Can I please get some feedback on my profile?

Applying to College
1

Hello,

I am an American currently in my Junior year (High school class of 2017) , who has been living outside the US for the past 7 years. I am currently living in my 4th country that is outside the US. Over the course of these past 7 years I have been attending private international schools. Now I am a junior in Hong Kong, and have a current GPA of 3.5. I know it seems bad, but its higher than my schools average (its EXTREMELY academically competitive) I currently have an New SAT score of 1400 (as of my first test), but I am aiming to push it over 1500. Ive been trying really hard to keep my grades up, as I have been constantly switching back and forth from AP and IB schools–so curriculums differ.

I think I have the potential of writing a really interesting personal essay as I am a second generation third culture kid. I want to pursue a major in political science and am exclusively looking at schools in the New England + New York region. What are my chances of getting in to an Ivy? I am taking 9 APs by the time I graduate, all of them rigorous (APUSH, APWorld, APGov, APCompGov, APStats, APMicroEcon, AP MacroEcon, AP Lang&Comp, APLit)

GPA: 3.5 (high for my school)

SAT: greater than or equal to 1400 (new SAT)

ECs: moving around a lot has made it hard to keep my ECs consistent and take on leadership roles

MUN for 4 years (leadership roles too)
Cross Country 1 year
Board member+founder of online school newspaper 3 years
Reporter for school newspaper 3 years
Student Ambassador 1 year
Debate Team 1 year
School Medic Team
Humanities Tutor
Monologue Competition Winner
Regular participant in charity runs
Honor roll student 2 years
Treasurer of Interact Club 1 year
Habitat for humanity 1 year
Soup kitchen volunteer+coordinator 1.5 years
UNICEF member
Elected speaker at various IB events
Former Intern at BBC
Former Intern at Viet Nam News Agency
…

2

Isn’t the first new SAT in March? Are you adapting your PSAT score? I hope you are planning on two sittings of the new SAT, in case your first attempt doesn’t go as you hope. What about your SAT 2s (subject tests)? Most top colleges require at least two, some require more. Check each college’s website. Now, your chances of getting into an Ivy are the same as most people, which is less than 10%. It worries me that you seem fixated on those types of schools. Do your homework and make sure you have safety and match schools to appy to, or you may find yourself at Podunk U. I also think your counselor at your school will provide context for your GPA by showing how you compare to other students in your school. If a 3.5 is hihg at your school, there is nothing you can do, so don’t fret. I think your ECs are fine, I think you can write an interesting essay about being a global citizen. The most important thing you should do is ensure that you are applying to a balance of colleges. There is a lot of info,on what constitutes a safety or match school. Be sure to apply to some, or in just over a years time you might be posting one of those “why didn’t I get into any of the colleges I applied to?” threads.

3

Of course, aim to get that SAT higher if you can. You always have the option of sending out the best scores separately. I also think that mentioning the challenges of moving from country to country would be a great topic for you. Of course it’s nice to have a positive turn out - you know, how much you learned and how global you are etc etc. But if your GPA isn’t as high as you’d like, definitely mention the issues you faced.

Ivy…well, always aim high. But don’t set yourself up for a bout of crying nonstop should you not get in (like most of the world; it’s really not that tragic). There are schools that can offer you a lot, and they may not be Ivy league.