Why do you want to go to an Ivy? What other schools are you interested in?
@palm715 maybe UC but cornell’s my top choice
You will be considered in the context of your situation. Focus on what you can change and what you can take control of. Go getters often find a way to make their dreams and aspirations happen. Both I and several other users have already given you suggestions in how you can leverage your situation and take advantage of the resources that are all around you.
Do you babysit? Walk dogs? Volunteer? Tutor? Have a job on campus? Sing or play music for your church? Do you work the concession stands at the games? All of those are ECs that don’t cost money.
Working and volunteering are ECs.
It is illegal in California for schools to exclude students from ECs due to inability to pay.
I also don’t understand why money restricts you from EC’s. At my kids school, there are fees for many activities, including those that require travel, but financial assistance is available for those who have trouble paying. No one would ever be expected to pay for an expensive trip if they couldn’t afford it. Also, the orchestra director helping a student pay sounds really weird - the school should be providing assistance, not a teacher paying out of their own pocket.
I do understand if you can’t do EC’s because you must work or help care for younger siblings but that doesn’t seem to be what you are saying. Its almost like you think the only EC’s that matter are expensive ones that you can’t afford to do. This is not true.
OP, you seem to have a very inaccurate view of the reality of other families’ finances and of college admission.
You seem to believe that everyone else is paying thousands of dollars for “competitions”. That’s simply not true. As I said, not all the kids at our school go on music trips, even some that are middle class. In fact, my kid substituted for the first chair on one of these trips because the first chair could not afford the trip. And yes, the kids both fundraise and work to help pay the expenses. Our school doesn’t even do European trips–they know that too many of the kids wouldn’t be able to afford it. Our honors ensembles and music competitions at district and state level are free.
Secondly, colleges know that certain activities are expensive and they don’t expect that low income students would be able to afford them.
I think the biggest obstacle you face is one of attitude, not of lack of expensive competitions. You in fact have many EC’s but you are fixated on not being able to afford some expensive competition that you evidently want to do and which apparently isn’t a higher priority than going to Austria. We all have to live in a budget and make choices.
@sodiumhydroxide Your response to @palm715 was very limited. You may want to research a more extensive list of schools which include reach and safety schools (list should probably include schools that cover 100% of you demonstrated financial need). It’s good to reach but just remember the Ivies have very low acceptance rates and the kids with the best stats/EC’s aren’t accepted.
One additional point…if you are this sensitive about not being able to participate in “expensive” activities in high school you will be overwhelmed if you are admitted to an elite college as a low income student. Many schools have programs to assist low income students with access to activities which increase inclusion. But you don’t want your mindset to hold you back.
This.
You have a strange view of college admissions, one in which taking part in pricy competitions makes kids stand out in terms of ECs. Real admissions officers look for something different. As Stanford writes in its FAQ
Nothing in there about looking for winners of expensive competitions, is there? And in fact you had all the opportunity you needed. You could have founded a club in your school or community, focusing on whatever area those expensive competitions are in. So instead of taking part in a paid state competition in science, for example, you could have started an afterschool science program for middle-school kids in your community. You know, doing the kind of stuff schools like Stanford say they’re actually looking for rather than the activities you imagine impress adcoms.
Yeah, go ahead and cement in their minds that you accept as beyond question that you should only be evaluated on whether you took part in activities someone else set up and that were convenient & affordable. Otherwise you get a pass.
I would like to bring few points to OP’s attention. First of all, you are doing enough activities though it seems that not making a mark in those, like getting notable awards or making noticeable diffrence. I know kids who build great extracurricular resume with their accomplishments in just music and volunteer work. Job is usually a cherry on top.
Secondly, cost of an activity doesn’t make it special, colleges get thousands of resumes every year and can sort out fluff and accomplishments. In most public and private schools, most of school related activities including AP exam fee can be waived for financially disadvantaged families. You need to talk to your GC about waivers and grants. There are so many great programs exclusive to economically advantaged.
Last but not least is your attitude, you are getting free advice here, be grateful. If you don’t like some answer, ignore it or argue respectfully. A friendly attitude is an asset valued by everyone including top schools. They want people who can lead and follow with equal enthusiasm and add value to student body.
@HappyFace2018 FYI, i do have a list of safety schools. I was just being vague on the list of colleges because my goal is to go to Cornell. I’ve made a deal with a college that if i don’t get accepted, I get to go to that college because I work in their lab since freshman year.
I’m still having trouble with the idea that a 15 year old is in a situation where they are having to work to pay Mom’s health bills but still somehow thinks they need to participate in some kind of expensive competition over and above large cost of traveling to Austria from California. If my mom were sick and so in need of money to pay the doctor’s bills that I had to earn it doing odd jobs as a 15 year old, then trips to Austria and pricey competitions would be the last thing on my mind. There is something not right with this account.
@WorryHurry411 what i’m worried about is that being a 15 year old junior is that I have to compete with kids not my age and not having enough extracurricular because I didn’t have anything “special” besides researching beause i didn’t have the money meanwhile the kids not my age went to usamo, usapho, usaco etc.
@mathyone actually, she’s well enough but I help her so we could afford her medication. please don’t judge how i do things. I’ve been looking forward to play at Musikverein since I was little and I was selected to go soon. Stop being dramatic and insulting my financial matter. thanks.
@“aunt bea” I only do research, orchestra, volunteering and babysitting. I’m really unsatisified with my accomplishment vs a person who I know who won ISEF, google science fair and the siemens, on the USAPHO. he went to an Ivy (obviously) /:
what’s more of a problem is that I’ve skipped grades so people in my year (but not my age) has 1-2 more years to do their extracurricular activity.
I guess it’s a little late now but being young for your grade is a choice that you made, and surely you realized that it would be more difficult to compete with older kids for scholarships and college admissions. Not a wise choice for someone who needs a large scholarship award for college. Is it too late to take another year of high school?
That’s the last comment I’ll make as I think your rudeness and attitude shows that you aren’t worth bothering to help.
Read How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport this weekend. It will help you find your answer.
@mathyone I doubt that skipping grades was her decision, probably her parents made the decision because she was ahead of her peers. IMHO an extra year of high school isn’t a good solution but I would like to hear your reasoning. If she can get a free ride to a reasonably good school then she can always go to one of her dream schools for masters.