Hey guys,
I am currently in year 11 in Melbourne, Australia and I stumbled upon this great site after researching about the SATs. Since I am an international student I was wondering if top colleges (Ivy league, Georgetown) in the US care about what subjects I chose in high school. I have talked with a SAT consultant in Melbourne and they said top universities in the US look for students who choose well-rounded subjects spanning from sciences to humanities.
Currently the six subjects I have chosen for my last two years of school are: Economics, English, Maths Calculus, Politics, Geography and French. I was advised to swap geography for biology instead because it is a science related subject. However I absolutely detest science subjects but if it is necessary to maximise my chances for a US college I would do so.
Do you think these subjects are too humanities based and might harm my chances of a successful application?
Sorry if this post is in the wrong section I needed to make a decision before school starts in about 5 days.
Thanks in advance
Most colleges want to see three sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and highly recommend a fourth AP science.
Requirements depend on the college but recommendations vary in the 3-4 year range. Generally colleges want to see that you’ve done 4 years of English, 4 years of social studies, 3-4 years of a single foreign language, and 4 years of math (with at least both algebras under your belt and a geometry. Precalc and calc recommended).
How many sciences do you have now? If this is your first time you would take biology, I highly recommend switching out Geography.
While internationals are not generally evaluated in the same way that US students are, most US students are expected to have completed a year of bio, chem and physics. These usually aren’t ‘required’ but strongly recommended, which means if you don’t have it, you need to be very attractive in some compensating way. Its just easier to take the bio.
Curious as to why you would want to pay US tuition when you can attend Aussie schools for next to nothing. Or just do a year abroad here. Or you could come over for grad school - which is free at the Phd level.
Thanks to both of you for the replies
Regarding my subjects I have done sciences (chemistry, physics, biology) for the past 4 years. From year 7 (13 year old) till year 10 (16 year old). In Australia it’s sorta different because prior to your two final years of schooling, when you study science it covers all aspects. However I am worried because even though I’ve done 4 years of sciences it wasn’t technically in ‘high school’. In Australia from year 7 till year 12 (13-18 years old) is classed as ‘high school’ but from my understanding its different in the US as you have middle school and high school.
The reason that I want to study abroad on in the US is because I just wanted a change of atmosphere. I didn’t want to be like every other Aussie kid and just have their whole schooling life in the same place. I want to explore the world and be away from my parents as I reach adulthood. However Australia has a very good educational system and even though I wanted to study abroad, I wouldn’t have settled for anything subpar to Australia’s universities. The only logical choices I had left were either England or the US and I’ve been researching about both pathways.
They should understand the differences in the system since you are an international and (I don’t know the policies of adcoms towards internationals so don’t quote me on this) won’t hold it against you.