So, I just got done applying to schools and few Ivys (including Harvard and Princeton) and MIT
I have
Stellar ECs with leadership positions, research, volunteering, state awards.
My Subject test scores: 800 Math II, 800 Chemistry, 780 Physics and 720 Biology.
Excellent Common App essays and Supplements (I believe)
Great rec letters (my counselor and 3 other teachers really like me a lot (Physics, History, English)
3.993 Unweighted GPA
10 AP exams so far, 9 of them are 5s or 4s and 1 of them I got a 3. (I took 8 exams as a junior, 4 self-study)
However,
The only thing that I’m worried about are my SAT/ACT scores.
On ACT I got a 34 (35 superscore, 33 English 36 Math 33 Reading 36 Science 10 Essay)
& 2210 super score on the SAT (670 CR, 800 Math, 740 Writing, 10 Essay)
and I’m an ASIAN (NOOOOOO!)
I came to the United States 5 years ago (Permanent Resident), and my parents are divorced, so I live with my mom with very low income (less than 20,000) with my sister.
Do you think the fact that I moved to the United States 5 years ago and my family/income situation will be able to overcome my low CR score on SAT for top-notch Ivy League schools?
Please let me know, because I REALLY want to go to those schools. Please let me know what you think.
I’m Asian with near all A’s and I hate smart Asians like you. LOL jk but your fine, immigrant status might hurt you though. Looks fine though to me, income shouldn’t be a problem if those ivies are as need-blind as they say they are.
I think it might, just MIGHT, dunno how big of a might, probably small one, drag you down. Don’t forget that RD is toughest decision round as it is very very strict.
Academically, you’re viable for every school in the country. But will your rec letters and personal statement make you stand out? That’s the real issue. We have no way of knowing but did you come off as entitled? Unaware? an unlikeable person? Robotic? empassioned? empathetic? intellectual?
These will either distinguish you or put you in the “big” stack (which is a bad thing). And it has nothing to do with your ethnicity, IMHO. Immigrant status WILL NOT HURT YOU: I firmly disgree iwth @matster1006 on this point. I’m Chinese (my parents were immigrants)-- and had lesser stats than you but was very successful (albeit in a less competitve time)-- primarily due to my “story”. You might get into several, you might get into none. That’s how the numbers go. Hopefully, you’ve applied to some other great schools that will aptly reward your achievement and potential. Simply getting an Ivy+ MIT/Stanford accept isn’t all there is. Been there done that.
Good luck and you’ll do fine wherever you matriculate.
I’m wondering about the financial issue, though. We know that getting catapulted into the top tier gets your need met, but what happens if you end up in the second tier?
Eh. . . They’re all crapshoots anyway. I wouldn’t worry too much at this point.
Also, if you are a permanent resident, you are still in with all the other domestic applicants. If anything being an immigrant helps you, as you are slightly more diverse than the majority of the applicant pool.
