Confused UK student... can you help me (chance)?

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hi there, here's my stats and situation - I've just finished high school.</p>

<p>GCSE (first two years of high school): 8A* 3A grades
AS Level (third year of high school): AAB
A2 Level (fourth year of high school): AAAB (However, my teacher has seen a copy of my exam that scored a B grade and believes that it has been marked incorrectly, so is appealing the grade. If this is not successful, I am going to resit this exam in June 2015 so could potentially gain an A* but this would be after being accepted).</p>

<p>So, apparently this gives me a weighted GPA of 4.07?</p>

<p>SAT 1: scored 2300 (should I resit in November)?</p>

<p>SAT 2: English Literature (800) and French (790)</p>

<p>ECs & work experience: national team winners of History Balloon Debate, advocating that our historical figure should stay in a sinking balloon.</p>

<p>First triathlon in December 2014, hoping to gain a decent time, similar to that of elites (I've been training for a year now, and I would have done this earlier but I'm a late bloomer to sport in general - but I'm expecting a time for olympic distance of 1 hour 50 minutes).</p>

<p>Worked with a celebrity journalist, transcribing her interviews.</p>

<p>Raised £200+ for Cancer Research through a tutor group charity fundraising challenge.</p>

<p>Sat a qualification which required me to write an extended 5000 word essay, with research and an oral presentation to an audience. Gained an 'A' grade.</p>

<p>Just became an aerobics/step instructor, and I also hold a part time job at a restaurant.</p>

<p>2.5 years of helping a blind teacher prepare handouts/computer work/reading her student essays</p>

<p>Please be honest with my chances - I'm by no means rich, so to study in the US I'd need to be accepted by a needs-blind school for internationals (Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Amherst). Thanks so much!</p>

2

<p>With those elite schools that you mentioned, its really hard for anyone to say that “you will probably get in” as even the most competitive students get turned away every year. For international students, the competition is most likely even tougher than US domestic students, due to diversity issues (especially if you are East Asian or Indian). With your ECs, I would say that the resume overall is probably less impressive than a lot of applicants and there is nothing outstanding in your application (unless you manage to compete in triathlon at a high standard). With internationals, unless you have some prestigious international award such as an IMO medal it is really difficult to have a great chance of being accepted, which is true for everyone. All these schools are high reaches judging from what you have given, but please do not be disheartened by my comments as I am by no means an expert and they simply reflect my personal view on the situation. Write outstanding essays and you would have a chance :slight_smile: </p>

3

<p>

I understand that you’ll need financial aid, but why restrict yourself to universities with need-blind admission policies? It might even be easier to get aid at a university with need-aware admission policies than it would be to get into Harvard.</p>

4

<p>What is your class rank with that stats?
You should not need to take the SAT again, but ACT may reveal a better side of you.
You should qualify for scholarships, some times full tuition from many schools, but how much you can afford? If you need full ride scholarships, than that is another level of discussion. You know even with a full tuition scholarship, you may have a out of pocket cost between $12K to $15K</p>

5

<p>We don’t have class rank in the UK, but I’d roughly estimate that I’m in the top 10% of my class. </p>

<p>I thought HYP gave the aid that the applicant needed? The calculator gave me a figure of $12k, does this therefore put me at a disadvantage? </p>

<p>I know it’s really hard to chance with these top schools, I’m just trying to gauge whether it’s worth it, in any sense. </p>

<p>I’m also aware that my ECs won’t be as good as many other students, but the whole truth is that ECs do not mean anything here in the UK - so there are definitely fewer opportunities. The ECs that I do have, have been self-grafted. </p>

<p>Would triathlon fall into this “recruited athlete” scheme that goes on? I’ve pushed 50 minutes in sprint competitions, which is comparable to the elite-level triathletes, who compete internationally. But is just one competition result enough to be considered seriously?</p>

<p>Any other general thoughts?</p>

6

<p>

If you want to go the athletic recruiting route, you’d need to reach out to coaches NOW. Athletic recruiting happens way before regular admissions. </p>

<p>

Yes, the need-blind universities promise to meet the full need of all admitted students, but so do many need-aware universities. The only difference between need-blind and need-aware admission is whether or not the admissions office is aware of your financial aid application when they read your application for admission. </p>

<p>Since the need-aware universities are generally less selective than the need-blind ones, you may have better odds of getting financial aid at a need-aware university. (I personally attended a need-aware liberal arts college with a family contribution of $6K.)</p>

7

<p>There is a big misconception on “need blind”, in that, applicant thought if they got into that school, they will pay nothing and with stipend. Well, that is not always the case. Your family finance will be scrutinized very carefully. For internationals, I am not sure what they ask you to fill out, but in the US, we fill out at least two docs, FAFSA and CSS Profile. In some schools, they require you to fill out a third document which break down your Family finance in more detail. No stone will be left without being turned over. After all these disclosure, the SCHOOL will determined how much aid they will give. In many cases, the aid you get will not be your liking. If the net price calculator says $12K, you might have to expect pay more.</p>

<p>Lets say if your family is really poor, renting a shack and making less than 30K working for McDonals with 3 children going to college at the same time. For that, the need blind school will work very well. However. if your family has a farm or is running a small business with 30K “profit” for tax purposes that is not going to bode well with the schools and your EFC will be recalculated based on the school’s formula.</p>

8

<p>@artloversplus‌
Int kids fill in CSS profile like US citizens do, unless school tell them not to do. For example, U of Chicago
tells Int kids not to fill in CSS profile.</p>

<p>Majority of top universities also require them to fill in Certificate of Finance and/or ISFAA, and they are really pain in the butt. They are a bit more complicated. </p>