how about chancing an international with ridiculously big dreams?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Country: (International) Indian, ORM
School: Rather small school, relatively unknown</p>

<p>Marks and Rank:
Class 9: 92% and ranked 2 out of 120
Class 10: 91% and ranked 4 out of 120
Class 11: 85% and ranked 2 out of 160 (major grade deflation in the 11th grade- common accross India)
Class 12: 85% currently, predicted 93+% in the all India board examinations (they deflate your school marks so you work harder for the boards, which are much easier). I'm expecting to graduate as top 1-3. </p>

<p>Standardized testing:
SAT 1: 2310 (800 CR/ 730 M/ 780 W)
SAT 2: Taken Maths 1, 2 and Lit. Scores in 3 days- hopefully on par (700+), fingers crossed.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars
Note: School doesn't have the 'club' system, but I will explain in my resume the leadership roles I've played in most of my ECs.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Nominated to participate in the JENESYS-CBSE Indo-Japan* exchange program and went to Japan on a cultural exchange for 10 days.</p></li>
<li><p>*Spell-Vocab Challenger All-State winner in grades 9 and 10, finalist and zonal winner in grade 11 (third time's not a charm :/)</p></li>
<li><p>MUN: Played a major leadership role by forming a team that consistently wins in several large, all-India MUNs, expanded participation in various different MUNs on own initiative, won Best Delegate award several times as well. We also started the school's first ever 'Youth Parliament', huge hit the first year we launched it.</p></li>
<li><p>Student Government: Cultural Secretary. Me and my asst. cultural secs organize all inter and intra school festivals, competitions and events in diverse fields from computer fests to literature talent hunts. This year, we organized a leadership summit for schools all accross the country.</p></li>
<li><p>Movie making: Made short films that were displayed in the Worldkids International Film Festival as well as a film on Open Source that was shown in a national Open document-thingy conference.</p></li>
<li><p>Economics<a href="my%20intended%20major">/i</a>: Founded a team that's won 3-4 economics festivals this year. Won panel discussions/debates/entrepreneurship competitions at regional (inter school) level.</p></li>
<li><p>*Miscellaneous: Won regional/inter school computer, essay, debate and art competitions. Was also selected as Times of India junior reporter during the 10th grade. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>**Work Experience:<a href="Do%20these%20count?">/B</a></p>

<ol>
<li><p>Sun Microsystems: We made presentations they used at several conferences, as well as the movie used during the ODF Alliance conference. We also judged the junior level ODF alliance competition (over 700+ entries all over India!) and designed their certificate for the same event.</p></li>
<li><p>Graphic Designing: I've designed flyers and a book cover for a pretty larger tuition center here, got paid.</p></li>
<li><p>Lok Sabha TV: I've anchored one or two episodes of a teenage news show in a government channel, and appeared on several panel discussions here too.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>My ECs aren't excessive (read: 100x clubs), but I hope I've got the 'depth over breadth' thing right? I truly love what I do, I hope my recs and essays bring out that I do these things because this is what I love to do. </p>

<p>Hooks: I have an anti-hook? ORM, haha. No hooks.</p>

<p>Financial aid: YES. Will demonstrate 80-90% need. Absolutely can not afford a US education without aid.</p>

<p>**Schools:<a href="%5BU%5D%5BI%5DList%20is%20reach%20heavy%20because%20my%20safeties%20are%20in%20India.%5B/I%5D%5B/U%5D">/B</a></p>

<p>The Need Blinds:
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Princeton
4. Dartmouth
5. Williams
6. ...Amherst?</p>

<p>*The Need Awares:<a href="how%20much%20will%20requiring%20FA%20hurt%20my%20chances%20at%20these%20schools?">/B</a>
7. U of Chicago (if it weren't for FA, top choice- I hear they're stingy?)
8. Brown
9. UPenn- Wharton (offers *limited aid to intn'ls)</p>

<p>Sorry if this was MIND NUMBINGLY LONG. If you took the time to read this fully and evaluate my chances (I'm a nervous international- made even more nervous by reading about these nobel-laureate-potentials on the CC board!), I'd be very, very grateful, and I'd offer to chance back (with my limited knowledge), or read/edit essays if you want (I am an English fiend).</p>

2

<p>Come on guys?</p>

3

<p>where in india?have you applied ED any where?</p>

4

<p>Capital. Unfortunately, no.</p>

5

<p>IMHO, all of those schools are reaches, and mostly mid-high reaches. With the assumption that you had great essays…Chicago might be your lowest reach…otherwise, your ECs are fine (nice leadership), and your test scores are in range (assuming you get 750+ on II’s) but the math score is very low. Also, your school isn’t very well known and you need 80-90% need which makes the bottom three very tough as well. Good luck…</p>

6

<p>Strangely, maths is my best subject :/. I’m hoping a high score on 2C can prove to them I’m competent in Maths? </p>

<p>I’d love to get into Chicago, but I’m scared it’s now exactly a ‘low’ reach because the competition for financial aid is very tough? As for the others, I expected them to be reaches, but I do have a shot, right? As in, would I be a competitive applicant?</p>

7

<p>Anyone else?</p>

8

<p>Strong EC’s, grades and work experience and pretty good SAT’s. Hope you did well on the subject tests. Write essays that focus on your favorite EC’s and you should have a good chance at all of them, especially Williams and Amherst.</p>

<p>Please chance me back!</p>

9

<p>Yep, I have my fingers crossed on the Subject Tests!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>I’m still open for suggestions on how to improve my app/ expand my list of schools or evaluations on my chances.</p>

10

<p>Friendly little bump?</p>

11

<p>Okay, updating with my subject test scores: 800 on Maths 2, 800 on Literature. 730 on Maths 1 (whee :/). Will use score choice wherever applicable?</p>

12

<p>you have a pretty good chance to get in at least 1 or 2 of the colleges you listed: provided that your essays are superb.</p>

13

<p>Thanks for that! I have worked really hard on my essays and tried to make them stand out. Fingers crossed then, I guess?</p>