<p>First of all, I don’t think your ECs are at all bad, especially given that you’ve only been here in the US for the last year. A very good essay talking about your experience moving from a foreign country and trying to assimilate would be a big help. </p>
<p>The problem, as you know, is your SAT score, particularly the Reading/Writing score. The schools on our list are very competitive; they only accept students who they believe have a reasonable chance of succeeding at their schools. Without a strong command of English, you are going to be at a great disadvantage. </p>
<p>It’s possible that standardized tests don’t show your true command of English. You need to demonstrate to colleges, probably through interviewing or additional (TOEFL) testing, that you can handle the reading and writing workload that will be expected of you. </p>
<p>Even with demonstrating a command of English all of the schools on your list are reaches. Your scores are at the 25th percentile for UC-Berkeley and BU, which makes acceptances there possible, but not necessarily likely.</p>
<p>Try to find English reading/writing help at a local community college or adult education center. I think you have an interesting profile, if you can address the language hurdle.</p>
<p>Good Luck.</p>