"I've thought about going there for awhile and really decided to give it a try," he said.
Justin said he initially received notification that he was on the "wait list" and then received a call confirming his acceptance to the Ivy League school.
"It was really exciting. It was an extensive process that included an interview," he said.
According to an article on-line from the Harvard Gazette at www.news.harvard.edu the director of admissions is quoted as saying of the 39,041 applicants, 3,300 were ranked first in their high school classes. It goes on to say that standardized test scores and grades are only two of the many factors considered in the application process.
Only 2,037 of the applicants were awarded admission to Harvard for the fall, according to information on the Harvard website.
Justin is one of the top 10 students in the TKHS 2016 graduating class. He's served as vice president of the National Honor Society, is a member of Student Council, Teens Against Tobacco Use, and Rise Against Discrimination. He's also a member of the varsity tennis team where he was co-captain of the team and received the coach's award.
Outside of high school, Justin is also active in the Youth Leadership Summit, Youth Advisory Council, Boys State, Circle of Giving, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Thornapple Area Enrichment Foundation.
Justin said he also applied to Yale and the University of Michigan. He was also accepted at U of M, but said Harvard was his first choice.