Getting into Harvard University is a huge accomplishment by itself; the school had a record-low 5.9 percent admission rate last year.
But standing out among the thousands of stellar students is an even bigger achievement.
We've found the 22 most remarkable students at Harvard this semester.
These kids have made breakthroughs in scientific research, fought for social justice, and created a better community at Harvard.
John Harvard himself couldn't have chosen better.
David Boone overcame homelessness and gang violence for a full scholarship to Harvard.
Class of 2016
Boone overcame difficult obstacles — including homelessness and gang violence — to get to Harvard.
The freshman from Cleveland said that gang members burned down his home when he refused to join them. While homeless, Boone devoted himself to his studies and to productive extracurricular activities, which earned him a spot in Harvard.
Boone is attending Harvard on a full Gates Millennial Scholarship.
This semester Boone is taking courses in Mandarin Chinese, expository writing, computer science, history and calculus. He said that he sometimes spends up to 40 hours a week on work for his computer science class alone.
Boone has applied for summer jobs at Google, Microsoft and the Eaton Corp, and before he graduates wants to study abroad in Shanghai or Beijing to learn about Chinese culture and economy.
Shree Bose is making breakthroughs in cancer research.
Class of 2016
Bose made a breakthrough in cancer research when she was still in high school — and it earned her national acclaim and praise from President Obama, who twice publicly recognized her achievements.
After watching her grandfather struggle with liver cancer, Bose was determined to help out in any way she could. So she chose to study the protein AMP kinase and its reaction with the chemotherapy drug Cisplatin. She noticed that when she inhibited this protein, Cisplatin was allowed to begin destroying cancer cells.
Her work with the cancer drug Cisplatin won her first prize at the Google Science Fair last year and recognition as one of Glamour magazine's Young Amazing Women of the Year.
Now a freshman at Harvard, Bose is planning to study molecular biology. Eventually, she would like to go to medical school to become a physician.
Sitan Chen is a star mathematician and Carnegie Hall concert pianist.
Class of 2016
Before entering Harvard,Chen won third place in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology for his research that could advance how computers multi-task data. His project is called On the Rank Number of Grid Graphs, and could result in new advances in studying mathematical graphs.
He's also a talented pianist and violinist who performed at Carnegie Hall six times.
Chen is a freshman studying math and economics. He plans to become a university professor, is a member of the Harvard Glee Club, and serves as an analyst in the Harvard College Consulting Group where he provides consulting services for businesses, non-profit organizations, and student groups in and out of Harvard.
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