Greetings for you all, I came from the middle east last year, and this is my second year in high school, my family’s financial situation is a tad bad, but I was born here and lived for about 2 years when I was young and moved back to the Middle East. Anyhow, I came to the US with little to almost to no English, but magically, I have been placed at regular English classes, so, I used to stay awake until 2-3 A.M studying, and eventually, I have scored all A’s in my first semester, including English, I learn languages very easily, people started to know my religion and they have started to practice racism against me, I have complained but it was dismissed, so the year went on and I stayed persistent and had about a 3.6 GPA, then I have moved to an another state and it suddenly dropped to 3.1 automatically, and in this particular state, racism is scary, I have discussed it with some administrators, and not much could be done, nevertheless, I believe I’ll finish this year with a 3.3 GPA and 3 AP classes, all of this discrimination is really dropping my grades and not making me feel comfortable, I have tried my very best, I came with no language or anything for that matter, and also, I have scored 2270 on the SAT, the SAT is one of the things that I did well in because it was done at home, not school.
In terms of extracurricular activities, when I was back in the Middle east I have established a local ‘organization’ that the goal of it is to combat any type of terrorism, in other words, helping people not getting into radicalism, also I have always been a great debater and speaker, and my only passion is politics, I also had to support my family since I was 12 as my father was never there, my life has been truly hard and it’s even getting harder with racism.
I will take a gap year to support my family and do more SAT II to improve my portfolio.
My concern is, looking at my academic portfolio, do I have any chance at top universities 'Ivy League, Top 20, I am indeed a good test taker, I am even taking AP Literature to further the challenge a Mile, and I am trying to do my best, and in school, I am trying my best to study well but it is quite hard with these monsters, your advice and opinions are truly appreciated. Thank you.
I appreciate what you have been through. Where you lose me is the need to go to “Ivy League or top 20.” Please do more research on colleges. Why do you think that these are the schools that you must attend? There are 100s of colleges in the US where you can get a fine education and succeed in life in many ways.
Thank you, the reason being is that there are many top world British universities that would accept me with these standardized test scores, and my other AP classes which my teacher predict that 2 are going to be a 5 and one a 4, thus my reasoning is given. it is senseless to attend less than that caliber, but my problem with Britain’s universities is merely financial aid, there is none, or any scholarships.
Please explain how Britain figures into this. 
So, as an example, University of Edinburgh or King’s college London require 1950+ SAT score as well as 2 SAT II 650+ or 2 AP 5 and a 4, which I could achieve, and they are both top 20 in the world, and do not have any transcript reading or requirement, and what I am looking for is excellent education with the name as I will go to Law school and I worked tirelessly to achieve what I have done, even though it isn’t excellent in comparison to others in here, but I am proud
Your middling GPA does not make you a realistic candidate for an Ivy/Top20. These schools may cut a candidate with extenuating circumstances some slack for a lackluster SAT, but not for a lackluster GPA-- especially not for an “unhooked” candidate. While colleges may be sympathetic to the cultural & racial challenges you faced, they’re also aware that you aren’t unique in the US in facing those challenges.
You need to get over your sense of entitlement that your strong SAT scores render anything but Ivy/Top20/British elite universities to be beneath you. Students with much more impressive profiles than you seem to do just fine at other universities.
I would also look hard at Law as a career career choice. The market is way oversupplied, and job prospects are poor.
So, you are telling me that a student that had his gpa lowered by 0.5 because he moved to an another state, came to the US with no language, and faced bigotry is not special? I would very skeptical of the admissions process if they only took by a number, I have been awarded many times speaking and debating awards, always number one, and I do have a parliamentary prize for a speech, and have done many campaigns about a lot of things, and spoke to many people and helped plenty when I needed help, and in Britain, I do make the requirements 100%, maybe it is far fetched for Oxbridge, but the rest are in reach. And I do know my Gpa isn’t Ivy Caliber, but many considerations have to be made.
If your family is in a tough financial situation, then you need to look for options that you can afford on your own. Here are several to consider:
- Commute to a local community college for two years, and then to an in-state public U for two years to finish your degree.
- Pull your ACT/SAT score and GPA into the range to get a guaranteed full-tuition (you’d still need a job and student loan to pay for living and other expenses) or full-ride scholarship (would include housing and meals and maybe even books). http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
- If your ACT/SAT score and GPA are good enough, apply where there are competitive full-tuition or full-ride scholarships. http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
- Apply at places that are likely to offer you significant need-based aid.
To help yourself better understand how financial aid works in the US, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum.
Apparently not. You seem to be another poster only seeking confirmation.
Absolutely not, in fact, I would love for somebody to suggest Universities that would offer generous financial aid with my academic portfolio, and also, I was thinking if everything went truly bad, I could go to Harvard Extension as it is more attractive than any community college, and no, I am not looking for the Harvard snob name.
No, what they are telling you is that a student with your GPA will be seen as someone who cannot do the required academics. Regardless of your special situation, schools won’t admit you of they feel you cannot keep up.
Many people experience racism. This is not unique to you. Yet they are able to keep a GPA that is high enough. There are also people who are applying who have experienced extreme poverty, illness, bullying, mental health issues. Your negative experiences are not special in the college admission world. You still need to be able to show you can do the work.
Most of my grades are in the 90 range, I have a moderate number of 80s, and one in the 70s, the school I attend has a far higher passing standard, a 70 instead of 50, which explains the huge shift, secondly, I have taken Honors courses in the ME that they did not recognize as honors in my school, which is quite disappointing, and my school is a top 100 public school and is extremely competitive.
What posters are trying to tell you here is that if you focus on the top 20 schools, you need to realize that they REJECT 85-95% of their applicants. Even students with top GPAs and test scores will get rejected. Will you be automatically rejected? No one can answer that. Will an admissions officer consider your hardships? Maybe. But it sounds like you are looking for an answer that no one can give you. That is why other posters are encouraging you to look well beyond the top 20 schools.
Yes, I am quite convinced that if I only consider a top 20 most probably I will never attend, I am willing to apply to many others, I would love some advice from all of you where else is appropriate to apply, I know that 4.0 and 2400s get rejected, but I merely seek knowledge.
You can use the Super Match tool on this website to start. There are thousands of colleges out there so you’d need to narrow it down to location, cost, major, etc. Every college has a Common Data Set that will give you lots of information on admission statistics, financial aid, etc. Do you have a guidance counselor at your school who can help? There are also many good books on the market and most are available at your public library. If you can give some specifics about what you are looking for, there may be some posters on here who have suggestions.
I am looking to major in Political Science, I prefer Northern states. And may I ask, would be Harvard Extension an attractive option? as I would like to be able to work and study
It does not seem like you can major in political science at the extension program. Why are you stuck on Harvard? An extension program does not allow you to have a traditional college experience. They are more for poeple who work full time and need to be able to obtain a degree. The choices offered at extension programs are limited.
To get a degree in political science you will need to find a college that is a good match for you academically and financially. You need to think about size, location, major etc as mentioned above.
I understand that you may not really understand the choices that are available, since you come from abroad. My husband is middle eastern and it is taking a while for him to understand the differences in college options for our son. My son especially likes the small liberal arts schools, which are completely foreign to my husband. He knows Harvard and Stanford and MIT. My son is looking at schools more like Pomona and Reed which are really odd seeming to my husband.
Thank you, I have been seriously considering Emory’s Oxford College as it seems attractive for my stats, I am a bit below the average GPA, but very well above the SAT, what do you all think?
@wsaus1 please be clear. You are not a US citizen, correct? So you may not recieve any financial aid. Colleges in the UK are much less expensive, even if you pay foreign tuition. I am quite familiar with this, as my kids are British/American and my son thinks he might study in the UK. Three years of UK tuition to receive a BA degree at University of Bath, for example, will cost about $90,000, whereas four years of tuition to receive a BA degree at Harvard, and many private universities in the US, with cost at least $240,000. How do you plan to pay for these colleges? You may find that the UK will charge less, as they have different price structures depending on what part of the world you come from.
The other issue I want to address is your family situation and the racism you have encountered. You really should be talking with your guidance counselor at high school. This is the kind of information a guidance counselor can write in his/her recommendation letter. The UK is very focussed on grades and test scores, so they might not take that information into account. But US colleges will care about that information, and you want to be sure it is documented by your counselor.
You need to be realistic though. Use the SuperMatch tool, as suggested. It is very difficult for anyone to get into the top colleges. Find some realistic choices that you can afford, and get into. If you are focussing only on the top colleges, you might be very disappointed. Or worse, you might find yourself without a college at all.
How much can your parents pay per year? You need to know that to compile a list. Run the Net Price Calculator of your state school and a couple others you’re interested in (schools with acceptance rates in the ~30-40% range, not single digit reach schools) to get an estimate of the cost. Since you’re a US citizen you can fill out the FAFSA and get the ~$5500/year federal student loan, and if you’re low income you may qualify for up to a ~$5k/year Pell grant too. Run the FAFSA4caster to see if you might qualify.
If you’re low income, you may need to start at a local community college and transfer to a 4-year school unless you can find schools with good merit and need based aid. If your family can afford to pay for a 4-year school if you get enough financial aid, that’s the route I’d take because the best aid goes to freshmen. Tranfers don’t get much.