Chance a Canadian for Ivy League

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey everyone, this is my first post here so please go easy on me :)
As you can tell from the title, I am a Canadian student going into my senior year and I'm hoping you guys can help me gauge where I stand in terms of US admissions.
I know a great deal about the admissions process here in Canada, but very little about that of the States'. </p>

<p>--->>In terms of academics, my average throughout high school has been about 95%. Next year, my average should be about 96/97%. Although my school doesn't rank, I'm fairly certain that I'd be either 1 or 2/100.</p>

<p>--->>In terms of ECs the following are my greatest accomplishments:
-Director, student ambassador council of national charitable organization (largest chapter of a national program -->> many accomplishments to list here, i.e. promoting awareness at high profile events, doing TV interviews, ensuring that presentations are made in schools across Southern Ontario, running conferences/workshops, etc.)
-Co-Chair, Project "Save", Free the Children (initiative to build a school in Sierra Leone)
-Vice-President, DECA (business club) (in School)
-President, Investment Club (in School)
-Features Editor, Newspaper (in School)
-Charity Drive Coordinator, Social Action Group (school club)
-Captain, Varsity Track Team (in School)
-Youth Speaker, Spirit of Mandela Foundation</p>

<p>I aslo have a bunch of other less notable activities, as well as some work experience:
-Delegate, Model UN
-Volunteer, Rehab Centre
-Varsity Soccer Team
-Tennis Camp
-Certified NLS/Lifeguard
-Soccer Referee
-French Tutor</p>

<p>--->>In terms of awards, I have bronze and gold medals from regional and national science fairs, math competitions, debating competitions, a bunch of stuff from sports, academics, etc.
--->>I don't know if it matters, but I'd also be the first in my immediate family to attend college.
--->>Currently attending a well-respected private school.</p>

<hr>

<p>So these are my stats - sorry if they're not formatted the way you guys typically do them.
I have yet to take the ACT/SAT, and the reason I'm holding off is because I have NO CLUE where I stand relative to the rest of you, in terms of Ivy League admissions.
Based on this info, am I in the range? My dream school would be Wharton...</p>

<p>Should I go ahead and take the ACT? Do I have enough time to prepare? What score schould I aim for? What schools would be within my reach?</p>

<p>I would sooo appreciate any clarification. Like I said, this info is hard to come by here where few people apply to the States.<br>
Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>Your stats are great.</p>

<p>I’m going to assume that you really are new here, looking for the most basic of information. Right now admission to the IVY League for US students is fiercely competitive. I think you will be in the international pool of applicants and that will make admission for you into the IVY League will be even harder.</p>

<p>Are you only interested in schools in the Ivy League? Would you be interested in another first rate school that isn’t the Ivy League? If so what size? Big University or smaller liberal arts college or mid-size University? Will you need financial aid?</p>

3

<p>Without scores it’s impossible to say. Lots of kids have high grades but not the scores. You need both.</p>

4

<p>I guess what I’m asking from you guys is not to “chance” me in the traditional sense, but more to let me know whether or not I’m on the right track for a school like Wharton. In other words, if we take the test scores out the equation for a moment, is the rest of my application (grades, ECs) up to par?
If you guys believe this to be the case, I’ll then proceed with the ACT. </p>

<p>PS: My initial questions about the ACT remain and I would appreciate any guidance.</p>

5

<p>a school grade is absolutely worthless without the test scores to back it up. You can’t predict a test score with school marks.</p>

<p>I’m guessing math contests are the PFC, correct? (Pascal, cayley, fermat)</p>

<p>If you put scores for your math contests I can at least predict ~ what you’/re gonna get for the math sections</p>

6

<p>Wharton and the very top schools are impossible to say. Having some really outstanding national level accomplishments really help, but some do get in without them. All you are giving us is a good class rank. That’s a start. Very high scores would add another crucial component.</p>

<p>after that it’s how you convey it all–how you tie together your EC accomplishments, your essays and your recs. Then other things kick in. Who else from your school or town is applying? The competition from Canada as a whole. A few great hockey players could make things tough. There is so much involved.</p>

<p>But being number 1 or 2 in your class at a good school is a start and reason to try the tests.</p>

7

<p>What I’d like to add is that when I see really great stats from a US student who wants to go to an Ivy League school the MOST that I will tell them is that they have a shot. The Ivy League schools are so hard to get into these days that they have become unpredictable. Harvard’s acceptance rate was 7% this year, Yale and Princeton weren’t far behind. They turned away applicants with perfect grades, they turned away applicants with perfect SAT scores, they turned away school valedictorians.</p>

<p>You will be in the international pool of applicants, and that will make it even harder to you. I wouldn’t even tell an international applicant that they have a shot, that’s how hard the competition will be for you. If you really want to attend an American University I would suggest that you expand your horizons to include some of our other fine institutions.</p>

8

<p>no point applying to the “other fine institutions”, because you can get as good an education from Canada at a MUCH cheaper price.</p>

<p>It also depends on what school you go to. If you go to something like Don mills or UofT schools, then you have a good shot, but if you go to a school in the middle of nowhere then… yeah.</p>