<p>**are the expectations kinda different from american applicants??</p>
<p>okay im considered a southeast asian international student.
I have a great SAT score (2300+) but kinda average gpa... (but with fairly rigorous courses)
I do have several ECs (focused kinda on engineering/math)</p>
<p>But how and what do they expect from an international applicant??</p>
<p>My opinion:</p>
<p>They may be more tolerant on international students’ SAT scores. Many students do not have great SAT scores because their first languages are not English. A relatively low SAT score does not mean they are not good students. Most colleges take that into consideration. But I really don’t know the policy for Rice.</p>
<p>So, for international students currently in the U.S, high school GPA is very important, because GPA can prove your skills in academics. For those international students who do not have great test scores (For Rice, is about 2000-ish), a high GPA can give them a huge boost in their applications. Since you have a 2300+, you should be fine. But you still need to maintain your GPA as high as possible.</p>
<p>These are my personal opinions. Maybe Rice reviews international students exactly as domestic students; only the admission officers knows.</p>
<p>Rice views each students GPA as a function of their school, courseload, rank etc etc. be it domestic or international. Just because you have a 3.0 GPA it doesn’t make your grades automatically worse than someone with a 4.0 elsewhere. </p>
<p>If your courseload was rigorous and your rank is very good, make sure your guidance counselor (or whoever is filling out that portion of your application) explains your courseload and grading. </p>
<p>I am a US citizen, but lived abroad for several years. I finished second in my class with a not-spectacular GPA. My GC sent my transcripts that included the class average and explained that the raw score isn’t impressive at first glance, but they simply do not hand out good grades. Didn’t stop me from getting in as my SAT score + rank helped demonstrate that the grade was good, just on a different scale.</p>