Internationally Screwed?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Asian Male living in Mid-Atlantic with no green card or citizenship (applying as international). ~$90K but probably need some sort of aid so especially interested in possible merit aid</p>

<p>High School: Class size ~500, decently ranked suburban public school, usually has about 10-20 students go to top 20 schools but rarely HYP.</p>

<p>Schools (sorry for the ridiculously long list, I'd appreciate suggestions with cutting it down. Perhaps too many safeties?): Boston University, Brown, Caltech, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Northwestern, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Berkeley, Chicago, Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Michigan-Ann Arbor, UPenn, WashU, Yale</p>

<p>GPA (Unweighted): 4.0
GPA (Weighted, A in honors or AP course is 5.0): 4.76
School does not rank but definitely top 5% and probably near first
Courseload has been pretty much as hardcore as possible</p>

<p>SAT I: 2370 (CR: 790, Math: 800, Writing: 780, Essay: 11) - 1 sitting as sophomore
SATII: Math II: 800, Chemistry: 800, US History: 800, Physics: 800, Biology(M): 780, Literature: 780</p>

<p>ACT: 36 (English: 36, Math: 36, Reading: 36, Science: 36, Essay: 9) - 1 sitting as junior</p>

<p>AP Exams taken & scores:
Calculus BC – 5
Chemistry – 5
United States History – 5
Psychology – 5 (self-study)
English Language – 5
Macroeconomics – 5
Microeconomics – 5
Physics C: Mechanics – 5
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism – 5
United States Government – 5
World History – 5
Biology – 5 (self-study)</p>

<p>Senior Classes (same both semesters):
AP Computer Science A
AP English Literature
AP Environmental Science
AP European History
AP Music Theory
AP Spanish Language
AP Statistics</p>

<p>ECs (heavy emphasis on academically competitive clubs and honor societies, no sports or volunteering clubs):
Science Olympiad - 4 years, 3 year officer, 1 year president, very very involved (helped with start-up of team as a freshman, essentially co-run the team with sponsor)
Quizbowl - 4 years, 2 year captain, very very involved (essentially co-run the team with sponsor)
Math Team - 4 years, 3 year officer, 2 year president, very very involved (essentially co-run the team with sponsor)
Chemistry Club - 4 years, 2 year president
Mock Trial - 3 years, 1 year captain
Science Bowl - 2 years, 2 year captain
Math Honors Society - 3 years, 1 year vice president
Science National Honors Society - 2 years, hoping to become president this year
Spanish Honors Society - 2 years
National Honors Society - 2 years</p>

<p>Summer ECs:
2008: ~200 hours of volunteering at a Nursing Home
2009: Residential summer research program, not at a school on my list (did for science fair, only second in county so no ISEF)
2010: Residential summer research program, not at a school on my list (different one, pretty competitive to get into, will submit for Intel STS and use for science fair, no Siemens due to lack of green card)</p>

<p>Awards:
Science Olympiad - 13 state medals (8 gold) on 2 time nationals qualifying team (not from a powerhouse state though), no nationals medals
Quizbowl - 3-time national tournament qualifier, highest team finish was 7th in 2009, individual all-star in 2010, various Mid-Atlantic tournaments won and various local scoring awards (quite a few to list, not sure if I should), county championship
Math Team - Best scores: AMC 10 - 138, AMC 12 - 92.5(?), AIME - 5, some school winner stuff
Science Fair - only second in category at county fair...
Science Bowl - 3rd at regional qualifier for the national tournament
National AP Scholar (and the ones below that, obviously)
Tragically not National Merit Semifinalist due to lack of green card (did have high enough score)</p>

<p>The Essays:
Ehhh working on it.</p>

<p>The Recs:
Extremely close teachers that have both had me as a student and club sponsor. Been asking them for recommendations to summer programs and such since forever. Working very hard for them in the clubs. Not super intimate with the guidance counselor but he knows my work ethic and such pretty well.</p>

<p>The Intended Major:
Not too sure, but perhaps Chemical Engineering or Chemistry</p>

<p>The Hook:
Both parents went to Asian universities and father got an American PhD in a school that I'm not applying to...so....don't have one?</p>

2

<p>It really sucks that you’re an international applying for aid. That really makes things tough. Still, on paper, you’re an extremely competitive applicant for all of these schools. You have a great shot at all of them, especially if your essays are good.</p>

3

<p>Thanks a bunch.</p>

4

<p>I would definitely say that you have too many safeties / matches on your list. </p>

<p>You are one of the most competitive internationals I’ve seen in the past few years. Your application is exceedingly well-rounded, and although it is very difficult for internationals get need-based aid, I’d argue that it’s more likely than not for you to be getting need aid.</p>

<p>Besides, since you are applying to 5/6 need-blind schools for internationals, you should be fine. </p>

<p>I’d suggest to cut pretty much all the state schools, Emory, BU, etc. from your list.</p>

5

<p>You look like a suitable fit for Caltech since Caltech loves applicants that demonstrate their passion in science and research. All the best!</p>

6

<p>Which are the safeties? Safe schools must be ones you can pay in full for. I see a few state safeties, but they cost $50K and with the possible exception of Illinois will not give you aid.</p>

<p>You are clearly competitive stats wise but no stand out EC. You’re in the running but who knows?</p>

7

<p>Safeties (I think): Georgia Tech, UNC, and Illinois</p>

8

<p>Can you pay OOS rates with no aid?</p>

9

<p>It would be a strain on the family finances, obviously, but it can be done if really necessary. Essentially, my parents wouldn’t send me to a community college due to economic reasons.</p>

10

<p>Maybe add some less expensive OOS pubIics as safeties. SUNYs and CSUs are about $30K.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for the advice =)</p>

12

<p>Just an update if people were curious:</p>

<p>Accepted: Illinois-Champaign, UC-Berkeley, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, Washington University in St. Louis</p>

<p>Wait Listed: Yale, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Duke, U of Chicago, Cooper Union</p>

<p>Rejected: Northwestern, Stanford, UPenn, Rice, Caltech</p>