I’m an international student seeking advice on which US colleges to apply to.
So far I’ve decided on:
Columbia
Cornell
NYU
UMich
WashU
However I’m aware that these schools are all MAJOR reaches for me (given my subpar academic history) and I was wondering whether I could get some advice on safety/match schools to apply to, and whether I should even bother with the ones I’ve listed (application fees can really add up!)
Me:
Asian
Female
No financial aid required
Prefer urban city environments
Grades:
Bit of a unique background as I did 10th and half of 11th grade in Singapore, and then transferred into 11th grade in the united and am in 12th grade in the United Kingdom rn.
Decent 10th grade results (~3.85 unweighted GPA in the year, rough conversion), really poor 11th grade (SG) grades. I went to a school where they deflated grades a great deal and basically most people in my class would only pass half their subjects, and even then it was only a borderline pass. I only passed 5 of my 6 subjects (3 decent passes, 2 borderline) and failed one, and was still considered around average in the school. But I was thinking that this may look really bad in comparison to applicants from other schools/systems
British 11th & 12th grade exams: AAAA (AS Levels, achieved - A is the highest attainable grade), AAAA (A Levels, predicted - A* is the highest)
on school’s Deans List
SAT:
Taking in December
I’ve done a practice test in half the required time & without any prep, and scored 1400. Gonna be intensively studying for the next month to hopefully pull this up to >1500
No subject tests (British curriculum is different)
Recommendations:
Good counsellor and teacher recs (all teachers who know and like me, at least!)
Extracurriculars:
Consistent passion in helping disadvantaged kids from low-income backgrounds (4 years of work such as volunteering to give tuition, organising and performing in charity concerts to raise funds for needy schools, etc)
Government internship in education planning division, helped make policy improvements to ensure low-income children do not fall through the gaps in the system
Was selected for a public policy discussion class (pretty selective, about 25 students in a class of ~1200) and also attended national leadership seminars on governance and public policy
Professionally exhibited work at a national arts festival as a photographer, documented stories of elderly people and their life experiences. Besides that I’m generally just really interested in talking to people and getting to know their stories so I set up two different ‘Humans of NY’-styled photography projects in my school too
Editor of school magazine, again about connecting with people, understanding the people that make up my school community and sharing their experiences
5 years in Odyssey of the Mind (creative problem-solving & drama competition), was team leader in 10th grade. Won 2nd at National finals thrice and was ranked within the top 7 in the world twice. This is an American competition btw, so we travelled to America for the world finals. Volunteered as a national judge in 11th grade after graduating from the programme.
8 years in the school choir, probably not so important but we won international competitions and have toured Europe before.
Dissertation on human rights (the death penalty)
3 weeks internship in a top national law firm
As you can probably tell from my ECs, my interests lie in understanding the people that make up our community in order to figure out ways to best help them and how society works. Not 100% decided yet but I’m intending on majoring in in a Social Science, possibly Political Science/Public Policy/Sociology or something along those lines
Really need to start thinking more realistically as I think all the schools I’ve thought of so far are huge reaches, and I don’t really have any solid advice on US colleges since most people here only apply to UK unis Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
@sungyeol, Being a full pay will give you a significant advantage in the international applicant pool. Your life expererience and background may also be a positive factor. I don’t know how tyour grades in the first half of 11th, perhaps you could ask a counselor from your former
Columbia and Cornell are huge reaches for everyone. The others, less so, but still reach-y. It’s difficult to predict international acceptance rates. If you are ethnic Chinese, then you will have a lot of competition for limited spaces.
Are you aware that Cornell, while located near a lively town, is not urban? The surrounding countryside is spectacular, but it’s some distance to a major city.
I think Boston University is a good suggestion, also Emory, Vanderbilt, U of Chicago, Tulane.
If you are open to smaller schools that are less known outside of the UK/Asia, but still academically excellent, then you should consider some small liberal arts colleges. Those that are not located in big cities can be especially favorable in admissions to Asians. Look at Smith, Skidmore, Kenyon, Grinnell, Haverford. Possibly Barnard, Wellesley, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore though these are more selective.
Even though you don’t intend to major in the arts, you should consider submitting an art supplement showcasing your photography. At small schools especially, your interests and exracurriculars can carry a lot of weight.
@sungyeol, Being a full pay will give you a significant advantage in the international applicant pool. Your life expererience and background may also be a positive factor. I don’t know how tyour grades in the first half of 11th, perhaps you could ask a counselor from your former
Columbia and Cornell are huge reaches for everyone. The others, less so, but still reach-y. It’s difficult to predict international acceptance rates. If you are ethnic Chinese, then you will have a lot of competition for limited spaces.
Are you aware that Cornell, while located near a lively town, is not urban? The surrounding countryside is spectacular, but it’s some distance to a major city.
I think Boston University is a good suggestion, also Emory, Vanderbilt, U of Chicago, Tulane.
If you are open to smaller schools that are less known outside of the UK/Asia, but still academically excellent, then you should consider some small liberal arts colleges. Those that are not located in big cities can be especially favorable in admissions to Asians. Look at Smith, Skidmore, Kenyon, Grinnell, Haverford. Possibly Barnard, Wellesley, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore though these are more selective.
Even though you don’t intend to major in the arts, you should consider submitting an art supplement showcasing your photography. At small schools especially, your interests and exracurriculars can carry a lot of weight.
@TomSrOfBoston Thanks for suggesting BU! It was indeed on my list of potential choices so I’ll look into it more
@momrath I am ethnic Chinese, but have never lived there and do not hold any form of Chinese citizenship (fourth generation immigrant). I suppose I’m still considered Chinese to colleges though.
Yes I am aware, but Cornell’s B.S. URS Degree really appealed to me so I thought I’d just give it a shot anyway. I’ll definitely check out the other colleges you suggested, as well as the tip on the art supplement. Barnard actually sounds amazing (but as you said, more selective)! Thanks so much for the help, it really gave me some direction as to where to go from here haha
Your ethnicity will be plus at many of the liberal arts colleges listed here. Definitely look into them. Also add Macalester to your list. It’s very strong in your interest areas and is located in a terrific area if you want a city nearby.
@sungyeol, Don’t get me wrong: I’m a huge Cornell fan! The campus and its environs, however, are the opposite of urban.
URS is a wonderful program, but it is insanely selective. They only enroll 25-30 students each year, which would equate to something like 50 admits. They are looking for students who can demonstrate already developed interest in and commitment to urban planning. From the URS website:
Cornell is a popular destination among Asians of all sorts. They have a significant Southeast Asian focus, one of very few universities in the US that do. I would emphasize your ASEAN heritage and try to convey how your life experience could contribute to the program.
Remember that the URS program is part of the Art and Architecture department and that the design element of planning is as important as policy. It sounds to me like you have all the elements that they’re looking for; you just have to pull them all together in a compelling and persuasive application. Visit if at all possible.
I agree Macalester would also be a good option. At small LACs that are located in the midwest and/or outside of major urban centers, Asians are borderline URMs so it’s a good strategy to include a few less obvious choices in your application list.
Another recommendation for Macalester. Its identity is very much focused on building community and the idea of responsible global citizenship. It’s a short distance from an international airport and within the Twin Cities, where internship opportunities are abundant. Mac prides itself on its internationalism, with respect to its student body as well as its globally-oriented curriculum. A strong SAT and a good showing on your A levels may help to offset the drop in third year grades.
NYU and BU have campuses that blend into their urban surroundings, rather than a traditional self-enclosed type of campus. If that appeals, I would consider both as possibilities.
Your profile and interests might resonate at Tufts, but that is also a reach, roughly on par with Wash U in selectivity. It’s outside of Boston but there is a train station near the Tufts campus that runs trains into Boston.
@Otterma@mamaedefamilia Thanks for the suggestion! Will definitely check Macalester out since two different people recommended it. I haven’t heard of it before so if I do end up there, I’ll credit it to you both haha
The reason I’m so into urban places is mainly because of my upbringing. I shuttled around London, Singapore & Hong Kong and feel extremely comfortable in the urban environment, which is probably why NYU and BU appeal to me more in terms of their locations.
@momrath Cornell is ridiculously daunting! I’ll definitely give it a try, but I won’t really expect much haha. I just find urban issues so fascinating, since I consider three different world cities home and also go to an international school with a really diverse student body. About the design element, well, I’m no good with actual drawing but I’m experienced in graphic design (digital, Photoshop) & theatre design (aka stage, costumes, etc) outside of my photography interests - should I mention that as well? Not sure how high the artistic standards would be as they didn’t really talk about that…
“No subject tests (British curriculum is different)”
That is not an excuse for not taking SAT Subject tests and kids here in Britain study for and do well on these tests. They are required for Cornell (for the Arts and Science and Engineering schools). You should therefore drop Cornell from your list unless you can do 2 Subject Tests in January (I’m not sure whether Cornell will accept Jan. scores).
No, I wouldn’t say that artistic ability is a requirement; however, aesthetic and design appreciation is. Architecture is the dominate force in the AAP, and although planning is a different discipline, architecture, especially historic preservation, is integrated into the program.
I believe your background will make you a person of interest to URS admissions; however it will be up to you to persuade admissions 1. That you understand the program’s objectives 2. That you are passionately interested and willing to make a commitment to URS 3. That your international perspective would contribute to the URS community. They’ll be looking for that “spark” so spend a lot of time pouring through the on-line information about the program and crafting your essays and resumes accordingly. Again, visit if you can.
@momrath Oh, well that just made the AAP sound even more appealing to me! It really feels like it combines different areas of my interests all into one programme haha. And yes, historic preservation is also something I’m interested in - mostly because my dad’s involved in some national heritage work so I’ve seen a bit of the behind-the-scenes workings. The professional photography exhibition I did was actually part of a larger national festival which combined both cultural (artistic) and physical (building) heritage Thank you so much for laying out those three points for me, I’ll try my best to encapsulate this in a (hopefully) convincing application! When I think about it more, I haven’t really got anything to lose in applying to major reaches anyway, since I have other unis here in the UK as backups.
Unfortunately, due to my school schedule and circumstances it’ll be really difficult for me to visit before applying. I will be visiting NY next summer, but it’ll probably be too late by then…
