I’m a Vietnamese student who will apply next year, aiming #50-100 NU or LAC, whatever offer more financial aids, I need LOTS. SAT I 1450+, GPA 8.5+/10, member of a bunch of clubs and running competitions. Should I take APs and SAT II? Times are running out and I want to focus more on my ECs as well.
Also I checked out a bit on Sophomore year so my GPA is lower than Freshman year. Will it hurt my chances?
If your GPA went down and you are serious about going to college in the US, what you really want is the highest test scores (SAT/ACT) and grades you can get. You need to make yourself very competitive, but ECs are always secondary to grades and test scores. It can be helpful to have high SAT 2 scores, but in terms of college rankings they aren’t as important. High scores in AP tests are always good, but are not as important as others. In your shoes, I would retake your SAT to get the highest score you can. That means focussing your efforts in studying for the SAT 1.
8.5+ from Vietnam is very good so don’t worry about it. Do take subject tests and aim for 750 - and don’t make th mistake of taking math2+2 sciences like most Asian students do, show your intellectual versatility with a variety of subjects.
You don’t need AP 's.
Retaking the sat to push it higher would also help (you could apply to merit scholarships).