<p>@GMTplus7 Yes, that’s true. There’s is no shortage of applicants from Canada (especially Asian ones lol). There’s definitely no shortage of <em>Asian</em> applicants with high test scores either. But I would have to disagree slightly with the second part of your argument and clear up some confusion.</p>
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<li>Why are your parents wasting so much money on you?</li>
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<p>I think it’s important for me to clarify that I don’t have “rich”, or “shady” Asian parents who forced me to apply for American schools – I pushed myself to. </p>
<p>My parents are by no means wealthy, and would very much prefer me to stay in Canada. Why am I applying for a top 15 school? Because if that school doesn’t have need-blind or need-aware financial aid, I wouldn’t be able to afford the exorbitant tuition and living costs in the States. Not because I want “bragging rights” for going to an Ivy League – I simply wouldn’t be able to afford many top 50 schools. My parents never got an education because of the Cultural Revolution, so they want to support everything that I am really motivated to do. My family and I both very much understand that the chances of me getting in are slim, but it doesn’t mean I can’t try, right? </p>
<p>Also, no. I didn’t spend tons and tons of “useless” money at prep centers. I self-studied the SAT, SAT IIs, and 5 APs (with one 4 and four 5s) by myself. It wasn’t until recently that my mom really started researching about American universities, and began to take me around for consulting sessions. </p>
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<li>Why exactly are you applying to an American school when there are obviously better, more affordable options in Canada?</li>
</ol>
<p>Let me explain a little bit about Canadian universities. The admission process is very different – there are no standardized exams, no strong emphasis on extra-curriculars, nobody cares about your freshment/sophomore/junior grades. All you need to have are four to six high marks from grade 12 (Math, English, and then whatever else you choose). </p>
<p>That means I can slack off and do virtually nothing until grade 12, take the courses online with a tutor for high marks, and STILL get into McGill Arts(the “Ivy League” of Canada). Doesn’t mean the quality of the schools are bad, but I have always wanted myself to reach higher, farther. Even if I don’t get in, I enjoy the process of self-studying high level courses, pursuing leadership roles in extra-curriculars, and living a busy/motivated high school life. It’s also hard to deny that the research and internship opportunities at an Ivy League school are not better than say, those of York University in Canada. </p>
<p>3.If you are an Asian applicant from Canada, you need to a super-hook to stand out. If you don’t have one, then you are basically screwed.</p>
<p>No, that’s not true. I live in Vancouver, an area densely populated by Asians. And every year, many people I know from my extra-curricular activities and Model UN get into HYPSM + other top 15 schools. I know four who got into Harvard this year, 4+ into Princeton, and many into Brown, Cornell, and especially UPenn. Getting into Berkeley from Vancouver is literally a piece of cake. Sure, most had some great test scores and ecs, but by no means did they have parents who were “head of states” or were “elite Olympic level talents”. </p>
<p>Universities want diversity aka. students from around the world. And yes, that includes Asian applicants from around the world. </p>
<p>Yeah, being an Asian applicant from Canada is very hard. We have to push ourselves to work a lot harder, and that takes a lot of sacrifice and motivation. It’s also not wrong for us to pursue high education in the States – it’s a personal decision that came with a lot of thinking and planning. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I just wanted to provide a POV from an International applicant! 
I really do appreciate the advice and pointers from all of you!!</p>