<p>Ok, so I am completely new to CC. I need some help, please forgive me if I am asking stupid questions.
I am a senior studying in UK. I want to apply to US uni for engineering. I want to know my chances for MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, UCLA, UC Berkeley etc.</p>
<p>Starting with the worst...
I have relatively weak ACT score of 32 (27 English, 36 Maths, 28 Reading, 36 Science, 26 Combined Eng)
SAT II taken in junior year, 790 Maths 2, 760 Phy.
English is my weakness, it is a big issue for engineering applicant??</p>
<p>On the other hand, my results in the UK system is better, not sure if US universities understand it or use it ?
My AS UMS average 98% in Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths.
Average applicant to Cambridge (top uni for engineering in UK) is 89%
Average successful applicant is 94%-96%</p>
<p>So, I know my results in UK system is kind of competitive, but what about US uni? Anyone know if they care about UK results at all? Or my weak English score in ACT is likely to break my chances at the top uni?</p>
<p><a href=“Admissions statistics | MIT Admissions”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats</a>
You see where that comp and English puts you in their stats. Are you actually British? If you are actually upper 6th are you paying attention to dates?
Look at the common data sets of all the schools you list. If I lived in the UK I would take Oxbridge or Imp College over Princeton, UCLA, UC Berkeley but who wouldn’t love the other 3. When you apply to a UK school, they care about your skills pertaining to your engineering degree, the US holistic approach and ECs is, IMO a bit of a PITA if you are a Brit.
That being said and you have the money to be full pay as a foreigner and you can bear the admission stats, why not just apply? Again though, if you are supper 6th dates are really looming.
As you see MIT gets 14000 international applicants so they will understand how Brit stats work.
(Mutter…UK home student rates for Cambridge vs 60K a year at say Stanford LOL)</p>
<p>Reading between the lines, I think OP might be an international studying in the UK, but not from the UK. So home rates would not apply, although it would still probably be cheaper.</p>
<p>Are you prepared for having to take mandatory humanities courses at a US university? Even somewhere like MIT which specialises in STEM makes you take eight courses in three or four separate arts/humanities subjects over the course of your degree, and they’ll factor into your GPA. That might be a longterm issue for you from what you’re saying here.
<a href=“HASS Requirement | MIT Registrar”>HASS Requirement | MIT Registrar;
<p>As you’re so math/engineering focussed you sound more suited to the British system to me. </p>
<p>Or is it just that you haven’t been studying English/related subjects that’s causing your ACT to be less distinguished in English than in math? Obviously you’re only doing mathy A levels, so you’re only at GCSE level in other subjects (did you get decent grades in English and similar subjects at GCSE, or equivalent?). Especially if it’s not your first language, that may improve with further study.</p>
<p>thanks for reminding. got A*s in humanities GCSE and B in English… I don’t like humanities and language, that’s why I am not taking these in A Levels. I guess I should focus on UK, my chances at the top US uni r pretty slim.</p>
<p>I did IGCSE and GCEs too. How many A*/A/Bs did you get for IGCSE, GCE AS and your predicted for A level? I’ve emailed to universities individually to ask if AS levels can be substituted for GPA, and most of them said yes, with the requirement of A level predicted grades. However, there are so colleges that require mock exam and school grades, which might put you into a disadvantage, so you might want to know which of the schools you’re applying to are like this. </p>
<p>And honestly, if you’re applying to engineering, English is not that important. The fellow CC-ers are just concerned if you can handle the workload, and if you’ve looked through the descriptions and think you can manage, then your 32 ACT is not much of a worry.</p>
<p>AP’s, IB’s and A Levels are all treated equally by universities. I’ve given my IGCSE’s and AS Levels as well and am applying to America. So you’re fine as long as your grades are good. But obviously it’s pretty hard to get into any one of these uni’s, especially if you’re an international student.</p>
<p>I’ve emailed these schools (<em>standard answer):
Columbia</em>- accept AS+AL predicted official grades in lieu of transcript
Yale*
Johns Hopkins*
Wellesley- not accepted, but need you to submit AS+AL predicted. only school transcript will be considered as GPA (which includes your mock)
Barnard*
Carnegie Mellon* + mock exams
UCs- not accepted, like Wellesley
Cornell*</p>