No, adcoms don’t admit because they feel pity. It’s a useful piece of information to provide context but they will only admit you if your story elicits admiration for what you’ve done. So, your parents’ story creates the context of your life, but shouldn’t be the focus, THEN focus on what has happened to you and how you’ve shown grit and resourcefulness to overcome all these obstacles and hardships.
The key thing in the essay is “show rather than tell”. for example, don’t say “I’m courageous”, tell a little story that shows that. Think of it as a little film about you. There should be action and reflexion.Use the website Essay Hell to look at examples.
However, no matter what, odds are against anyone applying (they’re called reach for everyone). Cornell, Caltech… it’s the same.
@Guydude01 – not needing financial aid is HUGE. Definitely apply to Berkeley then which would love to have you, I bet. Have you considered Johns Hopkins? Carnegie Mellon? Harvey Mudd? All of these are elite, highly respected science/tech schools.
@katliamom Is not needing financial aid really that big? LIke would my chances of admission increase a great deal, even though im international? Like how much would my chances increase would it be on par Americans in need of financial aid? better? worse? i really need all the help i cn get, the idea that im an international student is really demotivating.
Yes, it’s a HUGE deal. It means your odds are the same or better than OOS students at public universities or not as decreased at private universities.
If I were you I’d add a few excellent public universities (UWisconsin, UMichigan, etc.)
Universities
Harvard | MIT | Stanford | Wharton | Princeton | Yale | Berkeley | Columbia | Cornell | UCLA
Grades- Top 1% of my school
- 34 ACT COMPOSITE
- 40 IB Subject points
English HL [7]
Information Technology HL [7],
Physics HL[6]
CHEMISTRY SL[7],
Math SL[7],
French [6]
Extra-Curriculars
- [President] of Computer-Innovation EC
- [President] of Investment club EC
- [Vice-President] of Physics Club EC
- [Member] of GCS ROBOTICS
- [Member] of Model United nations | Attended DIAMUN [Best school Award]
- Tutoring / teaching programming skills
- Ice hockey [Men’s League]
- Played organized baseball for the past 4 years
- Equestrian [4 years]
- Member of the KG Reading ECA
Awards & Recognition (arent that great)
- Best actor & Best production award
- Best Lawyer at Mock Trial award
- Captaincy ice hockey
- Participated in the Business Plan competition [Finalist]
- 3 MVP Ice hockey awards
- CAPTAINED Robotics team [4th Place]
- Distinction in Chemistry SL
THE REST
- FOUNDER of tech business “Advenio” & “Numeric” [Generating revenue | Charity]
- HEADED a Fundraiser for children in sub-Saharan africa to receive education [Charity]
- HEADED an investment competition for grades 6-8 & 9-10
- HEADED fundraiser where all was donated to Children in Sub-Saharan Africa for necessities
- CAPTAINED Robotics team at Taleem Robotics competition [4th Place]
- CAPTAINED my ice hockey team Dubai Sandstorms
- Participated in the Business Plan competition [Finalist]
- Participated in Canadian Robotics competition
- Participated in University of Waterloo Mathematics competition
- Written a Research paper in regards to computer science
- Written Research paper in regards to “Business & Big data” [Extended Essay]
- Written Research Paper in regards to computer science [Level 7] [IB]
- Enrolled in a summer Computer science course in a Sheridan College Canada
- Enrolled in Harvardx CS50 AP Computer Science Principles program
- Enrolled in Columbiax Machine learning & Data science program
- Enrolled in summer Mechatronics & Engineering at Mcmasters University
- Enrolled in AP calculus B/c program
- Enrolled in NYIF Capital Markets and Key Participants program
- Cryptocurrency investor [ Investments card ]
- Interned at electrical engineering company [ECHO electricity]
- I am a certified Lifeguard
- I have taught myself 4 programming languages
- Volunteering at wheelchair basketball
Personal
- I am from Canada
- I study in Dubai
- I am originally from Bethlehem in Palestine (my parents were raised)
- I am a triplet
- I am color blind
Intrests {in terms of academics}
- Computer science
- Enterpeneurship / Business
Are my chances of being admitted to harvard,MIT, Stanford, Princeton etc. hurt a great deal as a result of me being a canadian international student? even if my application is as such? maybe i bring a new perspective seeing that im originally from Bethlaham in Palestine, my nationality is Canadian and i study in dubai?
Grades
School has never sent anyone to the IVY league (or anywhere good)
Universities
Harvard | MIT | Stanford | Wharton | Princeton | Yale | Berkeley | Columbia | Cornell | UCLA
- 34 ACT COMPOSITE
SAT 2: Math || : 790 Physics: 790
- 40 IB Subject points English HL [7] Information Technology HL [7], Physics HL[6] CHEMISTRY SL[7], Math SL[7], French [6]
Extra-Curriculars
- [President] of Computer-Innovation EC
- [President] of Investment club EC
- [Vice-President] of Physics Club EC
- [Member] of GCS ROBOTICS
- [Member] of Model United nations | Attended DIAMUN [Best school Award]
- Tutoring / teaching programming skills
- Ice hockey [Men’s League]
- Played organized baseball for the past 4 years
- Equestrian [4 years]
- Member of the KG Reading ECA
Awards & Recognition (arent that great)
- Best actor & Best production award
- Best Lawyer at Mock Trial award
- Captaincy ice hockey
- Participated in the Business Plan competition [Finalist]
- 3 MVP Ice hockey awards
- CAPTAINED Robotics team [4th Place]
- Distinction in Chemistry SL
THE REST
- FOUNDER of tech business “Advenio” & “Numeric” [Generating revenue | Charity]
- HEADED a Fundraiser for children in sub-Saharan africa to receive education [Charity]
- HEADED an investment competition for grades 6-8 & 9-10
- HEADED fundraiser where all was donated to Children in Sub-Saharan Africa for necessities
- CAPTAINED Robotics team at Taleem Robotics competition [4th Place]
- CAPTAINED my ice hockey team Dubai Sandstorms
- Participated in the Business Plan competition [Finalist]
- Participated in Canadian Robotics competition
- Participated in University of Waterloo Mathematics competition
- Written a Research paper in regards to computer science
- Written Research paper in regards to “Business & Big data” [Extended Essay]
- Written Research Paper in regards to computer science [Level 7] [IB]
- Enrolled in a summer Computer science course in a Sheridan College Canada
- Enrolled in Harvardx CS50 AP Computer Science Principles program
- Enrolled in Columbiax Machine learning & Data science program
- Enrolled in summer Mechatronics & Engineering at Mcmasters University
- Enrolled in AP calculus B/c program
- Enrolled in NYIF Capital Markets and Key Participants program
- Cryptocurrency investor [ Investments card ]
- Interned at electrical engineering company [ECHO electricity]
- I am a certified Lifeguard
- I have taught myself 4 programming languages
- Volunteering at wheelchair basketball
Are my chances significantly lower than student living in the US and have citizenship?
" Is not needing financial aid really that big?"
Yes. If you are applying to a college that is not “need blind” for international applicants, if you truly don’t need any aid then that can actually boost your chances since some colleges like full-pay students as a way to increase revenues. Look at each of the colleges you are interested to see if they are need blind or need considered for international applicants. For the ones that consider need for internationals, you will have an advantage there.
Without doing that research myself, I’m guessing the top private schools will be need blind (meaning you have no advantage) but several of the top publics will be need-aware or need considered. Top publics you should consider would be Berkeley, UMichigan, UVirginia, UNorth Carolina Chapel Hill. Then take a look at the US News and World Report colleges for the private colleges ranked #20 - #50. There will be some fantastic private schools that are need-aware for foreign students - so will be good targets for you.