<p>so I've already applied ed to columbia, but I'm starting on my other apps now in case I'm deferred or rejected. however I'm wondering about the fit, relative chances of getting in and yeah anything else you mightwant to add.</p>
<p>ok, so stats:
INTERNATIONAL. indian, living in the united arab emirates. will not be applying for any aid.</p>
<p>SCHOOL
is the A level system so no gpa calculated. howeverits pretty good (7 a*s 2 a's at gcse, 4 A's at AS level and one b(only one in 4 years) at a2 (taken early) and predicted 3 more As this year).</p>
<p>my school doesn't calculate gpa but I believe this works out to 3.96 unweighted and 4.35 weighted?</p>
<p>School does not rank however im definitely in the top 10 and probably 5%</p>
<p>courseload- most rigorous possible
**SATS: 2300. CR 800 W 770 M 730
SAT IIs eng lit 680 french 680 maths 1c 700 <a href="won't%20be%20retaking">/b</a>.</p>
<p>Recs: brilliant</p>
<p>ECs : many music ones - jazzband/orchestra/choirs ++.
2 years of making young musicians off gulf (international level)
I play: flute (10 years) alto sax 95 years) bass guitar (5 years) keys
(7 years) and sitar ( 6 monthsish)
also v heavily involved in local msuic scene, playing in bands etc for
last 5 years
also some school related stuff like debating, philosophy club etc.</p>
<p>ALSO: i run a zine distro (distribution, a small diy nonprofit business) out of here, again the first one in the middle east. which has over a few years actally helped to popularise the (previously unknown) medium here. I also put out many zines/write for a local magazine and other writing related stuff.</p>
<p>ESSAY: talks about what I guess is my 'passion' - womans rights vs arab foster culture i grew up in. talks abotu starting middle east's first all girl band and also details my work with zines / the distro and the summer I spent working with battered/abused women in a delhi (india) slum. maybe a little contraversial (ie throwing out tampons with kind of messages on them out at audience when onstage at gigs) but it's pretty well written I think, and really reflective of me as a person.</p>
<p>I think that's it with stats? On to the schools:
**
Columbia (ED)
Swarthmore
Yale
Harvard
Wesleyan
Brown
Stanford (MAYBE, deadline is 15th)
Georgetown
Oberlin
Barnard
Wellesley**</p>
<p>What I'm looking for is a school with a pretty liberal/artsy bent, minimal greek/frat scene, in or very near a big city and with pretty solid academics too. No women's collegestoo please (I'm aware there are two on my list right now but I consider Barnard to be pretty atypical with its nyc location and columbia links. And Wellesley, shrug I had a fantabulous interview there and from what Ive seen it may be a relative safety (compared to the others in my list?correct me if im wrong),in case I cannot get in anywhre else.</p>
<p>PLEASE NOTE that i say 'relative' safety. I'm aware that my list is pretty top heavy with no 'real safeties'; my parents reckon that since we'll be paying the full fare, if I cannot get into anywhere which is pretty 'good' then it's not worth going to the us. And no I'm not being a prestige whore but I do agree with this - $50k is a lot of money and at worst i'll attend a local uni (which aren't great) or take a gap year off.
That said, Wellesley's a highly selective school,and one that I don't love (schools fine, just location and everything else) so I'm considering adding bard/reed, which I do like and may be a little bit more of a good backup?</p>
<p>SO yeah, right now that comes to 12 including columbia, which I think may be too many. Any help on paring this list down /chances/ other suggestions/schools please? cheers.</p>