<p>Intended major: aerospace engineering
Selective schools that I'm applying to: MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell
I am not Chinese (no offence, just want to distinguish myself from the stereotype that Asian = Chinese)</p>
<p>Academic
Year 10 and 11: top school in my home country. Very low grades.
Year 12: moved to the UK, went to a small public school, finished A levels (which take 2 years to study) in 1 year. Results: A* in Maths, A in Further Maths, B in Physics (because of the damn U in my practical exam). Retaking Further Maths and Physics next June.
Rank: top 1 in the whole school (UK)
Silver Prize - British Physics Olympiad
Bronze Prize - UK Senior Maths Challenge
Currently having a gap year instead of doing year 13 (people go to school for 13 years in the UK before university)
SAT 2: Maths 2 - 770, Physics 800 (I am not taking another test, if you ask)
SAT 1: I don't wanna talk about it but let's say I get 2200 (800M - 700CR - 700W)
TOEFL: 109</p>
<p>Extracurricular
Bronze medal (twice) - National U17 Basketball Championship (in my home country, not in the UK)
Corporal at Air Cadet in the UK, 5 hours a week for almost a year (I had to leave because they kick 18+ people out of the squadron)
Assistant for two summer air shows on a national tour in the US in 3 weeks. Worked with a retired Brigadier General in the USAF, who wrote a very nice letter of recommendation for me.
Duke of Edinburg Award - Bronze (please google it if you don't know what it is)
Make some beats and music on my computer in my free time (should I mention it?)
Some work experience and part time jobs at school and various places
Currently an intern at my home country's Institute of Physics for 5 months before going back to the UK at the end of this year</p>
<p>Also, I turned down offers from Imperial College, Bath and Bristol uni in the UK because of financial reason. Should I mention it in my application?</p>
<p>Thanks everybody</p>