<p>Hi.
I'm from Poland and I was thinking about studying in USA. I was thinking about Ivy League, because only this universities in USA are both need-blind and full-need for international students, and I'm not able to pay any fee that's even like 20000 or 30000 dolars.
I'm an illustrator, I've got strong portfolio and I think I'm really good in what I'm doing. I also speak german, I'm intrested in politics and history.
I know I can prepare really good for SATs, still I'm not sure if I've got any chance to get into Yale or Princeton because of my grades. Basically, in Poland and many other europeian countries grades doesn't really count - what counts are exams like matura (exam after high school in Poland), or some other, depending on country. What's worrying me is that my grades are really not good. I wasn't focusing on them, because I didn't need it - well, I still don't if I'm going to some europeian university.</p>
<p>So, my question is - do you think I've got chances to be accepted to Ivy, or I'm just gonna waste (well, not really waste, but I could use it for something else) my time - and money - preparing to SATs and TOEFL?</p>
<p>How good of an illustrator are you? Do you have the potential to do world-class work? Can you ‘prove’ your talents and accomplishments to someone who cannot tell apart good art from great art? (awards, jobs, a blog with millions of hits, anything?)</p>
<p>Here’s how I heard that Princeton does admissions. Each applicant gets assigned two numbers, reflecting their accomplishments in academics and extra-curricular activities. 4 stands for an international distinction, 3 for national, 2 for regional, 1 for local. A 4 in one area makes an applicant a strong candidate for admission. Most of their admits are 3+2s, but not every 3+2 rated applicant gets admitted. </p>
<p>I suspect that less-than-stellar grades will keep you out of selective US colleges unless you have some amazing accomplishment in another area to make up for it.</p>
<p>I’m very good, and I think I have potential to do world-class work, yet I’m still learning and improving my skills. I don’t have any awards, but I had 3-months practice in a big company as illustrator/animator. Well, I didn’t think about that before, but I really like the idea of making a blog with my works, I think that could be something!</p>
<p>There’s one thing I forgot to mention - I don’t do sports or volunteer work, and as far as I know, these things are really helpful when applying to Ivy.
Still, I was hoping that my whole drawing/illustrating-thing would do.
I’m pretty confused, I have to say.</p>
<p>But the Ivies are keen on well rounded people things you should consider and work on are:
• Class rank
• Recommendations
• Test scores
• Extracurricular activities (sport and culture)
• Talent/ability
• Character/personal qualities
• Alumni relation
• Residence
• Religious affiliation/commitment
• Volunteer work
• Work experience</p>
<p>Use this as a guide line.
But you’re going to have to (very urgently) start working on these things if you still want any shot.</p>
<p>Well, as I said, I’ve got work experience, great potfolio and will have at least very good SAT score if I decide to try. I’m aware that I also need great recommendations, fantastic essay and, of course, I have to be specific person. I believe there’s not gonna be any problem with that.
Still, I won’t have any volounteer work done or good grades - it’s a little bit to late for that.
I’ll be trying to get to Oxbridge and I know I’ve got waaay better chances to get there than to Ivy. Still, I’d like to try, but again - I just don’t wanna waste my time preparing for SATs and everything, if I don’t really have any chance to get into Ivy. Of course I know it’s always a lottery, but…</p>
<p>I’ve recently heard a lot about having to have one particular spike that comes through your application in order to get into an Ivy League university. I am currently studying at a School in South Africa and am in grade 10. My average here is 90% (which on the American system converts to about 96.5%). I am in my schools orchestra, A choir, wind band, flute ensemble and a capella singing group (all of which have an application progress). By the time I leave school I will have a diploma on the piano, grade 8 on flute and grade 8 on organ. I recently attended the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Brisbane, Australia - and placed 3rd overall for persuasive speaking, placing 28th for all events combined out of 108 participants. I am the president of my schools Public Speaking society, have nationals colors for Public Speaking and debating. I am the vice-president of an academic group called historical bench, the president of my schools Global Issues Network and on my schools debate team. I did IGCSE exams in secret, as I felt they were a better syllabus, when I was 15 years old. I got 100% for physics and 97% for english. All of my other results were A’s. I did this by waking up at 5AM for days a week to teach myself the work using textbooks I bought with my birthday money. I am the president of a charity organisation called M4K which partners with a disadvantaged-youth care home by donating money, clothing, textbooks, easter eggs, christmas presents, old toys… Anything that can be used to brighten the lives of the children within them. I am a member of Equal Education, which strives for the right to education in South Africa and for the next 3 years will be in charge of organizing live entertainment and sponsorship for a charity run that raises about R80 000 for various charities every year (about $16 000). I captained my sports team for 6 years, untill I had to swap to social squash and surfing due to weak knees. I participate in music and art eisteddfods on a regular basis. I have never got less than a diploma for a work I have submitted or performed. I take Maths, Science, Biology, History, Music, English, Afrikaans (2nd language), Life Orientation and AP Maths (my school only offers one advanced placement course and I am currently getting 97% for it - which would be a 5 on the American system) I am the major scholarship holder at my school. Top 5 national public speakers. I am currently co-authoring and creating an investigation into shack fires in Africa which includes distributing home-made fire extinguishers to people living in shacks and several other initiatives for keeping them safe. I will attend the World Individual and Debating Championships another 2 times, am hoping to tour Greece next year with my a Capella group and attend my country’s national science expo. I have received distinction honors from my school 3 times, and about 15 other honors awards such as ties, badges and colors. The way things are now, I should graduate (in terms of academics) in the top 0.00005% of all grade 12’s in South Africa. I am still too young to campaign for a leadership position in my school, though I am already the president of several societies and movements and play a big part in organizing events within my school house (like the houses in Harry Potter) I am also in the process of creating an organization which raises fund for AIDS orphans. I write articles for a national magazine called Simply Green (which looks at how you can green your lifestyle) and have been featured in several local newspapers for achievements in music and speech. I am also in charge of my school’s environmental affairs portfolio. So there’s all this and a couple other small things, but as far as I can see, I don’t have one ‘spike’ or a really compelling story. I’m passionate about everything I do. There’s nothing in my day to day activities that I don’t enjoy. I come from a divorced background within which both of my parents have psychological disorders and had to fight to stay at the school I loved as my father refused to pay for it (so I got a scholarship) but still it seems that I don’t have that one big thing. And I’m an international student who would need to get a full financial aid package to one of the big universities. Plus I can’t exactly go for campus visits or have an interview. One thing is that I plan to write my SAT’s next year. I’ve bought the book and am reading through it in my free time. But other than that I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have any advice they could give me? And an opinion on what my chances are? Thanks so much, and sorry for the really long message!</p>
<p>“I’ll be trying to get to Oxbridge and I know I’ve got waaay better chances to get there than to Ivy”</p>
<p>Have no idea why you think that you would have " waaay better chances", and smooth sailing into either Oxford or Cambridge, but this is most certainly not the case. As an EU student, you would pay Home fees in Oxbridge, thatt’s true, but as the fees just increased, that still means about 9000 pounds per a year, plus living expenses. And you will not receive any financial aid from the university.</p>
<p>I’m also pretty much sceptical that only Ivy league institutions would cover all expenses for international students, including the fees as well. Actually, this sounds like quite an absurdity; if you want to go to an Ivy league (or the like) institution, then say that
Have to add, however, that I have never heard about anyone who seriously considered going into either an Ivy League institution or Oxbridge, who did not have perfect grades…</p>
<p>This is actually correct. Oxbridge admissions are based primarily on academic ability. You have a very good chance of getting in, provided you satisfy the academic pre-requisites. The Ivy+Plus schools are much more random, and can afford to be more selective.</p>
<p>Oxbridge gets 10 fully qualified applicants for every place on average.
It isn’t easier or harder to get into than Ivy league.
If you think Oxbridge is all academics then you’re wrong.Everyone will literally have 5+ A* GCSE and 3/4 A GCSE.</p>
<p>I haven’t had time to read the other posts - and I’m sure they’ve got valuable info, but I have just one note: these schools have people international students can contact with any questions. I would definitely call the schools themselves and see what they’re looking for, as well as look on their websites</p>
<p>It is not. Having great academic background did not even ensure to get into an interview, but, of course, one will have a certain chance to get into an interview if possessing fantastic grades (although every year, there are thousands of rejected applications with absolutely satisfying grades). But, once on the interview and the test(s), you have to prove your abilities, and not your grades. The Oxbridge admission rate is higher than the Ivy League average, but it’s simply because two things: first, one cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford at the same time, which splits the applicant pool into two, and secondly, people can only apply to 5 UK universities, therefore if somebody is not sure that he/she have a decent change to get to either Oxford or Cambridge, he or she will not apply, just to risk of loosing a valuable university application place.</p>
<p>As I argued elsewhere, for graduate studies, the US universities are possessed with test scores and such, not the UK ones. Maybe at an undergrad level it differs heavily, but at least in a grad level, in the US, nearly nobody cares with your extracurricular stuff, just your GRE scores.</p>
