<p>Hi everyone! This is my first post to this forum (even though I have been lurking for a while), and I hope this is the right place for my question. Anyway, I would greatly appreciate some advice.</p>
<p>I'm 21 (22 in Augsut), and I am considering to study in the US. I am Belgian, and because of ill health I have not been able to study yet. While at secondary school I received good grades, but not outstanding, mainly because I was already ill then and because my school had very high academic standards (we don't have standardized exams here in Belgium).</p>
<p>Since I was cured I have been taking classes at a local university (I'm not working towards a degree though, just loose credits), been doing a few online courses from the University of Oxford and have done a lot of private study.</p>
<p>I have not yet taken SAT's, mostly because I'm not sure that with my age and less-than-perfect grades I would stand a chance; I don't want to waste money if my case is hopeless anyway. However, I did take the full practice SAT on the website and received 680 on maths, 730 on reading and 790 on writing. I have been looking at subject tests, and would like to take literature and French.</p>
<p>When it comes to extra-curricular activities I don't have much to boast off, mostly because I have been ill for so long. I have been taking singing and piano lessons since I was a kid, and have done theater and elocution classes for 9 years. Since my health has improved I have been studying mostly, but I do volunteer for Oxfam in my spare time and I set up and run a local bookclub.</p>
<p>I would like to study English literature or a related course, and the universities I have been looking at and that appeal to me are Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, Michigan and Stanford. So my question is: would that be even remotely possible? Or am I too old and without a chance? Also, another problem is that my secondary school doesn't exist anymore; it has a new name, new principal and new staff now and has gone from private to state. Looking at all the forms I am supposed to fill out, that looks like a big problem.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for reading this far, and thank you in advance for any advice or opinions!</p>