SAT: 2320 (800 W) (790 CR) (730 M)
SAT II: 800 (Math II) 770 (Bio M) 700 (USH)
AP scores: Bio (4) USH (5) English Lang (5) World history (4)
GPA: 4.3 Weighted/ 4.5 W for senior year; 3.9 UW
Race: International student that applied for aid
EC:
Pro/Amateur Kickboxer (5 years)- sponsored, part of gym’s “Top Team”, rank 1 in city division, etc.
Hospital Volunteering/ Shadowing (4 years)- very involved- wrote monthly reports for the hospital board to document areas of improvements, did charity promotions, a heck load of other stuff.
Violin (10 years)- submitted art supplement. Only secondary student in a college orchestra. First-violinist of a pro/amateur quartet that was set to tour Asia.
President/founder of school debate club/ environmental club (3 years)
Head Captain/founding member of a city debate team that is quite renowned
Varsity Basketball- our team won an annual international school tournament this year, starting power forward
Varsity XC
Volunteered at Nayaka Clinic- clinic designed by the government for the impoverished
Do annual major community service projects as part of a school thing- even went to Alaska once
NHS- founding member
I thought my essays and recs were strong; worked my butt off for my essays.
I am in no way trying to be supercilious but Middlebury College is one of my top choice colleges and you can imagine that I was disappointed to receive that R few days ago. Did the fact that I’m an international student who applied for aid significantly reduce my chances?
Just out of curiosity, I want to email admissions regarding my decision to see whether documents were missing?? Can you give me your honest opinion on what I should do? Again, I am not trying to be arrogant or haughty in anyway; I’m just a high-school kid who is saddened by the rejection to his top choice college
Looking at all of this, it is undeniably impressive, so maybe it had to do with your essays? That is the most subjective part of the application. Your essay read by one person could be amazing, but someone else, nothing special. Like any good writing, some people like it more than others…and that’s why college admissions suck…it is extremely subjective. I’m not sure if emailing admissions would help, but at this point, you don’t really have anything to lose either. Good luck with everything!
i’m really sorry about this rejection…my guess is that it’s tied to being an international student who needed aid…they are not need=blind for international students…so that likely played into the decision…
I know it’s tough to get these answers…are there other colleges in the u.s. that you have gotten into?
Sorry to hear about your rejection. It’s no fun. All schools at this level receive many more qualified applicants than there are open spots. It probably had nothing to do with you. It’s likely they simply already had someone with the same qualifications as you and they were looking for someone to fill a different niche. Good luck!
I also believe that it is not your stats or history, I believe it is because you needed financial aid to attend. I agree with urbanslaughter^^^^^. It’s not you, it’s that the school had too many good applicants needing money.
Although you were admitted to the UC’s, you probably can’t afford those either? You are full pay for the UC’s-$55K per year.
Yea I am in need of financial aid which sucks My parents are able to pay up to $45,000 yearly so I applied for financial, which, in hind sight, may not have been the best alternative for an international student like me. I’m happy to get into the bioengineering program in Berkeley but again, NO AID!!!
Why would you expect any aid from these schools as an international student? There are only a few schools that offer need based aid to international students and they are extremely competitive too.
International students who need financial aid are put in a pool with all such students at many schools, and admissions only offered from that pool as funds allow. At schools like Middlebury that are need blind and meet full need by their standards for US applicants, that means their funds are stretched far by the time the students in the international pool that need money. Since those who do not get need met are not going to be able to come to the US for school, only those that such schools can give sufficient funds to make this possible are extended offers. So, yes, absolutely, needing aid was a severe handicap to you in the admissions process.
It’s totally impossible for US Colleges to verify requests for aid from some foreign countries, which makes need-blind international admissions unfair for others who really can’t afford to attend.
Applying for aid as in international makes you less desirable, so if your family really has $45,000 a year in disposable income, best to try to get loans for the extra $10,000 if you really want to attend a particular school, or apply to a school which gives merit aid.
The OP has excellent stats, but he is competing against a tough pool, so as I’ve said before, you have to be QUALIFIED and LUCKY. His luck held for Grinnell, Berkeley, and Tulane.
I’m sure he’ll do well wherever he decides to attend!
@OldbatesieDoc do you think that the outcome may have been different if I withdrew my request for financial aid? At the moment, I am considering the alternative that you suggested for the colleges I have been wait listed at.
My S is not international student. He has 4.0 UW GPA, 4.5+ W GPA, and good ECs. He is also rejected by Middlebury. There are just too many smart kids and only some of them can get in.
Sorry to hear that. I also really have no clue why you had to be rejected, because I have seen one of my international friends who did nothing good(even her English was quite hard to understand) but lacrosse who got accepted to Middlebury.
