Do I stand a chance at getting in to top colleges with good scores/grades but poor ECs?

Applying to College
1

<p>Good scores/grades = 2300+ on SAT, near 800 on three subject tests, 4.0 GPA, rigorous course load</p>

<p>Poor ECs = A few years volunteering (charity shop + animal sanctuary), part time supermarket job, self taught Japanese and Ancient Greek, Air Cadets for 4 years, 2 week engineering internship, running maths club at school for year 7s, maths/science olympiad awards at regional level</p>

<p>I am an international student and am going for an engineering major. Would you say I stand a chance at the likes of UPenn, Cornell, NYU?</p>

<p>Thanks! :)</p>

2

<p>Yep. Your ECs are fine, especially your job! Colleges like to see that sort of thing. Write a good essay.</p>

3

<p>Thanks a lot! I think my essay’s probably gonna be one of the stronger points on my application; I’m just hoping any interviews I get won’t go too badly…</p>

<p>What about places like Stanford or MIT? Would it even be worth applying to them?</p>

4

<p>With your credentials, it’s “worth applying” to any top-tier colleges,but the odds of acceptance are still low - even with seemingly perfect qualifications. Every college will give your application careful consideration; I predict that at least one of them will accept you.</p>