i am student from india.
stellar ec’s. don’t want to put that info here. but assume i am awesome in all that.
my grades are overall bad. class 11 got messed up. i got 77% in cbse science stream.
otherwise in class 10 i rocked it.
i will apply for computer engineering and i have ec’s in that too but my school grades are pathetic in computer.
otherwise my profile is good. i have taken sat twice but got 2270 in second attempt. full in subject tests. no ap’s.
what are my chances for hypsm assuming my ecs are incredible (international level cool stuff)?
You don’t always have to declare a major at admissions (e.g., http://www.seas.harvard.edu/academics/how-to-apply), so it isn’t really as relevant as you think that your grades in classes related to your intended major are not great. An advantage of the liberal arts US education system is this exposure to diverse areas and the ability to take a year or two to decide. Even then, an English major may go on to a PhD in biology, and that’s seen as good. Basically, you want to stand out from other applicants and be authentic (and make sure the admissions person knows you are being authentic and not following the crowd, trying to get in). Maybe your essay could focus on how you ignored the ivy league ‘checklist’, did what you loved, took risks, don’t fit stereotypes of your culture, current school, etc. But, it depends on what the ecs are exactly (like, no other applicant from your country, or any other country, is likely to have anything close to this, because its so unique) and if you can make this non-conformity convincing.
First of all, all Ivies are Reaches for everyone and more so for an International applicant. Unique Essays, EC’s and a competitive test scores are all a large compontent of your application, but grades are still considered the most important. HS grades are a reflection of an individual over a 3 year period so to having less than stellar grades will only put you at a greater disadvantage. Go ahead and apply, but make sure you have some good Match schools on your list or you may face a shutout. Good Luck
It is true, chances are always low and getting in is ultimately a game of luck. But, ivy leagues could fill their entire class with perfect grades and perfect scores…and yet they don’t.
I don’t know the grading system well enough in India to understand your grades, but I wouldn’t get too discouraged by them. There are so many factors and grades and scores are just the first round (it sounds like yours are good enough to get you to the part where they read your essay). No matter what, getting into an ivy league school is ultimately unlikely for anyone, but it sounds like you should go for it (along with a range of other schools). The essay is really important. See this book for examples of ivy league essays and analysis of why they are good: http://www.qianmu.org/u/lystu/school/file/0hme5mn180002vc/0hmlotdce00040a.pdf. Also check out the New York Times examples, these are ones focused on money, but some great examples: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/20/your-money/college-essays-on-money.html?_r=0
Don’t stress too much, there is always grad school and there are so many really good schools- is Harvard or Yale or Princeton even the best for computer engineering? I don’t know, but look at lots of schools. But, having lived around the world, I think this emphasis on special, unique, hard to define applicant qualities over grades and scores…as well as the ‘exploratory’ nature of college and being unsure, switching majors, etc., are kind of a unique thing to be aware of in US schools.There is a huge emphasis on having challenges in life and overcoming them, being honest about flaws but then some ‘redemption’ (you will see in the essays). You could absolutely use this to your advantage!
One other thing, you are on this forum, asking questions for yourself, which speaks highly of your personal initiative taking. Hiring consultants can help (and if you can, great) but admissions people HATE this (if they find out or suspect this, its over). They want authentic, self-motivated applicants that have overcome something. Also, you are posting for help, not your parents, these are all the kind of qualities that schools like and you can probably find examples of in your life. But again, study the essays, there are a lot of great approaches. Just remember, the admissions people have read thousands, are bored and tired, so it has to be good and enjoyable/interesting to read.
Why HYPSM? Are you under some belief that those schools are head and shoulders above all other schools in the US? That seems to be what a lot of foreigners think but they are totally wrong.
@Pizzagirl thank you
i am not international applicant. i am born in usa and did my primary school from there. do chances increase being a non-international applicant?
You may have your heart set on a HYPSM school, but also please take a look at Carnegie Mellon. It is a great school with a great computer science and engineering program. It is definitely worth looking into. Best of luck!
I have no idea if your chances increase or decrease based on your citizenship, but I think its pretty interesting to have lived in multiple countries and experienced their education systems before college. If I understand correctly, you went to primary school in the US and high-school in India? That already makes you a unique applicant I think.
@ILovehypsm, If the chances of admission to an Ivy League school are 2% for an international student but 5% for a US citizen, I guess you can say that chances for a domestic student are better. The Ivies are still a reach.
The [*average[/i] SAT score in 2014](Colleges With the Highest SAT Scores) for Harvard was 2260; for Yale and Princeton it was 2255, Stanford was 2210, and MIT was 2235. Apply to whichever one(s) seem like a fit for you, but make sure you have some matches and safeties on your application list.
@ILOVEHYPSM - You need to demonstrate that you can write well, or else you will have little to no chance at these schools. No offense, but I’m hoping the level of English competency you’ve demonstrated in your posts so far is simply the result of quick typing on your phone and is no way reflective of your actual ability.
I’m a little confused by your posts. If you’re attending secondary school in a country other than the United States, you will be considered an international applicant by most schools. This is from Harvard’s admissions website:
“When we refer to ‘international admissions,’ we are generally referring to applicants who apply from schools outside the United States.”
In which case, your chances are exceedingly low. If you are treated as a domestic applicant, your grades just are not at HYP level. You’re reticent to say what your extracurricular activities are, and thus, it’s difficult to imagine that they might overcome your low grades. There are a lot of applicants with great extracurriculars who also have uniformly high grades and test scores.