<p>So i am high school student from the UK looking to perhaps attend an Ivy league school. I achieved 4As in my AS levels in: drama, philosophy, english and chemistry (these are the highest possible grades at this level). I am predicted 4 a<em>s in these subjects at A2. However, i achieved fairly poorly in my GCSEs: 1 A</em>, 4As, 4Bs and 1C. This was due to literally no work during this period. My teachers said that these results are in no way an accurate representation of my ability and that they could be explained away by personal circumstances at the time. Provided I do very well in the SATs and do lots of good ECs what would my chances of success be?</p>
<p>It’s not so much doing lots of EC’s, but rather having developed a genuine passion in which you proved extraordinary (conducted research, nationally ranked for a sport, international olympics for math or science, etc.) This is something you’d have started a long time ago and in which you’ve built a national-level presence or award. Then in addition a couple more things (scouts, Duke of Edinburgh)…</p>
<p>Your odds as an international are roughly 1 in 30 at best. The GCSE results wouldn’t hurt too much but still wouldn’t be too hot compared to someone with 6 A*'s and 2 A’s, and it sounds like you don’t have the great ECs that are required for internationals applying to Top 25 universities/LACs, let alone HYPSM. (May just be you didn’t feel like mentioning these great EC’s, but your wording “provided I do lots of good EC’s” reads as if you don’t have the great EC’s yet.)
In addition, you don’t have SAT/ACT/Subject scores yet. How much have you worked over the summer in order to prepare for those?
What motivates you to apply? What schools would you apply to -there are 3,700 universities in the US, have you started reading a Fiske Guide to create a list? Why those specific schools?
Remember that a Columbia rep once said “the fastest way for us to cut an applicant is if his or her main reason for applytin to Columbia is expressed by “it’s Ivy league and in NYC”.” </p>
<p>Thanks for such a quick reply! I am just mainly concerned that my GCSE results would stop me getting in full stop. I do have lots of good ECs (the ones in the UK are different to those you can do in the US). </p>
<p>No, they wouldn’t look at your GCSE’s and think “let’s stop here” :p… they’d look at your academics to see if you make the first cut and 4 British B’s (ie., an American A-, or, depending on the scale, B+) will not destroy your overall record. However you do need 4 predicted A/A*'s at A2 and really great EC’s.</p>