<p>Hi,
I applied to 20 US colleges for admission for class of 2017. Unfortunately I was accepted by 3 and rejected by the rest. I can not attend the universities which accepted me because they didn't gave be adequate financial aid.
Here are my stats:
2 A<em>, 3A, 3Bs in O-Level
4.0 GPA
3A</em> Predicted A-Level
27 in ACT
I think the main reason behind my rejections was my low ACT scores (1 month prep) and my essays (1 week).
Now the thing is I have applied to LUMS, I am applying to NUST, GIKI and UET. But I have a strong belief that I can work all summer on preparation for the SAT and improve my score and write better supplement essays as I would now have considerable more time than before. So do you think I should take a GAP year or should I apply to universities in Pakistan.</p>
<p>Hi, Ali.</p>
<p>I didn’t apply to any college when I was in the last year of high school, so I had to take a gap year. I applied to 11 colleges in the US and to NYUAD and Yale-NUS and unfortunately, I couldn’t get in anywhere. My stats were as follows:</p>
<p>O’ Level: 9A<em>s, 1A and a B.
GPA: 3.83, perhaps.
A’ Level Grades: 4A</em>s and an A.
SAT: 2210 Superscore for Ivy Leagues and 2170 Superscore for LACs (I had a 660 in Critical Reading and a 760 and 800 accounted for the difference in the scores).</p>
<p>I think the primary reason I was denied admissions was because of my CR score and essays. The essays could have been genuinely better. </p>
<p>If time is on your side, then taking a gap year wouldn’t hurt by all means. I know a couple of students who were either denied admissions in the last year of high school or couldn’t attend a school in the US and they got in somewhere after taking a gap year. I, on the other hand, failed to get in anywhere, even though it was my first time applying to any college, for that matter.</p>
<p>Plus, you should also take into consideration that it is much more difficult to get in on financial aid as an international transfer student. </p>
<p>I wish I had the option of applying as a freshman year student once again, but I guess that’s not a viable and a feasible option.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply junaid123. I am really sorry for you I hope you get more success for Graduate studies in US. Best of Luck. BTW what are your plans now?</p>
<p>I’ll be heading off to either LUMS, Georgetown Qatar or NUS. I hope I get into NUS. 
I will most probably be applying as a transfer student next year as well.</p>
<p>Well good luck Junaid.</p>
<p>@alisiddique94 I think gap year is not a good idea. Many of my friends took a gap year by thinking they will get in Ivys or a top LAC but in the end they got in nowhere. US colleges are very bizzare when it comes to admission decisions. If you can wait one more year then you may give it a try otherwise LUMS, UET, PIEAS,GIKI and NUST are amazing options.
@Junaid123 I disagree with you over this SAT issue. I had 630 in my SAT writing, 770 Math and 550 in Critical Reasoning but still i have 7 wait-lists (Middlebury, Bates, Colby, Gettysburg, Franklin and Marshall, St. Olaf and Connecticut) and only a single acceptance (Hamilton college with 60k aid). I think i was too lucky to got in. SATs are not much important as students think. although i completely agree you with this essay issue. My essays and supplements were good ( Thats what my counselor said) and i think they boosted my profile.</p>
<p>@ahtesham,</p>
<p>I got outrightly rejected from all the colleges I applied to. Yes, you’re right. The SATs aren’t that big an issue, but the whole college admissiosn process is a crapshoot. </p>
<p>I think my average ECs and essays compromised the integrity of my application. Oh, well, I can never be sure what the ad-coms made out of my essays etc.</p>
<p>^Exactly! But still we learned alot in our college admission process and i am sure it would be very helpful while we were applying for Masters studies ;)</p>
<p>Hi Ali, I’m actually not in favour of taking a gap year. The chances of getting accepted then are pretty tough because US unis want to know why you took a gap year and what you did during it. I also applied abroad and didn’t get enough financial aid so I’m also hoping to get into LUMS. After that, I’ll try again for my Masters abroad. There are a ton of scholarships for Masters and in a way it’s more predictable what the admissions officers will want from you.
Good luck :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys I think I will apply to NUST and UET and enroll this year and apply as a transfer to US next year.</p>
<p>transfers dont usually get financial aid…masters on the other hand do…</p>
<p>Goodluck Junaid. I think your SAT was awesome.</p>
<p>I’m on a gap year too. For me, the only thing that’s harming my app is my finals transcript… (There were health problems, etc) Otherwise, all other transcripts are good, EC’s are good, Recs are hopefully going to be good. I think what a lot of people don’t understand is that especially for top universities, it’s not just your transcripts or standardized tests. It’s got a lot to do with having really stellar EC’s, showing passion and commitment and basically standing out from the crowd…
Good luck everyone.</p>