<p>Hi Natalia Ann Lee!</p>
<p>First off, I will comment that I read on a website that of all international students, students from Korea have the best of chances to get into the Ivies … so you already have an edge in international competition, because I hear that Korean schools are extremely rigorous (so I’m not too surprised at the 7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. school hours). </p>
<p>I will say that, still, international competition for the Ivies is very … intense. Admission rates are typically half of what US students experience (for you admission rates are about 4% or less), and if you are in need of financial aid, your chances of admission or even lower because financial aid resources are usually dedicated to US students - yes it’s unfair but that’s how the system works.</p>
<p>Your 3.8-3.9 UW (meaning that you have some marks that are Bs) is very solid. For your SATs, I will comment that admission officers really do not like to see prospective applicants who take those tests in their senior year, because most American students do actually take those tests in their junior year when they apply to these schools. Why? Seniors have an advantage over juniors. However, you may have an excuse (a very good one) because you are in school 7 hours longer than us American students. </p>
<p>For someone who doesn’t have much time on their hands, you certainly have a very strong EC list. However, I have a few gripes about it. You cannot list that you’ve been on national TV AND you cannot list any honors or awards that you’ve won prior to high school. Also, volunteer work hours do not count towards Honors or Awards. (I’ll talk about honors and awards later) However, feel free to talk about those experiences in your essay and what you’ve made out of those experiences. Otherwise, you have a very solid volunteer record and you demonstrate leadership in your ECs. I also like your international experience, with your participation in pen-pal, volunteering in Africa, and the village thing. However, breadth (the number of activities) is not important. Yes, you have a laundry list. But what do you really enjoy doing? Colleges want to know what you like. Do you like volunteering? If you do, talk about it in your essays. Be passionate. Release your inner thoughts. Reveal yourself and be yourself. </p>
<p>For your honors and awards, you seem to be a little confused. Being an ambassador isn’t technically an honor in college admissions and neither are volunteer hours. Here in the US, they’re awards that you’ve won. For example, an essay contest that you’ve won in your province or country. That counts. I recommend that you do not list any honors that you’ve won in school, because though they are important to you, they are trivial to admissions at the Ivies. I will note that honors are not a must in college admisisons. </p>
<p>Other awards and honors that are academic include scores from the American Mathematics Competition 12 (AMC) and qualifying for the AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination). These competitions are considered supplements to the SAT math here in the US, because these tests are so much more difficult than the SAT math. Btw, the math olympiad equivalent in Korea is the Korean Mathematics Olympiad.</p>
<p>I will also give you another tip in college admissions besides writing passionate personal statements. You also need to be interested in the schools themselves. You obviously know that they’re prestigious. However, behind the prestige, what else do you like about them? For these top-tier schools, every one has its own unique academic system. You need to find out what the school’s teaching philosophy is and whether it is compatible for you so that you can make the most out of the school. College admission officers want smart people, but they also want people who can gain and contribute the most from being in their school. For example, MIT does not grade its first-year students for the first semester because the curriculum is too rigorous and it’s used to help students adjust to a new academic environment. </p>
<p>Other than that, I will say that you’re a very strong and hard working student. You should be immensely proud of what you’ve done even if you do get rejected by HYPS. Admission to these schools does not guarantee success, and rejection by these schools also does not mean failure. You can always try again as a grad student. (We love second chances here in the US) Also, I recommend applying to other schools here in the US. Ivies aren’t the only schools offering the best education. For example, if you’re interested in engineering, feel free to apply to Berkeley or the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. These schools have one of the best engineering programs in the States (Top 3 I think). Also, you’ll have a easier chance of getting in for undergrad and getting into the top schools as a grad student. </p>
<p>Your chances for HYPS: Slightly far reach</p>
<p>I wish you good luck this college admission season, and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or if you need help with the personal statements/essays. (I only did this because I just returned from a doctor’s appointment and I have some free time to kill before I go back to school)
-ab2013</p>