So. I don’t have very high expectations with my applications, but I thought it’d be worth to at least see where I am with my possibilities. I’m applying to VERY VERY Top US universities, the standard HYSP and also Cornell, with a fair reach being UCB. I’m not confident about my accomplishments anyway, so here they are. Of course, I know that as an International (I live in Thailand, but I’m Korean) it’ll be super challenging, which just adds to my worries.
GPA UW: 4.0
GPA W: 4.31 (no APs offered freshman year, which brought it down. My junior year JPA was 4.67.)
SAT: 1550, TOEFL: 119
SAT II: SAT Math 2 800, SAT Korean 800, SAT Bio 720 (what happened)
Class rank: 1/100
Grades overall: No Bs, all As and A+ throughout HS.
APs: Calc BC, APES, APWH, APPSY, AP Lang, AP Bio - all 5s except APWH 4 which I didn’t study at all for oof; currently taking AP Lit, AP Chem, AP Micro, AP Comp Gov, and AP Spanish.
ECs and Honors: Nothing too amazing tbh
MUN Club Treasurer (Parliamentarian + Chair for THAIMUN, international conference)
Japanese Subculture Club President 4 years
SASMO Bronze Awards for 2016 and 2017 (only Gold matters i know, but international level)
Life Science Club President 2 years
School Publication Club Editor-in-Chief 4 years
AP Scholar with Distinction
Like 7 School subject awards that aren’t too noteworthy
Volunteer project of building a house for a local community of elderly
Secretary of Business Competition (National level)
7 other school clubs as a member
Essays: My essays are solid, I know that for one thing, based on teachers’ comments and others.
Financial Aid: Not applying for any at all (does that even raise my chances at all)
Major: Sociology (maybe Economics for a few)
Do I even have a chance? Because I see so many other people that have amazing stats where people just go, “Nah.” There weren’t too many competition opportunities here, but I did try to participate as much as possible.
I am sorry but all one has to do is read the thread title. With that, the answer is always going to be that your chances are low. Because they are for everybody! Beyond that no one can say.
That ^.
And it’s not all about stats and some clubs. The 4 in APWH could affect a humanities app. (The competition is that rough.)
How much do you understand what HYPS looks for? Be sure your essay and supps reflect those attributes and your topic is relevant to an admit review by them.
On the more positive side, you’re not applying for stem. Asian, international, and humanities will catch their attention. The rest is up to you, how you match in all ways, what you show them that they want, beyond stats.
Do you have safeties in your home country, or somewhere else (Australia, Canada, …)? Straight A’s and A+'s with 1550 SAT with a 119 TOEFL would get you into quite a few great universities in Australia, Canada, and some other countries.
Regarding the top US universities, you are competitive but they are all reaches. I do not know if there is much more that anyone can say.
You’ll be solidly in the pool of highly qualified applicants. For tippy top US schools for international students, the admittance rate from this pool is maybe 10%.
I agree. For MIT incoming class of 2023, the international acceptance rate was 3.1…it’s my understanding that other highly selective schools have similarly low rates.
Not applying for financial aid will be an advantage at all the schools that are need aware for internationals (which is all schools with the exception of HYP, MIT, and Amherst)