Hello,
I am a high school student entering my senior year and have a few questions about how competitive I am for a few schools.
My average is a 92 (91.79) which is a 3.95 for most universities (I am from Alberta so 85+ is an A/A+). I’m predicting a 1500-1580 on the SAT and an 800 on Math 2 subject test. I already took the SAT Biology and got an 800. My ec’s are defiantly on the higher end and I’ve got 5 letter of recommendation which I think are written very good (I can’t see them). Only problem is, I haven’t taken an AP class yet. I am taking 5 AP’s in senior year (2 online because my schools lacks a lot of AP’s) and dual enrolment (2 college courses). My school offers 8 AP’s. I am not sure if doing all this in senior year will amount to anything.
I want to apply to most ivies, duke, northwestern, UChicago, Notre Dame, and a few other top 15 schools. Am I competitive for these schools? I think my stats are strong but my AP’s are destroying me. Please be brutally honest. Also, where should I apply for early decision with the schools listed. I was thinking Northwestern; however, please let me know what you think.
Cheers
You are what I would call an “average excellent kid”. Your grades and SAT scores are great, but the top US universities are looking for that something extra - extraordinary extracurriculars, very rich or connected parents etc.
D16 had similar stats when she applied. She is a dual US/Canadian citizen and graduated from an Ontario high school. She had no luck with the top 20 US universities. She had better luck with the top 50-100. At the time, we were told that if your report card listed your grades in percentage, schools did their own calculation of GPA. They didn’t convert to a Canadian A/B/C and then GPA. A 92 would be about a 3.7 GPA.
In my experience with two kids applying to US higher institutions from Canadian schools, US schools don’t make allowances for the lower averages at Canadian schools. Your 92 will be compared to a 92 at a US school.
A 92 would not get you admitted to McGill in the most competitive programs.
You have not taken the most challenging curriculum at your high school.
Top 20 US universities would be high reaches or simply out of reach. And below the top 20 there is little or no financial aid available to international students so you would need to be full pay.
Have you noticed the price of university in the US, and adjusted for the current exchange rate?
Definitely apply to affordable safeties in Canada.
Be aware that graduating from a top university in the US will not allow you to stay in the US. You will be expected to return home after graduating.
Find out whether Canadian employers recruit from top US schools. When I graduated from a top US school, it was very, very tough for a Canadian graduating from university in the US to find work in Canada.
How does your 92 compare with other students in your high school? Where I went to high school (in Canada, but a different province and long ago) a 92 average would have made you solidly the top student in my high school. However, this may vary between then and now.
My teacher said top 3% but we don’t officially rank 
well no… My McGIll average is a 96.25 since they look at top 6 not all grades. I called most top schools they have admission officers for Canada who know the curriculum. I am not applying for financial aid.
well no… My McGIll average is a 96.25 since they look at top 6 not all grades. I called most top schools they have admission officers for Canada who know the curriculum. I am not applying for financial aid.
Today at 12:53 pm
I called most top schools they have admission officers for Canada who know the curriculum.
Your transcript is strong enough that they’ll read the rest of your application seriously. However, a strong transcript and test scores is just the baseline for the schools you list. Everyone who makes it to Round 2 and beyond is going to have that.
Hardly any US college wants to read five letters of recommendation. Pick a STEM teacher and a humanities teacher, and your guidance counselor (who has to check some boxes) and call it done.
Don’t sweat the APs. They are only one way of showing you took rigorous classes. If your high school only offers eight, the school profile is going to say that, and admissions will evaluate you in that context. It is a little late for you, but I would have advised you to check with your guidance counselor to ask if you were taking what the school considers to be it’s most rigorous course load possible.
“a strong transcript and test scores is just the baseline for the schools you list.”
Very true. Given the quality of the universities in Canada, I do not see the point of applying to US schools that are not at the level of the schools that OP listed.
I agree that schools in the US will be able to interpret Canadian high school grades. Also, I agree that the US schools are reaches, but probably reasonable ones (ie, not clearly impossible).
One thing that did not occur to me until I had a child in university in the US and another child in university in Canada: The Canadian schools seem to have fewer “outside of your major” requirements, which allows more classes to be taken in a student’s major. Whether this is a plus or a minus might be a matter of opinion.
Thank you. Can you read my updated and most detailed stats?
My average is a 92 which is a 3.95 for most universities (I am from Alberta so 85+ is an A/A+). I would be applying as an international student from Canada. I’m predicting a 1540-1590 on the SAT and an 800 on Math 2 subject test. I already took the SAT Biology and got an 800. I’ve got 5 letters of recommendation which I think are written very good (I can’t see them). Only problem is, I haven’t taken an AP class yet. I am taking 7 AP’s in senior year. My school offers 8 AP’s. I am not sure if doing all this in senior year will amount to anything. I took 3 grade 12 classes in grade 11. I am not applying for financial aid. I am an Indian male which, for some reason, is bad?
- I have been working at a daycare with children with special needs for 5 years. I helped in expanding the program and have gotten employee of the month 7 times.
- Digital Marketing Intern (2018) and I made a video for customer mapping which the company still uses
- Digital Marketing intern (2019) I made 3 videos (1 got advertised and hit 50k views) and I was the leader; I supervised 15 interns. I got an award for my success in geo fencing and helped enhance the company's website with the 3 videos (still used by the company to this day).
- Health Professions Club Leader (a club for kids interested in med. We have medical student mentors and go to different medical schools). 3 years.
- I learnt how to video edit on my own when I was 13 and created an online editing store so people could buy my project files and partner up with me. I made $15,000+.
- Math tutor for 3 years with an organization (primarily tutored children with special needs).
- Soccer 4 years (no awards) my team did win the city championship but no individual achievements.
- Taekwondo 4 years. Won 3rd place at a provincial tournament.
- Most likely going to volunteer at my local homeless shelter this fall (I HAVEN’T YET)
- Most likely going to start a club this fall (I HAVEN’T YET).
May I add I am applying ED to either Cornell Human Ecology or Duke. Am I being irrational applying?
Duke and Cornell are reasonable reaches.
Don’t start that club. It’s a waste of time. I wouldn’t start the homeless shelter volunteering unless it’s something you really want to do. Keep up the other ECs.
The TaeKwonDo and online editing store ECs should be at the top of your list.
Good luck.
“Don’t start that club. It’s a waste of time.”
I would not do anything for the purpose of applying to top schools other than fill out the application, and possibly visit and tour the school (except that the border is closed) and possibly take the SAT.
“Taekwondo 4 years. Won 3rd place at a provincial tournament.”
This shows commitment and the ability to excel.
“Math tutor for 3 years”
This is helping others.
I think that your ECs are great. Just continue to do the ECs that you want to do, understand that top ranked universities in the US are a reach, and apply to solid safeties in Canada. Also, keep an eye on your budget and remember the exchange rate is still not so good from your side.
And relax and have some fun.
Thanks for your feedback and guidance.
So the $15,000 I made from my video editing store, I donated $13,000 to the daycare I work at. This is to help parents with children with special needs pay their fees for the daycare during COVID-19. I put a lot of time into expanding the special needs program at the daycare. I didn’t think of it as being a big deal because I was already use donate the money, I just didn’t know where at the time. Does it look bad that I didn’t donate the other $2,000 (I really need the money for my college apps)? That is why I am hesitant to include this detail.
Would this be higher ranked on my EC list, more specifically over the Math tutor for 3 years?
No, it doesn’t look bad. I’d put the video editing store above the math tutor. I’d put it first.