Chance a international sophomore with weird stats...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>This is my first post, so forgive me if I get anything wrong:-)
I'm a sophomore in China,and I'm set on going to college in America because for some reason that would take all of this post to explain, I can't take the Chinese Universty Entrance test. So plz chance me, although I'm not applying until sometime later, I'm really nervous. </p>

<p>My Stats
Gender: Female
Location: Shenzhen, China
GPA: My school DOES do GPA, but it's REALLY harsh. So probably 3.7 or something around that.
SAT: (I've only done one practice test with no real studying, just begun working on the SATs, hoping for a good improvement) 2170 M 800 CR 750 W 620
TOEFL: 112(also first time)</p>

<p>ECs:
Outside of school
-4 books written and published (this is my biggest ec that started when I was 7). One of them co-authored with the British economist John Howkins. But the four books are all in Chinese. They sold pretty good though.
-2 books translated---British YA author Annie Dalton's <fogging over=""> from English to Chinese. and my book with John Howkins which I worked on with him in English then translated into Chinese.
-Sunshine Library, a charity project I founded when I was 9, basically it's helping this poor school build a library. I got some donations and publication.I spoke about the project on IBBY (a world conference for children's books)
-English Stories, a local, free programme I ran in my community that teaches kids English through reading. I have my own curriculum and unique teaching ways and things so it's not about "reciting words" at all.</fogging></p>

<p>Awards
-Campus Translater---Winner (this is the one I got from HarperCollins for translating their Fogging Over)
-China's Top Ten Young Writers (from the China Young Writers' Association, I was both votes by the public and chosen by the judges)
-08'China Creative Prize---Outstanding Individual (It's to do with my book co-authored with John Howkins, this is the biggest prize in the Creative Industries in China)</p>

<p>Currently A Member Of
-China Young Writers' Association
-Shanghai Creative Industries Association</p>

<p>Inside school(Chinese schools don't really offer much)
-English Drama Club. We won Second Prize city-wide
-Debate. Was Best Debater. (the team never did anything else after that so:-() </p>

<p>Essays: will probably be okay,</p>

<p>Recoms: I'm guessing fantastic, my teachers keep saying so although I havent asked them yet...</p>

<p>Other things about me:
-I attended Yr 5,6 and 7 in New Zealand
-I have written lots of both English and Chinese songs which my music teacher thinks are fantastic. (But I can't really do anything about them because just GOING to school takes about all of my time. from 7:30am to 10:00pm, from Mon to Sat...)
-I'll need full FA if possible. The MOST we can probably go for is 15000/yr, but I'd rather not go there...
-My intended major is Neuroscience/Cognitive Science</p>

<p>Have I got any chance at...
Yale (I'm planning on SCEA),MIT (My top choice...don't ask), Harvard, Stanford
those are my reaches.
Also I'm applying to
Mt Holyoke, Oberlin</p>

<p>I can't seem to decide on what other schools to choose. So:
1. Plz chance me
2. Any suggestions on schools?
3.I'm worried about not having a Super research program or something, like everyone seems to have around here, but it's about impossible in China.
4.I'm worried that my GPA'd get me down but 99% of my classmates attend school everyday and gets like 3.0s, no kidding. And I have to spend a LOT of time on my ECs just to keep them going.</p>

<p>So what do you think???? Plz Help!!</p>

2

<p>A 3.7 GPA is quite solid, considering that you attend classes for most of the day/week and most of your classmates get 3.0’s. Heck, I wish I had your stats - your EC’s are REALLY outstanding and will help you greatly in the admissions process. You should have no problem getting into whatever your first-choice school is.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the encouragement :slight_smile: I’m very nervous because as I said, this is my only chance at college.</p>

4

<p>You have strong stats and have a chance anywhere but since the competition from Asia, (especially if you need financial aid) is brutal you should add more matches/safeties.</p>

<p>If you like Holyoke, Smith and Wellesley may be good additions. Wellesley also allows you to take classes at MIT.</p>

5

<p>I am considering Wellesley, along with LOTS of other schools for matches. Can anyone give me advice on 1. Which schools offer the most FA for international students and 2. Whether they are good for Neuroscience majors? </p>

<p>Oh and I forgot to mention I’m the founder and president of the College Abroad Club at my school which is this club that gets everyone who wants to go abroad(not just for college, high school too) together.</p>

6

<p>b
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7

<p>Apply to ivies. you have a great shot and they give perfect financial aid.</p>

<p>-Harvard
-Yale
-Princeton</p>

<p>-MIT(not an ivy) but its MIT lol. So yeah, try these and some safeties could be:</p>

<p>-American University
-Lehigh
-Boston University.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the advice…I’d definitely consider these schools ;-)</p>

9

<p>Those ECs are absolutely phenomenal and your grades are great as well, and you should stand out amongst the heavy competition among students in China. Not entirely sure about your FA dilemma, because I’m not familiar with their programs for internationals. If you could improve your Writing score in any way while keeping your other SAT sections constant, you should be in very good shape for even your reach schools. So…</p>

<p>Yale- Reach
Harvard- Reach
MIT- Reach
Mt. Holyoke and Oberlin are matches.</p>

<p>Not too familiar with schools that offer good neuroscience programs, so I really can’t be too useful in that area.</p>

10

<p>Thanks:-) I’m working on my writing score and I’m hoping to get over 700 on my next go…</p>

11

<p>Oh wow your ECs are SO good. That’s just awesome. You’re really different from most other chinese people, so that’s great for you.</p>

<p>Yale SCEA - crapshoot…
MIT -again crapshoot. But I think your denial of the stereotype will hold you in good stead
Harvard, Stanford - can’t say!
Mt Holyoke, Oberlin - you should get in with aid…but I’m not too good with stuff involving fin aid and all that. But if you weren’t asking for aid, pretty sure you’d be a definite ‘in’.</p>

12

<p>Come back next year, but you look like you’re doing well.
Do you go to SIS, QSI, or a local school?</p>

<p>

ditto</p>

13

<p>You shouldn’t be too worried about not having a research project when you’ve had 4 books published by your sophomore year…</p>

14

<p>No, I go to a school in Nanshan called Nantou High…ever heard of it?? I don’t think it’s ever sent ANYONE abroad, that is, anyone who makes it out on his/her own. It doesn’t really encourages ppl like me I guess because if a student go it brings down the school’s College Acceptance Rate(going abroad for college doesn’t count.).</p>

15

<p>All Ivy’s are reaches but I think your an incredibly competitive international applicant. If you got the SAT’s up I think you’d be almost a match at Yale or Harvard. These schools are looking for something interesting about their international applicants. I would think that translating two books and writing 4 would be preeeety impressive.</p>

16

<p>I find it wierd that you wrote that many books but have a low writing score :-S</p>

17

<p>I know, it sounds weird, but let’s face it, the writing part is grammar really. And the majority of my books are in Chinese. So.</p>

18

<p>Your Ecs are AMAZING, your gpa and sat are pretty solid as well. Overall you’re a really competitive applicant for most schools but FA could possibly compromise your chances at Stanford because they’re not need blind towards internationals. Your chances at MIT are not good because many of their applicants won international Olympiad competitions etc etc. i think Williams and Amherst are good choices for you because of the LAC curriculum and their need blind policy.</p>

19

<p>I don’t want to go to Stanford THAT much, so that’s okay…and I love MIT but…say Brown and MIT which one of these two do you think I’ve got a better chance at?
I prefer universities to LACs, actually, but I’m considering Amherst. Not Williams because they don’t have the Neuroscience major…</p>

20

<p>DEFINITELY brown because your ECs are angled towards literary/writing rather than sci and tech areas. If you prefer universities to lacs then I think Brown would be a good choice because the lean towards the lac side. Not that ecs should compliment major choice perfectly but the adcoms would definitely want to know why neuroscience when almost all your activities are in an entirely different direction.</p>