Choosing US schools

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hi everyone!</p>

<p>I am a Kazakhstani female high school student, currently in my sophomore year (9th grade out of 11 in my country). Currently I am 13 years old. My birthday is April 13th. </p>

<p>I haven't taken the SAT yet, but I'm planning to take it in spring or summer.</p>

<p>Also, I want to take Maths Level 2, Biology and Physics subject tests.
On practice tests, I score 750+ on Maths, and 650+ on Biology and Physics. I am trying to improve my scores.</p>

<p>I haven't taken TOEFL yet, but I expect getting 100+ on TOEFL iBT.</p>

<p>My ECs are swimming, volunteering and also I have finished Music School in my country with a 4.0 GPA (my major was kobyz, Kazakh national instrument) .</p>

<p>I have got some awards on International Music Contests in Dubai, Finland and Switzerland (1st places), and also awards on some maths olympiads.</p>

<p>I do need financial aid, because my family's income is > $60,000, and my parents are not able to pay for my college since we have 4 children in our family. I am the eldest.
Now I have 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>I haven't decided on my major yet, but most likely I will major in Biomedical Engineering.</p>

<p>I'm not restricted geographically, but I have a hay-fever in Kazakhstan, not sure about the US.</p>

<p>My questions are:
Is it possible for me to enter a college without my high school diploma?
Is it possible for me to get admitted to an Ivy League College?
How to improve my SAT I and Subject Test scores?
What summer programs can you advise me to take? (to make my application stronger)
Maybe there are some US Schools you advise me to apply to?</p>

<p>Thank you in advance for sparing your time!</p>

2

<p>You need to find (buy?) a guide among those: Fiske Guide to the colleges; INsider’s Guide; or Princeton Review’s best colleges. Read them carefully and decide what you like.
I think it’s premature to select a major. Just read and look for schools where you’d like to go.
If your country gives the high school diploma after grade 11, then has 2 years of “school” that aren’t universities, you may be required to spend a year in an American high school (especially since you’re quite young) but if your diploma is considered equivalent to 12 years of American high school you’ll be fine. You’ll have to ask university per university and college per college, once you ahve a better idea about the ones you like.</p>

<p>To improve your SATI and Subject scores, the only possibility is to practice. Use Number2.com, a free computer system that targets your weaknesses.</p>

<p>Ivy leauge: you can certainly apply. You have a competitive profile so far but so do thousands of candidates. But you’ll never know if you don’t try. :)</p>