<p>I want to apply ED II, but don't know whether to apply to Bates or UConn. Love both of them.
My GPA is 4.83 on scale 5.00.
I am an international, first year student from a low-income country.
Also, I'm Valedictorian of 270 students.
Not intending on taking the SAT since these colleges are test-optional and do not have a lot of time to study for it.
My school offers special subjects such as: Biochemistry (will be my major), Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Cosmetology, Sanitary Chemistry etc. I'm really into Chemistry and almost every part of my high school education is dedicated to it. Also,I have had some 'ordinary' subjects: Biology, History, Sociology, Math, Physics etc.
Will this contribute or not?</p>
<p>And when it comes to my extracurriculars and awards, well, here I go:</p>
<p>member of school council for 4 years and its president for almost 2 years
coordinator of one of the two national clubs which are a part of a global movement that was announced as one of the best projects for this century.
member of the British Councils' project "Connecting Classrooms" and a leader of my team for a year (cooperated with the Center for Democracy and Transitional justice, organized a charity play etc)
started dancing at the age of 13 (worked as a dance teacher for a month, participated in a few local celebrations)
won the first place at the national competition ( projects which will provide youngsters with better education and life conditions) in 2012 and 2013
won the second place at the international competition for the best innovation
won the second place at the Researchers' night that is held in more then 300 European cities each year
founder of school radio
correspondent for one national web portal
150+ volunteer hours
participated in a 12 day youth exchange abroad (set up by the European Union)
participated as a representative of my country in two training courses (the EU programme)
participated in 4-5 national seminars</p>
<p>Will get letters of recommendations from two teachers, my principal and the British Council.</p>
<p>Financial aid is a must. </p>
<p>I'm pretty befuddled and any kind of help would be appreciated.
What are my chances of getting accepted?</p>
<p>Why wait for EDII? You should really get yourself into the EDI pool at your top school, if you can. That’s the place with the best odds for an international needing aid. You look like a good strong candidate with a shot at admission regardless of your choice. It seems to me you need to identify what appeals to you about colleges a little more clearly because the contrasts between these two schools are quite dramatic. Choosing should be straightforward once you know what you want in a school.</p>
<p>I want so hard to apply EDI, but my essays haven’t been finished yet and I’m running out of time. Don’t want a messy application. But if EDI is my biggest chance to get into, I will work up a sweat to be ready for 15/11.
Since I’m not able to visit these schools, my opinion is based on what I have read on the internet. Also, have watched almost every single video on YT.
Frankly said, I really like Bates - campus, environment, teachers and partying. It’s seems to be a place where I can get lots of knowledge, but have fun at the same time. That’s what I need.</p>
<p>I’d do Bates ED1, and if that doesn’t work, ED2 at Conn. College.</p>
<p>One note on test optional schools. Some are more test optional than others. That is, at some schools not submitting scores will not hurt you, while at others testing is not mandatory but not submitting scores will put you at a slight disadvantage.</p>
<p>It sounds from your writing like you are a native English speaker. If that is not the case or you attend a school where classes are not conducted in English be sure to take the TOEFL or one of the tests that can substitute for it. The Bates website lists these as:*We will accept results from the following standardized tests in place of the TOEFL: The University of Michigan’s English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB), the University of Cambridge’s International English Language Testing System (IELTS) , the University of Cambridge’s Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), the University of Cambridge’s Certificate of Advanced English (CAE), the University of Cambridge’s First Certificate in English (FCE), the College Board’s English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT), the Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST), the Carleton Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, and the Advanced Placement International English Language Examination (APIEL).</p>
<p>Thank you Sue.
I’m not a native speaker and am taking the TOEFL on Friday. This test isn’t hard, so I’m pretty sure my score will be high.
Around 60% of enrolled students at Bates have submitted their SAT scores and 72% at CT. Taking this fact into consideration Bates is a better choice.
Since just the capital city offers the SAT and I live far away (almost 500 miles), it’s really hard to reach the place, pay the exam and a hotel. I think sharing this with an admission officer during my interview would be helpful.</p>
<p>Bates is one of the schools I would describe as truly score optional. Your written English is excellent. I would describe it as “unaccented”. You shouldn’t have any trouble with the TOEFL. I think Bates, and most schools that require it, use it simply as a way to ensure that you will be able to speak and read effectively at a college level and that you haven’t had someone else complete your essays for you.</p>
<p>I think you would be a strong contender for Bates. UConn is a large school, is not test-optional, and does not offer an ED or EA option for admission. If you are coming from a school of 270, UConn may be a bit of a size shock. Your rigorous course load and high GPA also make you a good match for Bates. Both schools have their pros and cons. UConn will have less of that tight-knit community feel, but it will provide you with the research opportunities of a large college. Bates, on the other hand, is smaller, so it may not have the resources UConn would, but it has the collaborative, family-like nature you may not find at UConn. If you are interested, I would also suggest checking out ConnCollege. It is a NESCAC and similar to Bates.</p>