An International's Chance at HYPMS

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm a South Korean citizen studying in Canada as a foreign student. It'd be great if you guys can tell me about my chances of getting into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, or Stanford (Harvard and MIT being the priorities). Thanks.</p>

<p>SAT: have taken it once
score: 2130 (math: 800, writing: 700, cr: 630)
My biggest problem with the test was the vocabs. I'll retake it in May or so, I think I can improve it to at least 2250, hopefully 2300+. So please evaluate my chances with 2130, and then with 2250+ score.</p>

<p>I speak 3 languages -
Fluent in 2 languages: english and korean
semi-fluent in French</p>

<p>Freshmen (Juinor High)
GPA: around 97%, can't remember exactly
class rank: 2 / 250 or so</p>

<p>Sophomore year (High School)
GPA: 95.4%
Rank: 2 / 128 </p>

<p>Junior year (now)
GPA: 96%
Rank 1 / 128
Hardest courseload possible.
IB Diploma Candidate</p>

<ul>
<li>A little bit of info about my high school: #1 academic public school in Canada, one of the top IB schools in the world; students need to take a test, get a recommendation letter, and submit a transcript to apply.</li>
</ul>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
- School Instrumental Band (Gr. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) - lead trumpet player. played in front of the school for the Remembrance Day
- School Varsity Basketball Team (Gr. 8, 9, 10, 11) - starting point guard
- Mathematics Club (Gr. 10, 11)
- Debate Club (Gr. 10, 11)
- Science Olympics (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- School Drama Production Orchestra (Gr. 10, 11)
- Student Union Room Rep Alternate (Gr. 11)
- Invited to 2004 Summer Regional Math Camp at University of Alberta</p>

<p>Basketball is my major ec. </p>

<p>Volunteer/Work Experience
- Canadian Blood Services Youth Committee (Gr. 10, 11)
- Various school events
- Tutoring in all subject areas - 5~6 hrs/week (Gr. 10, 11) </p>

<p>Leadership
- Math Club co-founder and co-president
- Science Olympics Team Captain</p>

<p>Awards
Grade 9
- 2004 Edmonton Junior High Mathematics Competition Invitational – 2nd place
- 2004 Science Olympics – 2nd place in Edmonton
- 2004 Kumon Math Challenge – 4th in North America
- 2004 Stop Racism Poster Competition – 3rd in Edmonton
- 2004 School awards (Honours, Top 5 Academic Award, Art Award, Wellness Award: voted by peers)</p>

<p>Grade 10
- Alberta High School Math Competition – Top 50, which qualified me for part II
- Canadian Open Mathematics Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 12 Euclid Math Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 11 Fermat Math Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 11 Hypatia Math Competition – Bronze Standard
- Michael Smith Science Challenge – 1st in Alberta
- Science Olympics – 2nd in Edmonton
- School awards (Honours with Distinction, Highest Achievement Awards in Mathematics 20B, Biology 15B, French 20B, Science 10B, Chemistry 25B)</p>

<p>Grade 11
- Basketball Local Tournament Team Allstar
- Alberta High School Math Competition – Top 50</p>

<p>So, considering that I am a South Korean international, definitely needing fin-aid, what would my chances of getting accepted to the above schools be?</p>

2

<p>bump.........</p>

3

<p>One out of 16, regardless of whether you improve your SAT score or not.</p>

4

<p>ALL of your schools are reaches based upon all of your criteria. Might want to consider adding other schools to your list like Cornell, Duke, Northwestern,Johns Hopkins and U of Michigan, etc... .</p>

5

<p>How about a safety, that you know you'll get in, be able to afford, and LOVE?</p>

6

<p>thanks for the replies so far.</p>

<p>I have safeties (mostly Canadian unis, which I know for sure that I'll get into), but I just listed my reaches to know what my chances are.</p>

<p>Could you guys tell me more specifically why they are reaches (ie. is it becuz im a south korean international asking for finaid, or is it just that I simply don't have the credentials, etc.) and how I can improve my chances? Thanks.</p>

7

<p>Has nothing to do with you. The acceptance rate at many of these schools hovers around 9%. That includes all the legacies, developmental admits, desired URMs, recruited athletes, published novelists, holders of patents, sons and daughters of Senators, Congressmen, and ambassadors, and on and on. The actual admission rate for everyone else is signficantly lower, roughly 6%. For internationals, lower than that, but I was being generous.</p>

<p>Next time choose your parents better.</p>

8

<p>It's hard enough for internationals, but if you ned $$$, it's incredibly hard. You have good stats but so do so many American Asians (who can get gov't aid) and Asians from different Countries. Easch school has a number they'll take, and it will only include a few internationals who usually have credentials that are incredible--international recognition often. It is a curse that in Asian Countries only a few colleges have recognition, so everyone aims for them. Those that get it and aim for great schools that are not big names win.</p>

9

<p>Mini,</p>

<p>I hope that last statement was meant in jest.</p>

<p>It certainly isn't a fault that his parents are Korean! </p>

<p>Might the fact that he's an international student do some damage to his chances? Yes, it might. But that doesn't mean his parents are at fault!</p>

10

<p>No, it was not meant in jest - it is the brutal truth. It has to do with the fact that his parents aren't rich, legacies, senators, congressmen, ambassadors, friends of the admissions office, or genetically gifted him with extraordinary athletic talent. So, sadly, it wasn't meant in jest. Most of his odds above and below the 9% accept rate are related to things that are absolutely out of his control (and besides which an increase in SAT scores pales in signficance.)</p>

11

<p>well yeah i would say your chance to Harvard or MIT is small...</p>

12

<p>i totally agree with mini</p>

13

<p>Look, I agree, his chances don't increase, but his heritage isn't his fault.</p>

<p>I mean, you can't exactly choose your parents. It's not his fault.</p>

14

<p>I have to agree with everyone else on the low chances for HYPMS.</p>

15

<p>"I mean, you can't exactly choose your parents. It's not his fault."</p>

<p>Nor are his relatively poor chances at HYPSM. As I wrote, very first line, "Has nothing to do with you."</p>

16

<p>Okay, I see you did. Then your last line just totally threw me into the opposite direction.</p>

<p>It sort of seemed like you were blaming his parents, at least partially.</p>

<p>Sorry.</p>

17

<p>Hi again, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm also from Alberta and I applied to the US schools this year and got accepted into Cornell engineering RD. If you go through the decision threads for the schools, you'll see that many overqualified students are rejected and waitlisted. It all depends on how you present yourself in your application and your essays, and how you accentuate your personality and passions that will make the difference.</p>