Do I stand a chance? confused international...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
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<p>Hey guys, I've read the guide to chancing, and I know this isn't the best of thread, but still as an International, the process of US admissions is pretty intimidating and every advice is really helpful. BTW I'm applying for NEXT YEAR as in batch of 2015!</p>

<p>Nationality: Indian (I know... Asian.)
SAT 1: 2140 (730M 710CR 700W)
SAT 2: Math II: 760
Physics: 740
Chemistry:730
I am studying in a CBSE school, bot did my 9th from US (Minneapolis):
9th: 4.0 Rank 1 in a decently competitive public school.
10th: Got 94(M) 93(Science) 100(comp.) 80(English) 87(Social Studies) 85(Hindi).
11th: Percentage in CBSE school not so great (60%) but took the AP exams independently(self studied) and got:
AP Physics B: 5
AP Chemistry: 4
AP Calc BC: 5
These were the only AP's I could take as AP's are not offered in my school.
12th: Hopefully will get good marks...!</p>

<p>Awards:
School topper in 9th grade! (School)
Subject topper in Comp SCi. (National)
Hindi(language) Merit Certificate (National)
Blue Blazer for academic merit for 3 consecutive years(School)
Merit Certificate, National Informatics Olympiad(National)</p>

<p>Extra Curricular:
10m Air Pistol Shooting: Rank 5 in Delhi State(the capitol of India) in under 18 category.
Silver medal in Uttrakhand (A state in India) States.
National rank 42 but will Improve a lot this year! (I hope)
Animation: I am into 3D animation and have designed animated short films for school and for Non-profits, related to stopping child labor and harms of smoking.
Writing: I have written my own novel, inspired by my experiences in the United States, and it is due for publication next January.
Share trading: Got really inspired to understand the stock market in the time of recession, and to know what the hell a bull and a bear market were, so I started trading in stocks and analysing the market, with a motive to convert $2000 to 5 $10,000 in an year's time and it is going pretty well!!! (but just started out so...)
Still looking for a 5th Activity worth it... but if nothing comes up, I am infolved in MUN(Model United Nations)!</p>

<p>In Non-Scholastic awards, I haven't got much except shooting and some school awards
but I've still got time!
Volunteer Work: Have taught underprivileged children math in a poor neighborhood, but nothing major so far. But am planning to join a new project of the Times foundation.
Recommendations: Physics teacher- Great
English- Amazing
and I think I'll send one in from my shooting coach Jaspal Rana, 2004 commonwealth games and Asian games gold medalist!</p>

<p>Essays: I think I can write pretty well, and I have some amazing experiences from the year I spent in Minneapolis!</p>

<p>Chances for:
MIT
Harvard
Princeton
UC Berkeley
UCLA
Stanford
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
U of Illinois </p>

<p>Thank you all for your time, and really sorry for such a long post!</p>

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<p>xD same situation. but im not asian but from western europe, austria actually ^^
i am an austrian hope-to-be student applying to princeton.
we didnt rank in my school (i finished this yr in june) but ill probably be in top 20% (my grades are really not what i hope to be accepted for…)
i have a lot of extracurricular stuff, work experience in an international dance festival (modern free dance workshop for people with diabilities), sports (national and local championships won in badminton, women´s soccer, snowboarding), but what i am really proud of is my political activity in two clubs, i am member of the boad in both, was responsible for the participation in the organization of a charity music festival for a refugee initiative, many other projects including workshops at schools etc
i am painting, singing and writing. i have spent half a yr in a school in manchester, uk
in school: editor of school´s magazine, advisor for exchange students (after my term in england), student-teacher relationship mediator, organizing different fundraising events in school, etc
i have not yet taken the tests, but on the practice test i scored CR 710, W 780 and M 600
also, ive been told that my essays are really good (talking about my experience in manchester as international who shortly after arrival started an international relations group) and my different expectations and experiences in, after manchester, and now visting princeton.
i have also been auditing lectures here in princeton and did a paper in christian ethics, which the professor really liked.
what else… well i think that is all, oh yh my grades are really not that good, i had a d in maths in my senior yr (do u think that a gud maths score on the sat would make up for that- plus the system in austria is different as hell, u simply cant compare it!)
im sorry, that turned out to be really long, hopefully some1 is nice enough to read it… am i aiming way out of my league?? thanks for every reaction to the post =) clara
oh yh, i forgot: my dad is a professor here, do u think that boosts my chances in any way?</p>

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<p>Hey there INd I applied as an international student last year to Princeton.
Don’t be intimidated and keep hoping :smiley:
However I would have to say that your SAT scores are slightly below average for applicants… and you are also applying from a VERY competitive region. There are so many Indian students applying to ivies that it will be tough for you.
However, that said your shooting awards seem pretty interesting… so maybe that gives you something different to explore.
You may think of adding 1 more safety school to your list (most college counselors advise 2).</p>

<p>Good luck you.</p>

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<p>@ austriangirl: Well ya, the grading system in India is also pretty different from the one in US, but as chaucerspeare pointed out, there are so many people applying from his region, that I think most ivy’s would understand the Indian system. Your extracurriculars seem great, but I don’t know how the grades will affect you… (worried about mine too…). Though I think if you get good enough scores in the SAT’s, u sure do stand a chance, especially if you got bad grades only in one year and showed improvement in the next year. I think your experience at Princeton is a big boost. But as for your dad being a professor there, I don’t have any idea.
Best of Luck with the SAT and admission!
@chaucerspeare: I’m planning to give the SAT’s again, these are the scores from my first try, and I’m practicin tests from the Blue book, PR… etc. before giving the SAT again, so I’m hopin the scores will improve! The safety advice is good, but I don’t have much idea about most US universities, so which safeties do yo recommend?</p>

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<p>thanks iNd that sounds encouraging ^^ ill just keep on practicing those weird maths questions until i DIE…
as for showing improvement, thats kinda the thing, i finishd school in june, so thats a d in my school leaving transript.
but ill do well on the SATs (<em>fingerscrossed</em>) and dont worry about things that are beyond my reach…
what i got from the forums and the people i spoke with, princeton seems to look for extraordinary ppl, well ppl who stick out, right??</p>