International's Chances at HYPMS

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>South Korean studying in Canada (no canadian citizenship)
IB Diploma Candidate at one of the best IB schools in the world (or so they say...I don't believe them lol)</p>

<p>GPA: 99% (but this is using our school criteria, which requires us to use only 5 top marks; if I average everything, its probably like 96%)
Rank: 1/130 or so
SAT: first time - 2130 (800M, 630CR, 700W)
I just took the May SAT, I think I may have gotten over 2300, cuz I felt the exam was 3278432489327 times easier than the last exam (but i'll update when the score comes out. I should have waited creating this post until the score came out, but I guess I was too bored lol)</p>

<p>Awards
Grade 9
- 2004 Edmonton Junior High Mathematics Competition Invitational – 2nd place
- 2004 Science Olympics – 2nd place in Edmonton (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
- 2004 Kumon Math Challenge – 4th in Canada
- 2004 Stop Racism Poster Competition – 3rd in Edmonton
- 2004 School awards (Honours, Top 5 Academic Award, Art Award, Wellness Award)</p>

<p>Grade 10
- Alberta High School Mathematics Competition Part I – Top 50 (invited to Part II)
- Canadian Open Mathematics Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 12 Euclid Math Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 11 Fermat Math Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 11 Hypatia Math Competition – Bronze Standard
- National Michael Smith Science Challenge – 1st in Alberta
- APEGGA Science Olympics – 2nd in Edmonton (1 gold, 1 silver)
- School awards (First Class Honours; Highest Achievement Awards in Biology 15B, Chemistry 25B, French 20B, Mathematics 20B, Science 10B)</p>

<p>Grade 11
- Alberta High School Mathematics Competition Part I – Top 50
- Alberta High School Mathematics Competition Part II – 13th in Alberta
- Canadian Open Mathematics Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 12 Euclid Math Competition – Top 25%
- Gr. 11 Fermat Math Competition – Top 25%
- AIME Qualifier
- APEGGA Science Olympics – 1 gold
- Basketball Tournmanet Team Allstar</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
- School Varsity Basketball Team – starting point guard (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- Mathematics Club (Gr. 10, 11)
- Speech and Debate Club (Gr. 10, 11)
- Notes / Study Club (Gr. 11)
- Science Olympics (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- School Instrumental Band (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- School Drama Production Orchestra – 1st trumpet (Gr. 10, 11)
- OSA Criers (school newspaper) reporter (Gr. 11)
- OSA Awards Committee Member (Gr. 11)
- Edmonton Mock Trials (Gr. 11)
- Gala Français (Gr. 11)
- various mathematics / sciences contests</p>

<p>Summer Activities
- Summer School for French 10 in July 2004
- Invitational Regional Mathematics Camp at the University of Alberta 2004
- Taught two ESL students English in June~August 2005
- worked at Canadian Tire in July ~ August 2005
I'm applying to the Canada/USA Mathcamp, an Albertan research program called HYRS, and a physics program at the University of Waterloo</p>

<p>Leadership
- Class President (Gr. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in South Korea)
- Head officer of the Youth Volunteer Work Place for Women’s Night organized by the Korean Businessman’s Association in Edmonton (Gr. 11)
- School Representative at the AB IB Conference (Gr. 11)
- Co-founder of the Mathematics Club – Vice-President (Gr. 11)
- Science Olympics team leader (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- School Correspondent of the NABIS Youth Committee (Gr. 11)</p>

<p>Volunteer/Work Experience
- Child actor on various TV shows, videos, commercials in South Korea (7 years, from 1993~1999)
- Canadian Blood Services Youth Committee (Gr. 10, 11)
- Various school events
- Tutoring ESL students in all subject areas (Gr. 9, 10, 11)
- Youth Volunteer Work Place at Korean Businessman’s Association (Gr. 11)
- Translations (English to Korean) (Gr. 11)
- NABIS Youth Committee (Gr. 11)</p>

<p>Other Abilities
- Trilingual – Korean, English, French</p>

<p>I will apply for financial aid (my family's pretty poor...)</p>

<p>I am thinking of applying to
Harvard - ED
Caltech
MIT
Stanford
Yale
Princeton
Cornell
Brown
University of Toronto
McGill University
University of Waterloo</p>

<p>Considering that I am South Korean and that I am applying for finaid, what are my chances at some of these schools? </p>

<p>Thank you in advance for replying :)</p>

2

<p>Chances for an intnl needing fin aid are not great at your schools. Even as an American, your qualifications are pretty average for HYPMS, maybe 10%. I watched amazing 2400, national math stars, highly ccomplished intls get turned away by far lesser schools this year. And your competition in the Asian/Korean pool is especially stiff. In all reality if you need lots of aid, you need to look at schools where your stats will put you in the top 10%, especially those known to give good aid to intnls. Probably solid second tier LACs in the MW and South that don't get many Asian applicants.</p>

3

<p>thank you suze. what happens to my chances if I don't apply for finaid?</p>

4

<p>if i were you i wouldnt apply ED to harvard u probably wont get in. Try somehwere lower</p>

5

<p>Everyone has to have reaches. You have the stats so aim for the highest.</p>

<p>I'd really research those colleges you've listed. Would you actually like them all? Some colleges on there make your list seem weird. (Caltech and Yale? Those are very different schools). I've noticed that your list also tends to go down in selectivity (roughly, though, like Brown being below Cornell is an exception).</p>

6

<p>Needing no aid would up your chances significantly. If that were the case I'd look at the lower ivies, Duke and that level school.</p>

7

<p>First of all, I would like to thank everyone for replying to my post. </p>

<p>Murasaki,
Ya, actually I just wrote down yale cuz i put HYPMS in the title lol :P I don't think Im actually gonna apply to Yale. </p>

<p>To everyone who replied,,</p>

<p>I just have a general question. I read a few other people's posts concerning their chances at top colleges like the ones I put down, more or less with similar stats as mine, and they tend to get replies saying that they have a great chance at all the colleges. Is it different for me cuz im international/asking for finaid, or is it something else?</p>

<p>Also, since essays are so important in college admissions, if I wrote really good essays, I'd still have a chance at the schools, right?</p>

<p>Thank you very much.</p>

8

<p>you are good. low sat though. 2350+ woudl help.</p>

9

<p>Yeah, your SAT could use work but 2250 is the 'safe'ish range, 2350 is really pusing it (though if you can get it, it's amazing). You see, past the upper 2200s about 6 or less questions usually make the difference, so 2250+ can't really keep you out.</p>

10

<p>2250 is aiming too low. If you have a good mind and are willing to go through the trouble, use the college board blue book adn official sat prep course. You will do quite well if you do all the practice tests in there. I scored decently 2390 after doing all practice tests and reviewing the questions I got wrong. Well, at first I would reveiw all the questions, but I ran out of time near the end so I decide to just review the ones I got wrong. Of course there is always the infamous korean sat prep classes which will suck your wallet dry.</p>

11

<p>I don't want to sound overly confident or anything, but I can almost assure that I can get over 2350. The only problem I have with the SAT is their vocabs, and I made all the vocab list for the last SAT testing (the May one that I haven't received score for yet) but didn't study it all. If my score isn't as high as I would like it to be (altho I think there is a chance that it is over 2300), then I will retake it and I think I actually can get over 2350. </p>

<p>Btw, I really would like to thank you guys for replying. =)</p>

12

<p>super reach
Harvard - ED
Caltech
MIT
Stanford
Yale
Princeton
match/reach
Cornell
Brown
match
University of Toronto
McGill University
University of Waterloo</p>

13

<p>Hey, aim as high as you can go, all I'm saying is that HYPSM admitted students have SATs that range a whole lot--but things like high class ranks are the only real constants. Get your score as high as you can get it by all means, but statistically high SATs after certain scores just become things to check off. The advantage of 2350 vs 2300 is virtually nonexistant when compared to 3.7 vs. 3.85. I'm not telling you to aim low, all I'm saying is that SAT scores past a certain threshold maximize chances in that respect.</p>

14

<p>I'll tell you what I tell most people: Look at your school records. How many people from your school got into HYPMS last year? What kind of stats did they have? Were they similar to yours? This will give you the best idea of your "chances," much better than on an online board where we have no idea about your school, etc. etc. </p>

<p>And stuff in elementary school doesn't matter.</p>

15

<p>Harvard does not have ED, just SCEA.</p>

16

<p>Well I don't know exactly what I am going to major in uni, but I know that I want to do something related to math/science. I think I read before that Princeton is good for math? What do you think my chance will be with Princeton ED?</p>

17

<p>To answer your question, it's MUCH harder to gain admission as an intnl. An intnl looking for aid is unbelievably hard. Have you read the intnl board here? In general, intnls who get into any US school (many with excellent stats do not) get into schools they would be way overqualified for if applying as an American. The guy who wants MIT ends up at Purdue. Many who do get in don't get the money they need and can't go. My advice is to go into this realistically. Post on the intnl board.</p>