<p><strong><em>Thanks for clicking, now stay to read?</em></strong></p>
<p>I am a 16 year old (Year 11) student in Australia who is extremely keen on knowing her chances at an Ivy League school. </p>
<p>I go to a prestigious, private high school in Sydney and my grades for the past few years have been a B-A range - which I have come to realize is hardly good enough. This year however, my grades have been almost all straight As and I believe I can achieve this in my final year of high school next year too.</p>
<p>I only realized the importance of ECs (extra curricular activities) end of last year. My ECs include:</p>
<p>-Tournament of the Minds (1 year)
-Football team (2 years)
-Touch team (finals for Eastern Suburbs, 1 year)
-FAPSA Australasian Philosothon (1 year)
-Mock Trials (1 year)
-SUSMAN - Model UN (1 year)
-Sydney Morning Herald Plain English Speaking Competition (1 year) - does this count?</p>
<p>As for community work:</p>
<p>-Elizabeth Lodge, aged care facility (2 years)
-Clean Up Australia Day (2 years)
-Red Shield Appeal (1 year)
-40 hour Famine (3 years)
-Various other charities...</p>
<p>Im confident about what my SAT scores will be and my HSC (High School Certificate) and quite sure I can reach rank 1-2 next year.</p>
<p>What am I lacking - what can I do in the next year or so? Do I stand a chance - assuming I will put every effort in the next year and end of this year?</p>
<p>I am seeking your expert, informed opinions :) Thank you very much for reading.</p>
<p>“Which schools specifically? Getting into Dartmouth is a lot different from getting into Princeton, for example.”</p>
<hr>
<p>Well, as one can imagine preferably Harvard, Yale, Princeton or UPenn - but I am currently having a hard time convincing myself I’d get into even Dartmouth or Cornell…</p>
<p>I think you have a decent chance at Dartmouth, at least. HYP chances are much lower. Plus, you are an international student, which puts you at a disadvantage, especially if you need financial aid. Your interests are really well-rounded, which is great, but I would suggest having a focus. In other words, what is your greatest passion? Try to convey that passion in your application/your essays. Also, what about leadership positions?</p>
<p>Other than that, keep doing well in school, beast the SAT, and write essays that really reveal who you are. Good luck :)</p>
<p>It would help if you posted a general range of your SAT score.</p>
<p>However, based on what you’ve made available, your chances are extremely slim at any Ivy. International competition at any of them is extremely intense. But even if you were from the States, your chances would still be slim because of the lack of involvement in ECs, average grades, and what seems to sound like a somewhat easy class schedule, although I know little of Australian schooling.</p>
<p>What can you do?
Stay involved, keep your grades high, get great standardized test scores. All is not lost. If a US education is what you really want, there are MANY other prestigious, rigorous universities in America. Be sure to keep financials in the back of your mind as well, some schools are less generous towards foreigners with need.</p>
<p>I think you have a decent chance at Dartmouth, at least. HYP chances are much lower. Plus, you are an international student, which puts you at a disadvantage, especially if you need financial aid. Your interests are really well-rounded, which is great, but I would suggest having a focus. In other words, what is your greatest passion? Try to convey that passion in your application/your essays. Also, what about leadership positions?</p>
<p>Other than that, keep doing well in school, beast the SAT, and write essays that really reveal who you are. Good luck</p>
<hr>
<p>I really appreciate your honesty and cant thank you enough for posting here!
i forgot to post some awards but I cant seem to edit my post…</p>
<p>Is there anything I can do to improve my chances at HYP? I am willing to do anything.</p>
<p>It would help if you posted a general range of your SAT score.</p>
<p>However, based on what you’ve made available, your chances are extremely slim at any Ivy. International competition at any of them is extremely intense. But even if you were from the States, your chances would still be slim because of the lack of involvement in ECs, average grades, and what seems to sound like a somewhat easy class schedule, although I know little of Australian schooling.</p>
<p>What can you do?
Stay involved, keep your grades high, get great standardized test scores. All is not lost. If a US education is what you really want, there are MANY other prestigious, rigorous universities in America. Be sure to keep financials in the back of your mind as well, some schools are less generous towards foreigners with need.</p>
<hr>
<p>Fair enough, thank you very much :)</p>
<p>I cannot post my SAT scores as I havent done them yet, I plan to do them in Nov/Dec. Its hard to do them in Australia where there is not much interest.</p>
<p>Yes, our school doesn’t offer very many subjects. What ECs do Ivys consider seriously as I do realize mines do seem rather unimpressive?</p>
<p>Again, the one glaring empty space: leadership positions</p>
<hr>
<p>Okay. i’ll have to wait till next year for the leadership positions to be announced, our school only allows Year 12s to be leaders of certain organizations.</p>
<p>However, I did become to founder of a group targeting discrimination this year - though I hardly feel that is an achievement…</p>
<p>You don’t need to have cured cancer, etc, but you do need to show commitment. Since you acknowledge you only got involved at the end of last year, it puts you at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>SAT wise, you’re going to need around 2200 and up to be competitive. There is always a shot at getting into some of the Ivies with good grades and scores, but for you, right now, I would suggest picking one or two, definitely not all of them. Use them as your reach schools. Sometimes dreams come true.</p>
<p>Take my advice of looking into other US schools if a US education is really what you want. We have no shortage.</p>
