Chances of an international student

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello guys, I am a senior student from Turkey and I will be applying for some colleges this year. I don't have any counselor and I need someone's help to make my decision. </p>

<p>I have started to think about applying to US this summer. So I haven't taken any SAT yet. But without studying I got 1910 (CR 550, Math 800, Writing 560) from a prep test. I believe that I could get a total of 2200 in november.</p>

<p>Anyway, I am in one of the best high schools of Turkey that you get into with a national exam and I was 133rd over 800,000 in 2007, the last one who got into was around 900.
My school gives both Turkish and French Baccalaureate and my GPA is 4.8/5.0 .
As my mother language is Turkish, I know French as well as Turkish and my English is good enough. I know also Italian and Latin as a beginner. </p>

<p>My extra-curriculars are kind of sufficient.</p>

<p>-President of the Model UN club in French and I also participated to a mun in English
-Founder and captain of school's rugby team,
-Exchange year in Montreal/Canada where I went to a secondary school and I was playing sax at the school band.
-Drama Club (2 years)
-Tango (6 years)
-I wrote for school paper a first page new, and one of my stories was published in a book.</p>

<p>Awards:
-Two times 2nd place in an international math competition (Math Kangaroo) held in France.
-Science Award from my school as the most successful student in science competitions in 2009.
-3rd place in an engineering competition
-MUN best speaker
-Rugby Team 3rd in Turkey.
-A certificate of participation to an international conference about Internet Security held by European Union in Spain.
-2nd place in my district in a knowledge contest about European Union</p>

<p>So I want to apply for colleges in states but it is absolutely important that I HAVE TO GET A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY IN USA. Please help me and inform me about the colleges in which I could be accepted and which could give me a full scholarship. </p>

<p>After my researches I found that these ones are need-blind for international students.</p>

<p>Amherst College
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
MIT
Princeton University
Yale University </p>

<p>What are my chances to be accepted by one of these colleges and what should I do (a much higher SAT, work or community work) in order to be accepted?</p>

<p>Thank you very much for helping me guys.</p>

2

<p>I think you’re going to have to take an exam to prove your proficiency in English. I’m not sure what the name of it is though.
Those schools would be high reaches if you were applying as a citizen, as international the chances are even lower. If you do get a 2200 SAT your chances will be pretty good.
You need 2 SAT II to meet the requirements for Yale, Harvard, and I think Dartmouth. If you intend on being an engineer or science student I think your required to have Math 1 or 2 and either Chem or physics.
Aid at Harvard and Yale is need based only so they may or may not give you a full ride since they don’t do scholarships for merit. (this might be the same for the other schools on your list also)
You should look into some smaller schools too as safeties, you’re a very completive applicant, but as an international you are going to be competing against a lot of very competitive applicants.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, I will take TOEFL in one month. Then in october i am thinking of taking French and Math 2 subject tests. (By the way I will study probably economics.) Do you think that I must do some volunteer work to increase my chances? And finally, which smaller schools do u propose as safeties, I have no idea about 'em.</p>

4

<p>Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with smaller US colleges that are need blind for international applicants sorry ):
It probably wouldn’t make a difference because it won’t show a meaningful commitment if it’s at the beginning of your senior year which is what those schools look for.</p>

5

<p>If you have not already done so, you need to read absolutely everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then you need to make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to you. There are two in Turkey [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Turkey]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Turkey) The counselors there are expert at helping students from your country find good places to study in the US. They will be able to tell you where students like yourself have been admitted in recent years, and whether or not they received sufficient financial aid.</p>