Chance me for Amherst, Dartmouth, Colgate, Middlebury, Vassar and Colorado!

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>First of all, I am an International student who lives and goes to high school in Stockholm, Sweden.</p>

<p>SAT I - M: 790, CR: 610, W: 600, Total: 2000</p>

<p>It is not the best scores, but I study English as a second language and I am rather happy about these scores anyway. 2000 sounds better than 1990, so I was perhaps a bit lucky!</p>

<p>TOEFL: 109/120 (Writing: 27(/30), Reading: 27, Speaking: 27 and Listening: 28)</p>

<p>Strengths:
I have gotten all A's since I got my first grade ever, which I count as my best part of my application. I am not sure if an A is exactly the same as a "pass with special distinction" which is a translated version of the highest grade in Swedish high schools. Then we have pass with distinction, pass and fail. The percentage of Swedes getting all passes with special distinction is extremely lower than students with a 4.0 GPA. Grades are not on a curb in Sweden either. We have goals in each course which we need to reach in order to get our grade. My high school has been ranked as the best high school in Sweden for several years now and maybe 5-10% of our class will get the highest grades in all courses. I am one of those students. Sadly, this will not be as clear to the admissions people in the U.S. as it is to students and teachers in Sweden.</p>

<p>Teacher recommendations are great! (the teachers always appreciate my enthusiasm and my ability to ask good questions in class)</p>

<p>I help out a lot in my family company as well as home, which makes it hard for me to find time for other extra curricular activities. </p>

<p>Played saxophone since third grade and this summer I played at a music festival where Robyn and other famous Swedish artists performed. I wrote this adventure in my common app essay.</p>

<p>I'm Swedish Apparently, our work ethic is much appreciated in the U.S. I have heard this from many different sources. It is not something I would make up.</p>

<p>Flaws in application:
My essays are probably not the best, but I don't think I will be rejected by the schools because of them.</p>

<p>I am applying for a lot of financial aid. I know Amherst and Dartmouth are need-blind for international students as well, but the others are not that generous.</p>

<p>List of colleges I have applied to:
Colgate University
Dartmouth College
Middlebury College
Vassar College
Amherst College
Colorado College</p>

<p>Keep in mind that most colleges strive to become more diverse, and since we are not many Swedes who apply to college in the U.S, the chances for our acceptance at some schools multiply. There are 3 test centers for the SAT in Sweden and perhaps 40-50 students at most take the SAT each month. Of those students, at least half of them are recruited athletes. In Sweden all we have to do to apply to universities is to send in our grades from high school. Therefore, many students also take the test without following through with all of the applications because they don't think it's worth the exertion. A handful of people may apply to Dartmouth, Middlebury and Amherst, but probably no one will apply to the other schools on my list.</p>

<p>Now, what are my chances in your opinion from what information I have given you? Please motivate your answer! </p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>200 views and no replies?</p>

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<p>I would say that most of those schools are in your reach. Though Darthmouth is a reach for everyone. Good luck!</p>

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<p>What are my chances of getting into Vassar?
I’m a sophomore, male, and I go to a well known private school near Cleveland Ohio that has a good reputation among colleges. I am agnostic and pretty relaxed. I enjoy reading, rock climbing, hanging out with friends. I consider myself to be smart, and above all, I am an intellectual person.
I accelerated in science and am taking Honors Physics as a sophomore in a class of Juniors
I am taking an extra class, Computer Science
I am also a drummer in my school’s Jazz band
theses are my classes</p>

<p>English 10
Honors Physics
Math 2 Honors (highest math available)
Chinese 2
Jazz Band
Computer Science
Western Civilization 10</p>

<p>Junior - year I will take AP Biology, AP Computer Science, maybe another English Course, and Chinese 3, in addition to the other required classes
Senior Year - AP Chemistry and a few other electives in science, an english course</p>

<p>Last year I had a 3.56 GPA, this year I am aiming for a 3.5-3.6</p>

<p>Extra Curricular</p>

<p>Mock Trial
Science Olympiad (I am one of five captains, the rest are seniors, and there are about 40 kids in science olympiad)
Academic Challenge
Anderson Scholars - this is the most important, out of each class, 5 kids are chosen to pursue research in science, I am doing independent research with a Neurosurgeon at University Hospitals (University is the name of the area), I can also get funding from the school, and at the end of my senior year, I can get my work published in a scientific journal or present it to a panel of experts.</p>

<p>Community Service
My school tutors kids at a local inner-city school once a month, and I am going to do independent volunteering at Habitat for Humanity
I am working on some sor of fundraiser for a worthy cause I can do independently </p>

<p>Other
I rock climb twice a week
Political Essay Contest
film club
school newspaper writer
maybe next year, speech and debate?</p>

<p>SAT
my current score is about 1900, but I am just a sophomore, I am aiming for a 2100, but I may get even higher</p>

<p>Summers
last summer I did a 3 week course in Neuroscience at Brown University
this summer I am doing independent research at University Hospitals
Next summer I am not sure, I may do a Cleveland Clinic, paid internship that lets me do more research with doctors and see patients, but I may or may not get accepted to the internship</p>

<p>I am a down to earth, fun-loving guy with a passion for science. I have a lot of friends and adapt well to new environments. I have a real passion for neuroscience, and my career path is to be a neurosurgeon.</p>

<p>Vassar and Middlebury are my two top choices right now.</p>

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<p>Thanks soupsong!</p>

<p>Please make your own thread xssg90x.</p>

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<p>Hello Swedishchris,</p>

<p>I am from India and I have applied to Vassar too. Hope we will meet at Vassar this fall! I think you have a decent chance. I think the whole EC deal is too convoluted for any logical explanation. </p>

<p>If you are not looking for FA, I think you have an excellent chance. I remember reading somewhere that the Swedish Highschool students have performed very well in international highschool student contests, way better than US students.</p>

<p>Good Luck.</p>

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<p>I am applying for financial aid as I said in my post unfortunately. I chose this list of colleges mainly because of their great financial aid packages for international students, so I hope it won’t affect my chances of admission too much. Vassar doesn’t have as strong science departments as the other colleges I amapplying to, which is why I have it as my last choice. But who knows, I might change my mind and decide to go there in the fall anyway, if I get accepted that is!</p>

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<p>Bumppppppp</p>

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<p>bump10char</p>

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<p>You are a good student, but you have to understand that ALL of the schools you listed are reaches for almost anyone who applies. These are ivy level schools and most don’t get in, even those that are qualified. I’d say you will probably get into colorado though if I had to pick one out of that group. You are a well qualified student, but these schools are unpredictable. Because you are international I think you have as good of a shot as anyone to all of these schools though.</p>

<p>Chance me please:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1286305-chance-me-ill-chance-back.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1286305-chance-me-ill-chance-back.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Chris, I think you get so few answers because you answer your own questions and tell us what to keep in mind. However, you have a skewed view of the issues.</p>

<p>Yes, colleges want diversity. Each decides what kind of diversity their institution wants. Many want kids from areas of global conflict, they could want strong representation from parts of the world with emerging economies, and of course they like to have kids from as many countries as possible. Just one will do from the vast majority of countries, so accepting one every 4 years is a goal.</p>

<p>Next-- what do colleges want from their international students? Academic
superstars of course lead the list. Kids who have won country wide awards consistently with get a hard look. Top 10% not so much. Also high on their lists are kids from powerful political or business families. These kids provide speakers, job connections and give a college strong ties to the country. So as Tony Blair’s son attends Yale, the sons and daughters of the powerful are often the international selection. And let’s not forget recruited athletes. As with American candidates, they have a huge advantage.</p>

<p>Schools also have very limited budgets for internationals. So if they can
get representation from a country without having to offer any aid dollars, that’s a big plus. Why spend your money on European students when there are many full pay applicants when you need the money to get representation from poor countries with few or no full pay candidates?</p>

<p>So you need to weave all of these facts into your “story” about what schools want.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply!</p>

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<p>Hey SwedishChris! Im a international student applying for financial aid and got my early notification letter admitting me to Dartmouth today!
I applied with a much weaker academic record that you, but took two diplomas at the high school level and the most rigorous course combination possible. Your SAT’s are significantly lower than mine, but like you said, English is your second language. The rest of my app was like yours, solid ec’s, recommendations and the like. Enough about me…
I think your app will be unique in the applicant body for most of these colleger, and you stand a good chance at a lot of them. As an International applicant asking for aid, youll stand a great chance at Colorado and Colgate.
With your excellent academic record, I think you have a solid shot at Middlebury and Vassar, though both Dartmouth and Amherst will be on the harder side. Im also hoping that by admitting your essays werent that good, you are merely being modest and that they were actually pretty good, in which case you would stand a good chance at pretty much all of these universities. My only worry is that your essay, being focused on one “adventure” is an accurate rendering of who you actually are. For the Early app rounds I wrote an essay that was only focused on one part of my app, like yours is, and I didnt show more of my personality, which I should have. This may have been a likely reason for my denial at the uni i applied to. But as long as your essays were good, you should do fine.
Best of Luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks Ptolomy for your detailed evaluation of my chances! I agree with what you are saying. I wrote my common app essay in two days, but the people who have read it here on CC says it is fine, but not spectacular or even very good. It does tell some things about my personality, but not everything. I just got my only 2 grades from the first semester as a senior and was suprised when one of them was a B! It was in a more advanced Biology course, but I got an A in the most advanced math course provided by my school. How much can this B, which came out of the blue, hurt my chances of admission? I got an A on my first Biology test last semester, but apparently got a C+ on my second (last) test. Is there anything I can do to help soften the “blow”?</p>