<p>Hi my names Shaun and Im from Adelaide, South Australia.
Im currently in my first year @ the University of Adelaide, but recently Ive been considering a move to America to get a better university education.</p>
<p>Before I move to the more important stuff - heres my academic background.</p>
<p>High School results:
TER (pretty much a percentile rank of 99.95 which i think is comparable to your SATs): 99.95 (ie absolute max university entrance score)</p>
<p>Subject results: Specialist Maths (ie hard maths): 20/20 in 2006 (i studied maths 1 year ahead); Maths Studies: 20/20 (also in 2006); Physics: 20/20 (2007); Chemistry: 19/20; English Studies: 19/20 (our hardest/analytical English subject); German: 18/20; Musicianship (ie music theory): 20/20; Solo Performace (Tenor saxophone): 20/20.</p>
<p>High School Extra Curriculars (senior year):
1st Tenor in 1st Stage Band
Principal Clarinet in 1st Concert Band
Bass in 1st Choir
Saxophonist in small jazz ensemble (ie best of the school)
Captain of 1st (Field) Hockey Team
Member of swim team
In the summer holidays before my senior year I went on a student exchange to Germany</p>
<p>High School Awards:
Was on a scholarship for the duration of my attendance (at Immanuel College Adelaide)
Top Maths Specialist and Studies Student (2006)
Top Chemistry Student (2007)
....you get the idea - list goes on with High distinctions etc from various national competitions</p>
<p>University Semester One results:
Physics IA: 91%
Chemistry IA: 95%
Maths IA: 94%
Statics (ie static equilibrium - an engineering subject): 87%
note: I took a "break" of sorts in that semester as a chance to relax after the struggle that was high school (ie I could have done better).</p>
<p>So basically I was thinking about coming to America to study at one of the Ivy League Unis on a 12-month exchange to get a feel for what I'm missing out on here and then make the decision as to whether I would move permanently.</p>
<p>My question is, which University would allow me to do this? Non-ivy league suggestions are also welcome (after a bit of reading Ive discovered Cornell is the only decent engineering ivy leaguer). And which Universities could I get in to? I intend to continue my study of a B.Sc (Physics Major) and Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics - which is a combination of Mechanical and Electronic engineering) - by the way they are two separate degrees.</p>
<p>Thanks so much - the American Univeristy system is VERY different to the Australian one.</p>
<p>Shaun</p>