Hi (sorry for my english),
I am an Portuguese(Portugal) student currently at high school…
And here is my story…
In my first high school year, i got a 12/20 score, because i had alot problems of health, personal problems and diagnosed with asperger that took me down and that made me get that bad score in my first year…
Currently im on the secound year of high school and i have a 18.6/20 score, the problems are not gone but now i can deal with them.
I have a huge love with Maths, philosophy, economics, political science, computer science and history.
Does still have some chance to make my dream come true?
ECs:
Currently in entrepreneurship and statistics competitions (here in Portugal.
One of the representatives of the Portuguese youth in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic.
President of a youth party(politcs) in my city.
President of a discussion group on economics in my school.
Write a personal blog about politics.
bodybuilding, diet 24/7
what i should do more? I love to learn and teach other people!
@seraquesim:
Yes you have a chance, though no one is able to tell you what that chance is. Many each year with top academic profiles do not get accepted, and yet, many with less than perfect profiles do get accepted.
If you know why you want to apply to MIT, then do consider applying. But make sure you’re realistic about the probability of getting accepted.
Read through the MIT admission’s blogs and through this CC site for posts by MITChris.
And make sure you have the applications to all your “Plan B” schools in top shape.
There are plenty of top engineering/science schools. You can be very successful at many of them. It does not have to be MIT.
I think that your chances at Harvard are very small. However, the chances of getting in Harvard are slim for almost everyone. Depending upon how the next two years go you might or might not apply to Harvard, but you definitely should think seriously about other options.
McGill (in Montreal) does not consider freshman year scores from high school. I have heard that the same may be true for most (or maybe all) other universities in Canada, and for the University of California schools.
Harvard is my first choice and I don’t intend to give up, and for that I’m willing to give all of me …
What I need is some help to optimize my chances of getting in, considering my first high school year …
So any help is welcome!
Thank you very much!
Ok, you sound so much like me, I had to write something.
Hey, I’m also an international student from France who has applied to universities this year.
I know your position, the person who wants to go to Harvard above all, and will do anything that might get him there. STORY TIME: I applied to Harvard SCEA (as I suppose you would too) and got deferred. My dreams were crushed, sadness etc. I got rejected from Harvard in March. From Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Upenn, Duke, Amherst and other great schools too. I’m now enrolled at UMN, which is still a good school.
Are you applying to Harvard to get recognition in your home country? To be able to brag to your classmates or to your family? I sure did. I had no clue what Harvard offered, but I went for it. I applied to Ivy schools because they were IVIES, not because they had what I wanted. Alas, that’s what happens when your school counselor isn’t used to American schools. If I could do it all again, I would apply ED to either Penn or Vandy, but I was blinded by Harvard’s image.
What I’m trying to say is, look into more US schools, other than Harvard. Sure, Harvard is great and all, but other schools can offer you tons of stuff as well. Plus, as @DadTwoGirls said, everybody’s chances at Harvard are small. Admissions for international students are tougher (from what I heard) and also impossible to predict. Find a school that you TRULY like, and apply ED there. Put Harvard on the list of schools where you want to apply, but only as a lottery ticket, not as a school in which you put all your hope. If you get in, great. If you don’t, you’re like the other 95% or more applicants who were also very qualified but who got rejected, so no worries.
@Theoddorre thanks for sharing your story!!
I know there are alot of others universities that i can apply, but, i will not give up and relax, Harvard has been a dream for me for a long time and thats why i’m asking for ways to optimize my application for Harvard (@DadTwoGirls), but i will for sure apply to other many universities!
I got some time to give 200% of me, and that’s what i’m gonna do! Just need some help
You posted the same information in the Harvard thread and all the information posted in the Harvard thread holds true for Stanford. It is great that you have the dream to aim high, but you also need to be realistic. Apply to those “dream schools” but have some good backup schools also on your list. With a 4.5% acceptance rate, all these dream schools are most likely just a dream.
Hi @Gumbymom,
I know it’s hard to get into the “dream universities”, but, since i have a chance, i will keep trying …
My first high school year was just bad for reasons that i already mentioned…
I know i need to be more realistic, but, i will keep dreaming and give my best…
Thanks for your comment! Can you give me some tips/help to otimize my chances? Thanks!
These top schools (Harvard, Stanford, etc.) look for students who are not only bright (intellectually gifted) but also a force for good in their community; they look for those intangible character qualities that make them want to have you on campus. These qualities are demonstrated through interviews, letters of recommendation and your essays.
One thing you could certainly work on is your english writing skills (and presumably speaking skills as well). Many schools require the TOEFL for internationals, and that is the first hurdle to proving you can handle the academic workload.
I’m actually working hard on my english skills, and this year i will be in Oxford for 2 weeks and i hope improve my speaking skills
I try to be the best i can for my community, when it comes to knowledge, because i love to teach and discuss about alot of themes.
I also represent a huge number of young people in Assembly of the Portuguese Republic!
As an international, your first hurdle is getting a good TOEFEL score, a good SAT/ACT score, and a solid GPA (so hopefully that Oxford program will help with that).
Is anything national (not sure if the Assembly thing is a national thing)? Country-wide recognition would help your application to these super-reachy schools, as they look for people who are super high achievers (just from the trends I’ve seen).
Yes @yonceonhismouth Assembly is a nation thing, i’m going to try to explain better than i can…
basically i’m one of the representatives in the Portuguese Congress (Portuguese Congress == United States Congress) of the young people in portugal.(<18 years old)
Every year some students all over the country are choosen to represent the young people in Portuguese congress) and it was my first time that i apply for this “program”, and, i was chosen from around 300 students.
