Okay so i’m currently a junior in high school. My weighted GPA is a 4.5 i believe. My most recent semester grades are as follows:
AP Biology - A
AP Psychology - B 
Hon. English 11 - A
Hon. Government -A
Pre- Calc -A
and i added Hon Health to this semester which will probably be an A
I just took my SAT and i’m taking my ACT in two weeks. I don’t know either score yet.
Varsity Soccer, Varisty track
Club President of - Black Student Alliance, International Student Alliance, Political Activists, Furture Buiness Leaders
Some awards here and there, nothing serious
I plan on doing Model UN and Science Honors Society
But here’s the catch,
My sophomore year i spent my entire time living and schooling in Lagos Nigeria. I did not do it through one of those expensive Study Abroad programs. I literally got dropped off in a boarding school on the outskirts of the biggest city in Africa by myself. I experienced things such as
harsh discipline (getting caned/flogged for minor acts),
extreme pollution (smog, exhaust from many oil companies, trash burning, etc.),
terrible diseases ( typhoid, malaria, small pox, lacer fever, etc.),
strict education ( 10 hour school days),
wild animals/ insects ( i was bitten by stray dogs, cockroaches in my bed, rats in my room),
very little electricity (there was no electricity from the time we went to bed and when we woke up, extremely hot nights),
limited running water (there was no warm running water to shower with and the shower water was not drinkable, i had to trek
to get clean water sometimes, no electronics (even if there was internet which there wasnt, electronics were not allowed,
terrorism: My schools was actually threatened by Boko Haram and we had to up security
even “witch craft”: my teachers would curse students and weird stuff like that, messed up I know
and a totally different lifestyle all together
etc- there’s a lot more, i could go on forever
However, i did make friends, better my study habits, better my soccer skills haha and so much more. The fruits from such an experience are countless. I still have very good friends there and i really miss my roommates who helped me so much.
The reason i did this is because my parents are from Nigeria and are very successful (Mom is a Harvard Med School Grad, current surgeon and Dad is a business man/ owner with Phd)
I’m from a very competitive family, almost all my cousins older than me have gone to schools such as Vanderbilt, Princeton, Duke, Columbia, Harvard, etc.
The school I go to is the top school in my state. People always say that my chances of getting into colleges is better because i’m from a wealthy African family and I have international perspective.
My ideal goal is to get an MBA International Business (If that even makes sense) and a degree in Environmental Sciences and or Sustainability. The reason being so is because I want to go back to Nigeria and help my country. It is so sad that a country with such abundant resources is so corrupt, poor, polluted etc. The first few weeks there, i was legitimately sick from the smog in the air. Being surrounded by oil giants like Exxon really made me think. I want to increase the use of Renewable Energy in Nigeria, and help people there. I doubt oil will run out there but people should not continue living like that. Nigeria just has so many problems. I am very determined to bring sustainability to NIgeria and the rest of Africa. That’s why International business and environmental sciences fit me 
I know this all just sounds like bragging but i’m trying to be as descriptive as possible.
Let’s say i get at least a 2000 on the SAT and/or a 30 on the ACT
Do you think i have a chance at any of the following schools? Consider the fact that i’m an URM that can (probably) pay most of tuition. The reason i’d like to attend such high end schools is that it increases my chances of success. Trust me, I know how to study hard (I learned that from fellow students in a developing country, we were forced to study for at least 4 hours a day). I’m used to hard work. I’m ambitious. I’m also the first child with 3 younger siblings behind me. I must lead them towards the right direction. It is my duty as the first son to show the way for them.
Brown University
UPenn
UC Berkeley
Harvard U
Carnegie Mellon
Columbia
Boston College
UMD
Penn State
UCLA
Stanford? Yale?
NYU
I understand these are pretty much all reach schools. I am also looking into schools outside the US. Please give suggestions if you have any! I am very open to all opinions.
Thanks
