I am currently a US student studying at a Canadian high school. I will be applying to university soon (predominantly Canadian schools) however I would like some advice on what US school I could possibly get into with:
Personal info:
I am an asian/ white applicant attending private school funded by my legal guardians. On FAFSA i am considered an independent applicant. My biological mother is deceased and i have no contact with my biological father.
Potential Major:
Political Science (prelaw)
Stats:
ACT: 30
UW GPA: 3.55 (my school runs on a 100 point scale so im not too sure if this is accurate) I got 90’s in all my courses related to the major I intend to pursue. However, when it came to math and science I did not excel but I still wanted to challenge myself.
AP/honours classes: my school does “honours” classes as Canada does not generally offer those. I take all university prep classes. As well I could’nt afford to take AP classes as my school charges an extra $2000 to take them. And so my weighted GPA may be difficult to determine.
Awards: honour roll all years, world issues, geography, civics, world history
EC’s:
founded a club to raise money for cleft lip (operation smile)
community outreach club executive
international outreach club member
Varsity Track team for 2 years (11th place in senior girls javelin throw)
Varsity Girls rugby 7’s for 1
School tour guide 3 years
culture show exhibitor for 3 years
volunteered at salvation army
inside ride event coordinator for coast to coast against cancer foundation
camp leader
Misc: fluent in cantonese, mandarin, french and english
Essay: above average essay on my passion of helping others through my love of baking
I was considering schools such as NYU, princeton etc. If anyone could please give me advice on what schools I would be competitive for please inform me. Thank you!!
I understand that princeton probably wont but do you have an idea of who will? High school in Canada is different, nobody cares until 12th grade (which is the only thing schools look at here). That mentality costed me my freshman year and my current GPA
With a 3.55 GPA and 30 on the ACT, I would be surprised if you could get into any university ranked in the top 20 in the USA. Admission is somewhat random down here, so you never know for sure.
Affordability will be another issue. Have you run the NPC on any American universities?
I would expect that you could probably get into some top 100 universities. However, there are quite a few of them. As such we are going to need more information if you want some reasonable suggestions. What sort of university would you be looking for? Large or small? East or west? South or north? Big city, small city, town, or rural? Also, would you want to bother with a university that is ranked somewhere between 50th and 100th, or do you have safeties in Canada which you would prefer?
Congrats on focusing on your future and taking control of it versus it controlling you. Good job under difficult circumstances.
If you eliminate freshman scores and it makes a big impact you can look at all of the California state schools. But the UCLA UCB UCSD level. You would be out of reach for non resident applicant. The next set of UC schools could be an option.
Top 20 is such a small pool. I would say you would be best to spread your options or stick with Canada.
And although you have no contact with your bio dad you will need to go through the process to have him “not considered” at most schools which should be ok but not guaranteed.
I got a 30 on the ACT on my first attempt without studying and I have been practicing all summer to take it again in a couple weeks. I hopefully will be able to get a 34. As well, money for university is not an issue so I do not really need to worry about that. I am looking for decent sized university that has a community feel without being too far from a city. Preferably it would be as close to Canada as possible. Of the grade twelve courses i have taken I have a 96 average so I am applying to elite Canadian universities. I was applying to US schools as a backup option since I am a US citizen.
NYU and Princeton are not in the same league so to speak. NYU is ranked about 30 so you may have a chance except for Stern. Affording it is another issue.
In your own words, “High school in Canada is different, nobody cares until 12th grade (which is the only thing schools look at here). That mentality costed me my freshman year and my current GPA.”
This is simply untrue (I too went to high school in Canada) and Canadian universities do not look only at the 12th Grade. You need to take responsibility for your own academic performance rather than blaming the Canadian system.
Honestly, you don’t have much of a chance of getting admitted to a top 20 U.S. school or even a state school for that matter. State school such as the University of Washington, UCLA, UW-Madison, and so on, are extremely competitive for international and out-of-state students. And to get into a top 20 college, you’d need a higher GPA and better ACT results. In addition, many colleges don’t offer need-blind aid for international students.
My recommendation is that you focus on doing well in a Canadian university. If you distinguish yourself academically during your undergraduate years, you’d have a chance at attending a U.S. graduate school or professional school.
Top 20 colleges in the U.S. average about $76,000 a year. That equates to roughly $99,000 a year in Canadian dollars. If money isn’t an issue like you’ve said, and if you have someone willing/able to shell out $400,000 for your bachelor’s degree, you should consider looking at U.S. colleges that fall within the range of your stats. Possibilities include Lake Forest, Whitman, Gettysburg, and many more. Best of luck.
Actually canadian universities really do only look at grade twelve grades. As quoted on the Queens university website: “The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), and six 4U/4M courses. Students must have a minimum of three 4U courses, except where stated otherwise. Students in francophone schools may offer EAE4U or FRA4U in place of ENG4U”. Those are the requirements to get into Queens university as that is really all they look at. I go to a private school that is partnered with the Queens faculty of education. To reiterate what I have previously said, nobody cares until grade 12 which is what universities look at here. I do not blame myself nor the system and I do take responsibly for my academic performance. Also, if you had read what I had written you would see that I am not an international student, I am an American citizen who is also considered an URM by UW- Madison.
That’s true. Canadian universities make admission decisions only on the 6 grade 12 (4U/4M) prerequisites. Some consider grade 11 courses (3U/3M) sometimes, but only to decide whether to accept them early on as the admission decisions are sent throughout the year until May or June. Tbh “grade 12 grades” isn’t accurate bc it’s only 6 out of however many grade 12 courses you take.