Kashmiri Indian, lives in United Arab Emirates, Binary/Male, changed schools 3 times, twice in India and once via a transfer to the UAE
Other special factors : Recruitable athlete, I play Basketball, Baseball, Badminton and Volleyball with an average experience of 1+ years:
Intended Major(s)
Aerospace Engineering
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.87
ACT/SAT Scores: SAT: 1450
Awards
5 Best Delegates, 6 High Recommendation, and 11 Verbal Mentions in over 40+ MUNs
3 Best Batsman Awards over a 7 year career in cricket
3rd Place in a Space quiz
Won as Team Leader of AISG 46 in Indian National Space Settlement Design Competition
Extracurriculars
I played cricket for 7+ years and up to the district level, switched to volleyball for 1.5 years alongside badminton, baseball and basketball, started 3 different startup products under one name independent from my family, attended a national and Asian level Space Settlement Design Competition, participated in the national level of F1 in Schools in India, have done 40+ MUNs, participated in the MIT Solved Challenge, participated in 5 district-level technological competitions, have been attending space camp religiously since I was 10, part of the editorial team for the Cramm, created a Youth Innovation and Research Society with 30+ members within 4 months, co-organised an MUN and chaired the UNSC committee, doing an IPQ on Difference in efficiency of WPTS, went to DUPHAT for an idea expo, attended a Cadet Camp for one of my earlier schools, passed interview for The Knowledge Society program and was offered a scholarship but had to decline due to finances, was a part of a renowned school society, done a graded MOOC by TUDelftX, done independent research on an innovative wireless power transfer unit, played drums till grade 3 about 7 years ago
Essays/LORs/Other
Very strong essays in my opinion (demonstrate my personality and uniqueness). My theme is that I am stubborn and refuse to fail, even though the circumstances feel like the world is crashing down, and how I am proud to be a Kashmiri Hindu
Schools
MIT, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Purdue, and the University of Texas at Austin
When you say recruitable athlete- those are big time sports programs (except MIT). You really can make those teams for basketball and baseball? I don’t think cricket or badminton get recruited…
Because otherwise I suspect that 1450 SAT might hold you back.
You also didn’t mention if you are full pay or needing scholarships.
My opinion…the T20 schools are reaches. But I’m not an adcom. Remember, your application will be read in the batch of others from your region…many many of whom are very very very well qualified applicants.
If you were a recruitable athlete, you’d know before your senior year of high school, especially at Stanford, GT, UT-Austin, especially in D1 basketball and baseball. MIT is a very hard admit, even for a recruited athlete (they limit recruits).
You might be able to use athletics (if you are really that good, a natural athlete in several sports but normally 1 year of a sport does not get you recruited) at a smaller school like Colorado School of Mines, Illinois institute of Technology, Florida Tech.
Georgia Tech: “ International students are not eligible for federal or state financial aid programs, and institutional scholarships administered by Georgia Tech’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) are often not awarded to international students. However, there are some alternative private and emergency financial aid options for international students.”
Purdue: “
Because Purdue University is a state-assisted, public institution, international undergraduate students are generally ineligible for need and merit based financial aid. In addition to the excellent return on investment (ROI) the Purdue degree provides, Purdue’s tuition has remained frozen at current rates for the past four years”
UT Austin : “ International Applicants
There is limited financial aid available for international students, but those who qualify for Texas residency may also qualify for some state-funded financial aid programs . To apply, please visit the Apply page for instructions on submitting a paper FAFSA, paper TASFA, or eTASFA.”
It sounds like your sport is either basketball or baseball. Purdue, GaTech and UT Austin do not have a men’s volleyball team. And none of the schools you mentioned have varsity level badminton. I assume you understand that non-varsity sports (ie club level) do not have any bearing on college admissions.
If you are being recruited for basketball or baseball, then good for you. The coaches should already be reaching out. For Division 1 programs, the coaches typically start contacting prospective student athletes after July 1 of their senior year.
Your SAT scores are fairly low for the schools mentioned above. But if you get coach support, it should be possible.
For D1 basketball and baseball (especially at these schools) the coaches often recruit 8th graders! Most basketball D1 players at these top schools have played AAU basketball for years or attend special high schools devoted to basketball, are on a path to a specific D1 school for years. Senior year is much too late.
Are there schools where basketball players walk on? Sure, but these schools are not among them. And walking on doesn’t help with admissions
I think the advice you’ve received so far is pretty accurate. I think you would need to look at a different class of schools.
I second the recommendation of Florida Institute of Technology. I’d take a look at LeTourneau (TX…double check the religiosity of the campus), U. of Dayton (OH), and Clarkson ( NY)
If you’re looking for bigger schools then U. of Houston, U. of Central Florida, Iowa State, U. of Cincinnati (OH), or U. of Kansas.
This list is from the College Board of schools that offer an aerospace engineering major and provide financial aid to international students: College Search - BigFuture | College Board.
Take the time to look at the college financial aid websites to determine what sorts of aid they offer to international students. This varies. You are not eligible for U.S. federally funded need based aid or loans. Some schools offer merit awards to international students and/or need based aid using their own institutional funds.
You should figure that most international applicants to MIT and Stanford are very close to being the top student in their high school, or at least in the top 2 or 3 plus also the top student in math and sciences (particularly for MIT). The admissions rate is close to 1% for these excellent international students.
@bigdumchairguy - I just noticed you’ve tagged this thread with “transfer”. Are you a transfer or a freshman applicant?
Transfer admission chances at these schools are lower than for freshman admissions, and far lower still for international students. So can you clarify?