Help me narrow my college list?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey all, so basic information - I’m an international from Asia (not china, india or sk though). My school might only allow me to apply to 8 US schools, so I’m trying to narrow my list down. Help please?

Stats/ECs:
SAT 2320 (cr 800, ma 740, wr 780).
SAT 2s: Math 2 800, Chem 800, Lit 780
international first place (team) in future problem solving program internationals
participated in yale young global scholars 2014 (had an amazing time too, really helped me understand the US college system and culture)
very very involved in a national-level creative writing program, work with ministry officials to help plan and run the program for the past 5 years

Majors:
Biochem and econs OR biochem and public policy analysis

The List:
Yale (SCEA??)
Cornell
MIT
Stanford
Rice
USC
Duke
Vandy
UMich
Berkeley
UCLA

Issues/questions:

  1. Yes, I know I don’t have any safeties in this list - my safeties are my local universities.
  2. I’m considering dropping MIT off my list because mit usually takes the science olympiad kids from my country, and I don’t have any of that
  3. Not sure if I should apply scea yale or ed rice. Yale is my first choice, but realistically maybe I should ed to rice to maximise my chances???
  4. Do you think yygs will give me an edge? I was the only participant from my country, and it honestly changed my view on a lot of things and really helped me to understand what i’m applying for and what I want to get out of/am able to contribute to a US college.
2

It depends on what area of the US you would want to go to. Would you prefer east coast or west coast? Top California or ivy league?

3

You should only apply ED to Rice if it’s your top choice.

Don’t strategize too much. There’s an element of randomness over which you have no control. Your stats and EC’s are great. Do your best on your essays to show the admissions people who you are.

4

@aznraffe

All the schools you posted are saturated with Asian students, US citizens and international. The only exception is Vanderbilt.

A school like Notre Dame or Boston College or some of the top liberal arts colleges might be good additions. Schools where Asian students are underrepresented and where they see fewer international applications.