Are my stats good enough?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am a little worried about my stats because being in CBSE and due to corona, I couldn’t take the AP exams. I do however have a 96% above track record for high school. Is this enough?

For my honors, I have two national merit scholarships, the National topper award, the Meritorious student batch by my school, and a national-level debate award.

Also, I don’t know if my EC’s are unique or make me stand out. Here’s what I’ve done-

  1. Opened a rural school for imparting quality education for underprivileged students, with a special focus on girls and minority groups, which I have been running along with my grandfather for 3 years now.
  2. Did a research internship at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) on " Political Communication" which has been submitted to the International Journal for High school Research and has been published on the web.
  3. Did another internship with the Indian Army in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro on the recent Privatisation of government assets, my suggestions have been reviewed by the Commandant.
  4. Did the YLAC (Young Leaders for Active Citizenship) Young Researchers for Social Impact (YRSI) Summer program where I worked with the Indian School of Democracy and Harvard University. Published research paper on " Youth engagement in Indian Politics".
  5. Did Independent surveys on grassroots politics, talked to various Sarpanches, and even interviewed Arya Rajendran, India’s youngest Mayor.
  6. Was the Head Girl/ Student Council President.
  7. Became the first Senior Under Officer (The highest position in school) of the 5th Punjab Battalion, National Cadet Corps (NCC). National recognition in volunteer services throughout high school.
  8. During COVID-19, did volunteering at the DLF Foundation to provide relief and spread awareness.
  9. Was campaign ambassador for the AuroraforSG Campaign for the Indian cohort.
  10. Content writer for national publications like The Tribune, Times of India, and Unscripted ( a youth magazine).
  11. Campus Ambassador at India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN).
  12. State-level basketball player as well.
    I am really interested in social sciences, but I don’t really have any guidance. Could someone please look over these? BTW, the activities were all evenly spaced throughout High school.
2

Are your stats good enough for what?

3

The ivies, oxford. Basically all the big guns.

4

Do you financial aid? How will you pay?

5

I’ll be applying for financial aid, yes.

6

How much can you afford to pay and who will pay? Please answer these questions as they are relevant.

7

I have a family income of less than $60,000 so I will definitely need a lot of financial aid since I also come from socially backward class.

8

As an international student needing full FA, your chances at US colleges are very very low. I don’t know about Oxbridge, but my understanding is that international students don’t receive any financial aid. How will you pay fees at Oxbridge without financial aid? Entrance to Oxbridge is dependent on stats and interviews. Without AP exams, I’m not sure how your app would be regarded, if at all.

We still don’t know a lot. Did you take the most rigorous courses? Will your teachers give you fantastic recommendations? How are your writing skills? Your essays for US colleges will need to be top notch.

Your ECs seem good, but ECs on their own don’t get you in. Are you one of the very top 1% students in the nation? You are also competing with the top students in the country who might not need any financial aid. Your best bet is to spend time figuring out what these colleges are looking for. Show these colleges that you are a good fit for what they seek in their applicants.

9

I would consider myself a top 1 % student from India being a NTSE scholar and National Topper. As for aid, I was hoping for UK applications like Oxford, that after getting accepted I could go for the Reach Oxford scholarship and other scholarships.
My essays are good as I have won National awards for my writing skills.
I just really don’t have a support system, so I don’t know if I am doing something right.

10

I have 5, 2 pages each recommendation letters which are really good.

11

5 recommendations is too many. It doesn’t matter how long they are or if the teacher is a good writer. It matters what they say. Submitting more and more recommendations doesn’t equal a better chance of acceptance. In fact, the saying is “the thicker the file, the thicker the kid.”

Ideally, the recommendation should show the admissions officer that your teacher regards you as one of the best students he or she has ever had. If you are going to get into, for example, Harvard and receive full FA, you need amazing recommendations, along with everything else.

Generally, super selective colleges in the US like to see two recs, one from a STEM teacher and one from a humanities teacher. Some colleges will allow up to one additional rec. The best rec is from a teacher who you like, who also likes you. It doesn’t have to be from a class you got an A in. It’s better to get a rec from a teacher who can discuss your abilities in class, how you interact with the teacher and other students, how your intellect and work ethic come together.

You need to look at each college’s website. Look at their application requirements. For now, I suggest you spend a lot of time on the college websites and learn about what they look for in their students.

Read this famous blog post, from MIT: Applying Sideways | MIT Admissions
It’s from 2010,but it’s still relevant.

You need to understand that getting into the most selective US colleges depends on more than just having good grades and rigorous courses. It’s about presenting yourself as a person will with thrive and add something to the campus. Show them that the things you do reflect the things they value. There is no formula for getting in. It’s going to be a LOT of work, wnd there may be no reward.

If you need full FA, I strongly suggest you look beyond just HYP. There are a small number of US colleges that offer full FA to international students. If studying in the US is the goal, you need to apply to a school you have a better shot of getting into. There are a few others not on this list: https://wtop.com/news/2019/09/10-universities-that-offer-international-students-the-most-financial-aid-3/

12

Oxford accepts Indian exams, so not an issue. But they only care about ECs relative to program of study. And recs are quite unlike recs for US colleges. Plus financing is an issue.

13

Good to know. I think @collegemom3717 knows a lot about Oxbridge admissions, so I’ll defer to her.

14

That would be great!!

15

Here is the Oxford page that shows their admissions requirements for each country. India is included. Not familiar with Oxford scholarships available for students from India.You will need to do some research there.

16

Agreeing with @skieurope. The indicative admissions offers for students with Indian qualifications are on the website (iirc, marks over 90%/ mix of A1s & A2s), and the type of LoR needed is quite different than that needed for the US. The UCAS website has some tips on that.

Afiak, last year there were 7 students from India who got meaningful scholarships to Oxford. Being a Topper does indeed put you in a good position- but with such small numbers it’s not anything to bank on.

For Oxford be sure to look at whether your subject has an entry exam.

And, agreeing with @Lindagaf: if your goal is to get to the US or the UK no matter what- and have them gift you with a free education- look farther than just HYP. I’m sure you know that there are 5 TaTa scholarships every year at Cornell, yes? But there are also some schools whose names aren’t as well known in India who could make you very welcome by giving you your college education.

17

Hi there,

Being a national topper is a big deal in India. So congrats to you. But as you probably already know, getting admission to one of the top colleges in US depends on many intangible factors. Needing a lot of financial aid also doesn’t help.

The US admissions people will focus on your high school marks. What is your class rank? That will matter a lot. The NTSE and other scores will help, but the main focus is on your high school coursework.

I didn’t see any mention of US standardized test scores: SAT or ACT. Will you be sitting for either of these exams? You’ll probably also need to take TOEFL. Having high scores (> 98th percentile) will be important for the top colleges.

If you need a full tuition scholarship, then look at US colleges that have low diversity. They sometimes will give lots of money to an international with high test scores.

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