<p>Hey guys! I am a Senior at an American High School in Izmir, Turkey. I have already applied but i just want to learn what you think that'll happen.</p>
<p>Schools I'll be applyıng next year (excluding safeties):</p>
<p>MIT
Harvard
Wharton School of Pennsylvania
UChicago
Princeton
Yale (SCEA)
Oxbridge</p>
<p>Some facts: </p>
<p>SAT: Took once, 2320
IB Student: 42/45
Rank: %5
GPA: 5.0/5.0 (the best you can get in the Turkish Education System)
SAT Subject Scores: Maths 2: 800 Literature: 780 World History: 780
Will ask for financial aid</p>
<p>ECs:
President of the Student Council
Played drums for 5 years, taken part at a lot of exhibitions
Tennis for eight years: Won some local tournaments, third place in a national competition
Sailing competitively for 5 years some local championships
Playing basketball for 11 years, I have been playing in a team and I'm the starting point guard at both the club and the school team
Been debating and won the Turkish Debating League for high schoolers
Junior Achievement (a business contest) best International Business Award
Destination Imagination second place in Turkey, participated in the Global Round
I have volunteered in an Animal Shelter here for 100+ hours
English at a very high level, French and Spanish at a high level and of course Turkish
I have been in the MUN for 8 years (including JMUN) I have participated in International ones and I was the chair twice.
I am the treasurer of the school magazine
Have been accepted to and participated in Harvard Summer School
Went to Cambridge for a summer to be in a program for the leaders of the future</p>
<p>I, with the helps of some sponsors and Turkish Ministry of Education, started and directed a program that lasted 2 months. I handled all the directing and money-stuff as well as giving lessons myself. In the program, we gave writing and literature lessons, had small debate-shows, read books and discussed them in order to strenghten the Literate ground and help pupil do something good for themselves. All these were free of charge and were for kids who are less fortunate. Program was a huge succes: People who had started the program were given a test and they scored 62% on average. After the program, the average was as high as 88%!</p>
<p>My class rank may seem low but please consider that my school only takes students from 95 percentile of a national exam of academics.</p>
<p>Thanks for chancing!</p>
<p>Since you’re an international applicant asking for aid, that might pull back your chances. However, Ivies are always going to be reaches. Even though your academic and extracurricular achievements are amazing, there is no such thing as a guaranteed admittance. You might also want to reconsider your choices as UChicagos b- school are for graduates only, and MIT doesn’t directly accept applicants for Sloan. You will be put in the regular pile of MIT applicants. </p>
<p>Why should i care about UChicago business school? I will be applying as an undergrad. Anyone else to cahnce me?</p>
<p>Congratulations on your academic record and your EC’s. But I must tell you that financial aid will be a big obstacle. You risk getting rejections from all the schools you listed. Especially since 2008-9 (economic crisis) US colleges have been particularly tough to get into for international students seeking financial aid. </p>
<p>I’d keep the list, there’s nothing wrong with aiming high, but I’d add a few safeties. There are wonderful Liberal Arts Colleges that are not world-famous but provide great education – you may have a good chance of obtaining financial aid from them. There’s a list somewhere on this forum about such schools. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>PS. Oh sorry, read your post again – you did say “excluding safeties” so you seem to be on the right track!</p>
<p>Aren’t most of them need-blind?</p>
<p>As far as I know, there are only 7 U.S.colleges that are need-blind to international students: Yale, Harvard, Amherst, Dartmouth, Princeton, Middlebury, and MIT (which has an exceptionally low acceptance rate for internationals, even lower than the others). </p>
<p>For many others, your aid request will play a part in their admission decision – meaning the mere fact that you’re asking for financial aid will reduce your admission chances compared to an equally qualified international who is not asking for financial aid. And then other colleges will outright ask you to fill out a form (to be validated by your bank) that says you and/or your family can pay the tuition and expenses before they even allow you to apply. </p>
<p>All this information by the way is on the colleges’ websites. It’s no secret. </p>
<p>There are plenty of other great business schools in the country. I am confused as to why you would include UChicago as it’s business program is for graduates only. </p>
<p>The poster did not write anything about applying to UChicago Business School.</p>
<p>I am thinking of an economics major.</p>
<p>Amazing ECs! The thing about Ivys is that…you have acdemics? great…you have ECs great but you may still be rejected. They accept you if they see something special or are impressed by your dedication etc</p>
<p>The school for less fortunate is something special I think.</p>
<p>No, not in that sense. I am talking about some rare life experiences like family tragedies, or some unique personal characteristics.</p>
<p>I am talking about HYPS not Ivys.</p>
<p>Ivy’s are reaches for everyone regardless of your STAT’s and EC’s. Go ahead and apply and see what happens.</p>