International Student : HYPS Caltech, including IVIES

<p>I'll be a 10th grader next year but I'm graduating early, so technicallly a soon-to-be 11th grader . I'm not a stellar academic student with 14 years of violin and such, (like alot of the other international students) but I do alright.</p>

<p>I'm looking into Caltech (my dad's dream), Berekely, and Stanford as my SUPER reaches. JHU as my reach but an okay reach, WashU, Rice, and NotreD (because I'm religious lol)</p>

<p>Lets assume I will be a 11th grader next year. Here are some stats:</p>

<p>Asian/Female/Korean/International
GPA : 4.0 UW/ 5.0W
School : New Mexico Public
(this year's class has 1 Princeton, 2 Notre Dame, 1 Duke, 1 Cornell, 1 Purdue, 1 Wellesylen? among the many)
Rank : as of now, 1/600ish
Intended major : Biochemistry, Molecular Biology</p>

<p>SATs: 800M, 730CC, 720W T_T (10th)
PSAts: 190 -- 10th grade lol how did this happen?
SAT IIs: Took Biol for a horrible 750. Thinking of retaking in Nov or so. (10)</p>

<p>Will take SATIIs in US History, Math IIc, Phys, Chem, and Spanish.
Expecting 750 + for all of them, except Spanish</p>

<p>APs: [5] Biol (10)</p>

<p>I'm too lazy to take standardized tests, but this year I'm forced to take:
-APStat
-APCalc (Bc or AB, depending on if I want a light course or a heavy course)
-APUS Hist
-APChem
-APPhys
-APLanguage</p>

<p>Next year:
-AP Calc (if i take AB this year)
-AP Euro
-AP Lit
-AP Art
-AP Spanish
-AP Phys C
-Self Study AP Env. Science
-__? </p>

<p>And will have 12 AP Classes by Graduation. </p>

<p>ECs.
-Summer Math/Engineering Program (8,9)
-Took Calc 1 & 2 at the Local State University without recieving credit; recieved A's.
-Clarinet 5 years by graduation
-Statewide Math Competition Finalist (8,9,10)
-Math Team co-captain, local competition- 4th place, overall - 3rd (both 9th)
-Team captain and state competition 2nd place (10th)
-MESA (9,10) treasurer (10)
-Outdoorsman Club (9,10) VP (10)
-National Honors Society (10)
-Art Honors Society & Club (9,10)
-Physics Club (9)
-Varsity Swimming (9, 10)
-Amnesty International (9,10) secretary (10)</p>

<p>-Minority Conference at State University, representative (9)
-Accepted into Medical Program but had no money (10)
-Who's Who (which everyone has, but..) (8,9,10)</p>

<p>-Volunteer at Hospital (150+ hours by start of Junior year)
-Translator (sermons) for Korean Church (A LOT of hours)
-Church Choir (9, 10)
-Youth Group (9,10)</p>

<p>-Poverty (>$20,000) lol, if that will help me any
-Dad's a Ph.D student in Algebra.
-Fluent in English & Korean, learning Spanish (horribly)</p>

<p>Thats...really about it.
I'm expecting a recommendation from my AP Chem teacher (who was also my chemistry teacher) who graduated from Rice and went on to recieve a Ph.D there in Chemistry. He likes me and so, I'm pretty sure it'll be great.</p>

<p>My essay, I'm going to write about how "different" (or stupider) I am compared to other International Students and explain why I would make a good student because I've failed and had no money and learned more in life and blah blah. :) I konw it'll be good, because I'm good at the "inspirational" essays; just not analytical. </p>

<p>I don't know - I'm not that stellar in anything really, not an international competition winner and haven't spent 15 long years with an instrument- but I'm a happy and loud kid from a poor family. </p>

<p>I'm good in math/science related fields and I know I can manage some nice scores this year. </p>

<p>So....any recommendations? I know my super reaches (StanfordT_T) but do you think JHU, WU, and RICE are also big reaches? It sucks because I'm also an International Student. <em>sigh</em> Never going to college....</p>

<p>Thanks. Thanks alot and hopefully, you'll leave a comment~</p>

<p>a 750 in SAT II bio is not horrible! I'd like a 750 in bio.</p>

<p>Your scores are great! And you're ranked 1st among what seems to be a somewhat competitive school. You have a nice list of ECs, but do you have any that you're REALLY in depth? How good are you at violin?</p>

<p>btw... r u applying to caltech simply to appease your father? IMHO college should be your choice, not one decided by your parents. But if you do like Caltech, go for it.</p>

<p>^ NO, I don't play the violin. I was being stupid when I said that I have not been playing the violin for 14 years :)</p>

<p>See, thats my problem: I'm not really in depth about anything. I don't have a particular talent which will probably keep me out of college and on the streets as a hobo.</p>

<p>My dad LOVES CalTech and its "selectivity" and "need-blindness to Ints." Psh. ALL SMART INTERNATIONAL kids apply to what seems to be HYPS Caltech, Berk, Columbia and MIT. I don't have a chance.</p>

<p>oh whoops, I missed the "not," sorry!</p>

<p>If you don't have an in-depth EC, then you can still talk about a passion that you may have. If you really enjoy volunteering at a hospital or acting as a translator, you should really bring it out somehow, either in your essay or in your interview, or both.</p>

<p>Yeah, but I'm scared of all the 2400-SAT-score-with-perfect-SATIIs-scores-in-14-areas-and-played-violin-for-15-years-with-long-list-of-awards-and-did-i-mention-a-countrywide-math-competition students lol. I'm a good student, but I'm not a genius like some of the kids in Korea, China, India, and so on. T_T</p>

<p>It depresses me lol because i don't stand out. I suck.</p>