<p>I don't like putting in effort. I don't like working when I'm terribly uncertain of the outcome. I wish I could grab on to some security right now. Honestly, tell me -- is my dream of attending an Ivy too big for me? </p>
<p>I have little ECs, good but not best grades, no big awards, achivements, nil. I just have an SAT score of 2200: CR 730, M 740, W 730. It's going to be junior year (but i'm international), so is it too late to start planning? Or at the very least with my stats, will they.. outright reject me?</p>
<p>“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” - The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho</p>
<p>Hey! A number can’t define who you are (that number being your SAT score). If you did research, you’ll find out that the average SAT score at one of the top Ivies is 2170. </p>
<h1>2, Ivies are not the only colleges in the world! As an international, I know how prestige is all when selecting colleges. But if you get accepted, you might just find that its not right for you. Open up your search to great schools all over the country, that your stats fit in = SECURITY.</h1>
<p>Keep this in mind: Most billionaires dropped out of college. Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) attended Reed College. Have you ever heard of it? </p>
<p>All this aside, don’t give up your dream! And definitely read The Alchemist, its a great great book about not giving up your dream.</p>
<p>Pennaspirant, stay positive, do your best, and represent your true self to adcoms. The best is all anyone can do!!</p>
<p>And cafesimone, your comment about Apple’s CEO is slightly irrelevant, considering the fact that Reed College is a very selective LAC. In fact, an applicant applying to Reed may also be considering Brown, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. It’s just because it is an LAC that it is not widely known. Ask 10 random people if they have ever heard of Williams (The number 1 or 2 LAC in the country) and 9 times out of 10 you will get a blank stare. So just because you haven’t heard of the school doesn’t indicate prestige or quality!!</p>
<p>Back to Pennaspirant, don’t give up your dream!! Just do your best man!!</p>
<p>ivyleague, that is exactly cafesimone’s point. She is suggesting that Pennaspirant look at schools she may not have heard but are still very good, e.g. Reed. It’s not widely known, but provides just as good an education as many Ivies.</p>
<p>It’s a common myth (well, ingrained into society is more like it) that ivy leagues are impossible to get in unless you have a near perfect SAT score. Yet, if you look at the data, the 25th percentile is around 700 for most ivy leagues, meaning 25% have less than 700. It is true that 25% have scores 800 or nearly close as well, but it’s not completely like that. </p>
<p>What’s more important is the person behind the scores (trite, i know, but it’s totally true), passion, and desire to learn/go to the school. I’m not saying that all 2100 SATers should say what the hell lets go for it b/c of the percintiles, admissions are really good at telling whether you want to go the school for the prestige and not the actual eduation. I’m just saying if you have that score don’t get discouraged at all, just make your application shine and send it in. No hopes obviously, but give it your best.</p>
<p>lol I’m in almost the exact same situation as you(I haven’t taken the sat or act yet so not on that) but it’s scary how similar our situations are. Take the initiative to start working harder. I’ve already started volunteering and i talked to a friend about starting some clubs and things when the fall comes. just do your best. you don’t need ivies for sucess(but they sure do help) my dad is pretty successful IMO and his school only within the 110 of the nation. if you are in it for the money (which you really shouldn’t be but many are) you can just go to a descent college and move to somewhere in asia or the middle east, they really value most american degrees there and alot of countries there have no income tax</p>
<p>Why would you want to attend an Ivy League school, known for rigorous academics, if you want to put in little effort? Wouldn’t you be better suited for a “slacker” school?</p>
<p>I just want to clarify that I don’t mean that I am an absolute slacker. I just mean that the thing about Ivies is that even though I could have been president for ten clubs and gotten 932423 awards through great effort… it STILL doesn’t mean i will nessecerily (sp?) get in, right? I don’t like the fact that even if i did this and this, slaved my butt off and never sleep for the next 2 years it still doesn’t mean I WILL get into Harvard. Or any other Ivy. </p>
<p>I think that counts as being lazy. </p>
<p>Right now, my situation is such that I don’t really have ‘serious’ ECs; i just dabble in a few. So i don’t really know, I mean, if I start really putting in some tough work right now, can I get in? ;( and erm, how should i go about planning this? </p>
<p>haha yes i really appreciate all the kind comments (and not-so-kind, it’s ok ;D ) and will look into a few other schools… but there’s also the prestige factor. I agree with Ivyleaguewannabe. it’s kind of sad how people may think you’re stupid or worse, failed to get into a university back home just because you went to a less well-known but equally rigorous school overseas.</p>
<p>Well, what’s “good” but not “the best” grades? What’s your class rank? What “little” EC’s do you have? We need more details if we want to make an informed opinion.</p>
<p>Adding EC’s just to increase your chances at a particular school really isn’t the best idea. I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but choosing a college is a lot about the fit, and if you are involved in EC’s that you don’t like and that’s the basis for your admission, chances are you won’t fit at that school. Honestly, I think the best thing you can do for yourself is work hard and do things you like, and you’ll find a school out there that’s looking for someone just like you. It might not be an Ivy, but if you can live with slightly less prestige, you might just end up at a great school where you’re really happy.</p>
<p>atrophic wispher, hmm my school doesn’t rank. but i reckon, I’m somewhere in 25-30%, i’m really not sure. but my school, i suppose, is one you would call ‘magnet’ school? it’s one of the top here in singapore.</p>
<p>right now i’m involved in a club where we provide tech support for school events. yup. i do a bit of writing in my spare time. though i don’t have any awards for that, just a crappy essay that got published in the national paper last year. I’m joining a few essay competitions in the hope that i would win something. my writing is not bad, but not extraordinary either (I think.) yup, and due to my involvement in support for school events i’ve got some interest in photography. that’s it for my horribly weak ecs. </p>
<p>Can i mention I took japanese (on top of Higher Chinese, my mother tongue and english) during freshman year and the 2 years before? hahahaha right… I’ve kinda lost touch with it anyway. but this was the main reason why i didn’t have any tougher ECs during my earlier 3 years in this school. (from 6th -10th grade)</p>
<p>VF08, yes i’ve kinda thought about it, but it’s like i’m being such a disgrace to my parents and myself, if you know what i mean… ;( plus i need fin. aid to study in the states. so i’m looking at the eight needblind international colleges. nonetheless, i am seriously considering this as well. thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t even have a paper published lol. Anyways, do you have any other activities at your school that you feel mildly interested in? If so, just go ahead and check it out.
But I’m also a junior, so I should be discouraging you to avoid competition, right? ;)</p>
<p>well, just try whatever you can
but to be honest, if you really want to get into the top schools, you must really do well somehow, like suddenly becoming an academic superstar, getting SAT fullscores, winning some big competitions etc.</p>
<p>you won’t get in if you don’t apply – so apply and keep your fingers crossed. </p>
<p>that said, you’re interested in schools that attract possibly the most ambitious students in the world. given that hard work is not part of your personality – are the odds good that you’ll get in? probably not. are the odds good that you will be happy there? probably not either.</p>
