Chance international student? ivies+UCs :]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm from NEW ZEALAND. Will the low population make national awards seem less significant?</p>

<p>Current Year: Junior (graduating in december 2011)
Unweighted GPA: -
Weighted: -
Rank: 3/200 (estimate). Top private girls' school in the country according to external examination rankings. We've had students go to ivies before.
SAT: 2290 currently ( 800 Math, 700 Writing, 790 Reading). Don't know if I should retake for writing to get higher superscore, I've been told there's no real point because most schools don't consider it.
PSAT: 227
SAT IIs: planning to take chemistry and maths, will not be satisfied with anything under 780
Ethnicity: Asian
Recommendations: Assume that they will be good haha
Subjects: taking senior level calculus and art as a junior, other subjects are french, chemistry, physics and english. I intend to do all these as a senior except maybe french or english (we only get 5 subject choices as seniors). I was given the privilege of doing a school exchange in France for 2 months at the end of this year. </p>

<p>Community Service: 100+ hours</p>

<p>ECs:
SPORT//
Captain of school badminton team since soph year
Captain of club badminton team (out of school)
Dragonboating (2 years)
SERVICE//
School librarian
Peer mediator</p>

<p>[our school has no science/math clubs]</p>

<p>Awards:
1st= national computer skills competition (freshman)
top 30 national maths competition (freshman)
top 100 national maths competition (sophomore)
part of school neurology competition team which won 2nd in nationals (sophomore)
consistent top 3% or above in other yearly national science/maths competitions</p>

<p>please tell me how to improve my chances! >< I think I sound like a typical asian applicant right now...
looking at Northwestern University, UCLA, MIT, Caltech, Brown, Cornell, UPenn</p>

<p>thanks! :]</p>

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<p>Is there anything non-sporty that you feel that you have had a deep, long-lasting connection with?</p>

3

<p>I’ve played piano for 6-7 years now, but I haven’t sat any grades or participated in competitions. I just play for enjoyment haha… Does that count? >< I’ve also started to pick up a bit of guitar since last year but I’m still a beginner :]</p>

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<p>Your app looks good, you could be competitive. Unless the population was under 10,000 I don’t think the size of the country will take away from the accomplishment of a national award, it could even help if they don’t get many applicants and want more diversity. Piano does count! If it’s something you enjoy and have given a lot of time to of course it matters, I’d definitely recommend talking about it in at least one of your essays. Why are you graduating in December?
What is dragonboating? :P</p>

<p>I think you’re on the right track, keep it up, maybe try out some clubs if you have time, but overall I think you’ll have a great chance!</p>

5

<p>Haha well in NZ the school year begins at the beginning of February and finishes in early December… I’ve only been a junior for 4 weeks ^^</p>

<p>dragonboating is a sport where you’re in a long boat like a canoe with around 20 other people and you paddle on one side of the boat with a partner on the other side. it emphasizes a lot on teamwork since everyone has to be in time~ thanks for your advice! but my school doesn’t really have ‘clubs’ ><</p>

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<p>…bump? ): awww so many views but not many replies?</p>