is a big part of their positioning. Also, Working towards it is showing proof of concept. So putting the two together equals great grades. My son never got a B ever until he got to Harvard. That's when he got his first B and he was okay with it. Top colleges are looking for mastery and momentum, not overload. Don't do everything everybody else is doing.
Which activity became the anchor of his application?
So the most important piece of my son's application to Harvard was his leadership. He was freshman class president, sophomore class vice president, junior class president, and ASB president. He was voted in by thousands of students. He absolutely was a born leader. So his anchor, no doubt, was his leadership, and he continues to lead doctors as chief resident at UCLA right now. And guess what? College is about leadership. Harvard has had some of the most instrumental leaders come through their university. So if you are looking for a strong college, you want to have a strong leadership profile.
How did your son first get involved in research?
I say my son first got involved in research when he was in 7th grade. That was the first time he got to compete in a research competition, and it had to do with a competition at his school. They got to research something that meant something to them, and then they got to create a project to show what they learned. At that moment, I got to see him in his greatest strength, his intellectual curiosity in full drive, and it really continued to grow And it really started to gain momentum in his AP biology class. The research that he got to accomplish in that class was hands down what led him into wanting to become a physician as his lifelong career.
What steps turned my son from a participant into a contributor?
What steps turned my son from a participant into a contributor were great teachers. Hands down, his AP biology teacher changed his life. And then next came his AP chemistry teacher. Those two, along with his anatomy, unbelievable. They gave him such a jumpstart to step into what he wanted to do for his future. Many parents don't understand the importance of high school research. They think just having them go to class and absorb the material and get an A is enough, and it really isn't. They also need to do well on the AP exam, a 4 or a 5, and then a research paper that's published. Hands down, such a great use of their time and energy. Research is about thinking like a scientist, not publishing papers. That intellectual curiosity will guide them to what they want to learn, and then when they get their paper published, it feels like an award.
How did you decide what each summer should accomplish?
This was a huge undertaking. First, we started with what is he missing? Then we looked at what are the best opportunities for him? Then we looked at what did he want to do? Then we looked at what did he have time to do? All of this meant he had to be really strategic, and that's exactly what we did. Him and I, we volunteered in the slums of Mathare, Africa, in Kenya. We got to teach students English, math, and science. We got to teach them about American sports. But where it got really exciting is he got to work in the free clinic. He got to test his skills at speaking to families about injuries, about malaria, about things that they had no idea about, like sun cancer. This opportunity he turned into such an amazing essay. The essay got published in 2 books. It got him Student of the Month, Student of the Year, and it got him 11 college acceptances. That's what a good summer program can do for a student. He never went to Cosmos. He never went to any of those, uh, $5,000, $10,000 summer programs. No, we did it the important way. We started with him. What was gonna help him be a great adult? What was gonna help him figure out what he wanted to major in, what type of career? And then we brainstormed together and then we created a plan. So it's so important. It's not about the title of what they did or how much you spent. It's what they learned and what they can talk about in an essay and an interview.
