Other special factors: No hook. Not applying for financial aid.
Intended Major(s): Most schools that I apply to don’t allow us to apply to a specific major. I am applying to the college of arts and sciences. My academic interests are economics, middle eastern studies, and religious studies.
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 97/100
Class Rank: 10/600
ACT/SAT Scores: SAT (once): 1500 (710, 790)
Coursework
My school doesn’t provide any of these courses but I self-studied and took AP Lit, WH, Cal BC, and Microeconomics in junior year.
Awards
The National Economics Challenge: the National Overall Bronze Award (Team), Critical Thinking Overall Gold Award (Team), National Top Scoring Challenger (Bronze Medal Winner), and Qualifying Test Individual Distinction Award
Our school gives an academic award to the 12 best students (we have 12 classes) a year, and I won it twice. Plus, I’m from a class that requires an entrance exam to get in. This class is math and science oriented…lmao I became a liberal arts kid.
Extracurriculars: Domestic public school (rip), a lot of my ECs are self-based
Sociology Club—President
The National Economics Challenge—Group Leader
A Podcast about Near Eastern studies and religious studies—Founder
The Bridge Project—Co-Founder: [a mental health project for teens in countries that lack resources, in particular, the country where I live]
The bridge project–Founder: it’s a mental health project for teens in countries that lack resources for suicide and mental health (in particular, the country where I am from)
Virtual Museum of D—Member: [D is an ancient site in my country which is vanishing]: Built a virtual museum with teammates. Organized weekly seminars to analyze Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam’s influence on D’s culture.
A research about inequality, ideology, and elitism with a professor.
Community service at a “minority state” on behalf of a university.
School Community Service Club—President: Won “Community Service Award 2021” among 51 schools. Raised ~6500 dollars from local dental clinics to buy herbal tea and toothpaste to send to 4,000+ city cleaners.
Junior editor at a literary magazine
Varsity sports: Coached at a middle school and they won the state-level championship last year. Member of my high school team.
Essays/LORs/Other
Essays: I am pretty confident of the supplemental essays! But I’m stressed out about the personal statement. So…no comment. By the way, if you can privately review some of my supplemental essays, I’d appreciate it so much.
LORs: IDK.
Cost Constraints / Budget
Not applying for aid, but schools like UChicago/Duke/Columbia that literally require 80+k a year is a NO. (at least not my ED choice)
Are Vanderbilt and Cornell all that far away from being $80,000 per year? I would be surprised if they are all that much less.
Given your excellent grades and SAT scores, universities in Canada (Toronto, McGill, UBC, …) would be very highly likely for admissions, even for an Asian international student.
they’re like 72k-73k. I know that’s literally the same as 80k but those three schools that exceed 80k aren’t worth it for me, even when I’m not applying for aid. so I guess the price is just one factor. And yes, forgot to mention, I’m applying to the U of Toronto.
The annual list price to attend Vanderbilt University on a full time basis for 2018/2019 is $73,148 for all students regardless of their residency. This fee is comprised of $50,800 for tuition, $16,910 room and board, $1,294 for books and supplies and $1,270 for other fees.
I listed the cost of attendance for 2021 which is at least what you’ll pay in 2022.
This thread may also be worth looking at…international student at an American HS with great stats although I don’t know if she was looking for FA which may have affected her results.
Since you’re not applying for FA that will help you since ED is available. As far as Vanderbilt vs Cornell that’s really your decision because they’re very different schools and it’s which one feels like the right fit for you.
got it~ thanks for ur insights! I’m by no means putting all the eggs in one basket. I’m also applying to Singaporean universities and schools in hong kong.
You may also want to apply to colleges with higher acceptance rates which will possibly give you merit aid, because of your stats.
If there are colleges which you can afford without financial aid, that means that there may be colleges which, if not safeties, can become low matches, since you have no need.
A university like UIUC, U Minnesota, or Ohio State would be at least matches, and their cost for you (tuition + room & board) would be:
UIUC: $52,000-$62,000, a bit of merit funding
UMN: $55,000, with chances of decent merit scholarships
OSU: $59,000, not much merit funding for internationals
They also have name recognition, and they have your majors.
First off, I am a guy. Now that’s out of the way, I think I’m qualified enough to give my two cents.
I was looking for need-based financial aid, which in hindsight might have skewed my rejections.
What I’d do, if I had to go the process all over again, is look at merit scholarships and honors programs. I was lucky enough to get into an honors program with a decent scholarship very late in the game. Please do not count on that happening.
Look at the bigger state schools. OSU was already mentioned, but their scholarships are mostly essay based, as far as I did my research.
The dream would ideally be finding a good in state school with an honors program that gives you a decent chunk of aid. Look at schools somewhere along those lines.
