Here we go:
I am a Russian student that wants to attend a university in the states.
GPA: (School doesn’t give them)
Class Rank: (school doesn’t rank)
Act 25C: 23E, 26M, 25R, 27S
(I’m going to take it again in September. Previously I got a score of 22C)
(junior and senior year)
IB: HL subjects: Mathematics, Biology Chemistry; SL: English, Spanish, Business Management (considered to be hard in my school)
EC’s:
President and coach of 2 basketball teams in school. (Yet we don’t compete because the school won’t allow us);
Personal fitness for a year already (sums up to 5-6 hours a week);
Introduced and currently run houses (teams) in school for sports and competition (don’t know if that counts for service);
Writer for student-run newspaper;
Conduct personal research in fitness;
Weakness: I have no community service, but that is because it practically doesn’t exist in Moscow. Don’t have many opportunities to compete in expositions like Intel or Siemons competitions.
I’m trying to apply to: Texas A&M, Texas at Austin, Texas at Dallas, University of Washington, University of Tulsa, University of Michigan, Rice University, Stanford, Cornell
I want to go for either Biotech, Biochem, or Computer Science
Your ACT score is very low for the schools you have listed. It’s not impossible but I don’t think you would get in to any of them based on the info given. Also can you afford these schools?
Fellow Russian student here (currently an uprising junior in a US college). Many (non-top tier) American colleges will have slightly lower expectations for international applicants, if those applicants are willing to pay >$60k/year. They also will know that in certain countries there are fewer opportunities for extracurriculars and community service. That being said, that 25 score is definitely waaaay too low for your schools. Also I wouldn’t say that it’s so hard to find opportunities for volunteering in Moscow (I did it prior to coming to the US).
Your ECs don’t have anything in common with your intended majors. You should try to get involved with something related to them - like a CS or Biology Olympiad or something. Work on creating a narrative that would explain how you are suited for the major you are applying to.
Also without your GPA it’s hard to estimate your chances. Even though your school doesn’t disclose it, I’m guessing you still can calculate it yourself to give us better understanding of your chances?
I have an US Citizenship and will be applying as a US citizen. I attend the British International School of Moscow. I haven’t been taught any subject besides russian, in russian, so the olympiad is going to be very hard for me. I’ve been trying to figure out how to convert IB points into GPA, but so far I’ve tried different methods and have been getting varied results and they don’t show any pattern 
@GottaPutInWork
“going to apply for financial aid…”
What exactly does that mean? Are you super low income and think you might qualify for need based aid? Or are you higher income and your parents can pay $$ but they would welcome some $$? You need to get an exact budget from your parents on what they can pay per year. UT is going to be about $40,000 for a non-resident and A&M will not be too far behind at $35,000-40,000 per year.
I am not an expert on financial aid for international students but both Texas A&M and UT Austin are known to even Texas residents (who have paid taxes into the Texas university system for years) as NOT being generous with financial aid. A lot of Texans are in the boat where their parents make too much $$ to qualify for financial aid (except for loans) and they simply cannot afford these schools. UT Austin is not known at ALL to be generous with merit or need based aid.
Have you spent some time on those websites and entered your parents income information to determine how much the schools will expect you to pay? Search for the “net price calculator” and find out exactly how much you will need to pay. The NPC will most likely show you how much, if any, financial aid or loans you would receive from those schools. If you get none, can your parents pay $40,000 per year?
There will most likely be limits to how much $$ you can borrow. Your ACT is too low to get scholarship $$ based on merit at A&M. I wouldn’t count on any merit $$ at UT even if you had an ACT of 34.
Your interests seem to be sports and fitness. Are you sure you don’t want to study that somehow?
Assuming the financials would work out better, I would recommend UT Dallas, UT Arlington or UT Tyler. You might get some merit $$ at those schools and some of them have a stronger international community.
UT Arlington has a great Exercise physiology program.
@carachel2
I know how much each university would cost. I can pay for any university, but I will be applying for financial aid.
You will be applying for loans or need based grants?
@carachel2 This situation will be sorted out later. For the time being I am mainly looking at the rest of my application.
Ok, just realize you likely do not qualify for merit based $$.
If your family can pay the $$, you will likely not get any loans or grants either.
So count on zero “financial aid.”
So proceed with your application realizing the “financial aid” part of the equation will not happen at those schools particularly A&M and UT.
@GottaPutinWork: Famous last words for so many applicants “This situation will be sorted out later” or " We will make it work". As @caracehel2 stated, based on your posted stats, you will get no merit aid at the schools on your list. Have you even researched the average stats needed to a competitive applicant for these schools?
Here are some examples: 25th percentile and 75th percentile for ACT
Stanford: 30-35 (You are not even close with your ACT)
Cornell: 30-34
Check the common data set for each school of interest and see where you stand. Then make a realistic list of schools that you will have a chance of attending. No point in applying if these schools are unaffordable and such high reaches, you have the slimmest chances of being accepted. It is a waste of your time and money.
If applying as a STEM major, you want your stats at or above the averages for the best chances especially for CS.
You have to craft your list based on what you can afford.
As an American citizen, you will receive $5,500 in federal loans; if your parents income is below 40k, a small Pell grant (it gets bigger the lower our income or the larger your family.)
If you can afford the universities don’t apply for financial aid, since it puts you at a disadvantage.
Since you live in Russia, won’t be instate anywhere. Look for universities with a relatively Low oos coa.
Have you run the net price calculator on the universities from your list ?
What’s our predicted IB score?
If you did IGSE what subjects and scores did you get?
@Gumbymom I have researched into the ACT score Ranges. I know what the schools require from me. As stated prior, I am currently working on getting my ACT score up. The first time I took the ACT I got a 22 in April. Then I got a 25 in June. I didn’t have a good chance to prep in that time slot. Since then I attended tutoring sessions and am practicing a lot more.
@MYOS1634 I don’t have my predicted scores yet. I will be getting them in October…(but last report I got 30/42 (not counting TOK and EE)
For IGCSE I received:
Russian First Language: B (78)
Spanish Foreign Language A* (91)
ICT A (84)
Biology A (87)
Business studies B (77)
Literature English B (77)
Chemistry A (82)
Mathematics (without coursework) (80)
English first language (oral endorsement) (86)
Your icgse scores are borderline for the Texas universities, uwash, and Tulsa. However your predicted score is way too low (they typically want 34+). Pick two from the bunch for your reaches if you reach a 30 on the act. If a 27-28, keep utd and Tulsa.
Rice, Cornell, Stanford are out of reach regardless of act score.
You need 3-5 matches and 2 safeties.
Look into UMass Amherst, Rowan, Marist, Penn State, Temple, UMinnesota Twin Cities And Morris, Missouri university of science and technology, sjsu.
I’m glad you are practicing. I would say a 30 ACT is your predicted score this fall and probably is the last time you can take it for consideration for merit scholarships. A 30 would make you at least somewhat competitive for those two Texas schools. But even in state kids with 32+ consider those two schools “reaches” for admissions in those subjects.
If you can get a $1000 scholarship from A&M you can get in-state tuition which would probably be welcomed. They do not meet full need though so you will get zero grants. That leaves loans. Hopefully someone here is better versed in the loan situation for international students.
Other than prestige, how did you come up with this list?
I have read that even if you are a US citizen living abroad, some schools will put you in the international pool for admittance (not for fin aid though). Every school has different policies.
For your stats, you do not have a realistic list. Listen to what people are telling you.
Go ahead and Google Common Data Set for each school to compare your stats. Then you will see what everyone is talking about.
You absolutely have to get a precise money figure about what your parents can afford to send you to US schools.
Start asking for some safety and match school suggestions as well as merit possibilities.
Michigan, Rice, Stanford, and Cornell are high reaches - you will need to get your scores up significantly higher to have a chance at these schools.
^ actually with a predicted 30-32 IB score all of the above are out of reach regardless of act score (they want around 38).
Op needs to find universities where a 30-34 IB score is top 75% (as s/he is applying for CS, typically one of the most competitive majors).
Sorry to be a bummer, but you should take Stanford and Cornell off your list, it’ll save you the disappointment. Even recruited athletes with an act score like yours get rejected.