Long odds, but what's a girl to do?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Nigerian, just turned sixteen, finished high school this year, and I'm applying to four schools for a pre-med program (will be applying for financial aid. Low income family).
MIT: super super SUPER reach
Pomona and Notre Dame: Reach-ish, kind of match I think
Pepperdine: Sort of match/safety</p>

<p>I got 2360 on the SAT (800 Math, 800 CR, and 760 Writing); did the Subject Tests and got 800 in Chemistry, 770 in Bio-M and 780 in French (I'm writing Math II in January). My grades convert to a 3.9 GPA (my country has no honors, AP or IB, though I took the maximum courseload for final year) and I was in the top 3 out of 109 for six years.
I scored high disctinctions (A1) in all nine of my regional cert papers, and I'm self-studying for AP Chem, Bio, Physics B, Calculus BC and French Language in May.
Participated in several national math/science competitions throughout secondary school, and placed first in about six of them.</p>

<p>ECs:
Was on the soccer team throughout high school; made first team at the end of 10th grade, selected as co-captain in the middle of 11th.
Participated in an 11th-grade, 3-week sort-of-military leadership training course (Man o' War) that involved being sent out hiking with limited resources, taking initiative tests, a rotating officer schedule, civic ed, etc
About 90 hours community service in a local orphanage, summer of 2012. I work there Saturdays now.
First flautist in school orchestra, and president of the music club
Assistant editor of the school magazine
Yearbook and valedictory committees</p>

<p>SPOILER ALERT: I left secondary school a week before graduation. Forced withdrawal (the reason why is not particularly important: it wasn't drugs, alcohol, cheating, sexual misconduct, stealing, assault or any felony). So I don't have a conventional diploma, though I hold the regional O-level certificate, and I doubt I'll be getting stellar recs from my counselor.</p>

<p>Since leaving high school I've designed a database/interactive portal for a local school, tutored a couple of kids (nine and seven years old) for free, and I've been working on two medical research projects (on oxidative stress tolerance and improving the efficiency of bactericidal antibiotics).</p>

<p>Chance me? Please?</p>

2

<p>Hard to say without knowing what the withdrawal was about (political?)</p>

3

<p>Withdrawl is post 1201 here:<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-whats-good-81.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-whats-good-81.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And yes, she’s international.</p>

<p>Assuming these colleges all become very polite and look past the lack of a missing transcript:
MIT: Reach
Pomona: Low Reach
Thought you got into ND, but Match
Pepperdine: Safety</p>

4

<p>I’m sort of trying to figure out my transcript-less chances, if I scan and upload all my end-of-term results :/</p>

5

<p>And I might add Dartmouth to that list…</p>

6

<p>I’d suggest just getting unofficial grade reports (kinda like on the SAT), and sending them along with an explanation.</p>

7

<p>Wow. Not that many schools will accept students without a transcript. Do you have any old transcripts at all, even from previous years?</p>

8

<p>I have unofficial grade reports. Here we get them every term, on the school’s stationery and with the principal’s signature and all…there’s even a highest/lowest score and rank breakdown per subject…</p>

9

<p>Send those and pray. It’s sad you got sucked into this mess. You’ve got flying colors throughout.</p>

<p>Dartmouth is a low reach.</p>

10

<p>And if that doesn’t work, there’s always the GED: [International</a> Test Centers](<a href=“http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/internationaltestcenters]International”>http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/internationaltestcenters)</p>

11

<p>Oh my gosh, I just realized that there’s a whole bunch of stuff I forgot to mention here and on CommonApp <em>facepalm</em> Thankfully I’ve not submitted my apps yet!
I’m a short to medium-distance sprinter, was on the school’s official track team, though the interschool track meets here are epileptic (to put it mildly). Won a bunch of medals in intraschool meets though.
I also participated in my country’s 2012 Model UN - was nominated for Sec Gen, ended up director-general of a committee
And I was a member of my school’s chapter of Junior Achievement. I have never baked so much, before or after.</p>

<p>I just found out that Dartmouth requires a diploma :confused: so that’s one option blown, because I’m not sure I’ll be able to take the GED test in time (according to several websites they’re very strict about the January 1 deadline). I think I’ll take it though, just in case…</p>

12

<p>You cannot go about this the normal way. I suggest you contact some admissions counselors directly so you can explain your situation. An email explaining the basic situation (with your test scores) followed by a telephone call later in the day, might work.</p>

13

<p>@WasatchWriter That’s an interesting thought…someone said I should submit a normal app first of all, then start calling in…</p>

14

<p>I think calling is the important part. I don’t disagree that sending in the app first is a good idea. The counselor will need as many facts as possible to help you.</p>

15

<p>The only deadline I see is a change from one test to another, kind of like the SAT pre2006 to the one it is now.</p>

16

<p>Happy holidays, everyone :slight_smile:
@Buggie111 Thank you; I contacted the admissions office and they’re not really as strict as people make out.
Still, I have no idea how I’m going to pay CollegeBoard to send the extra score reports :(</p>

17

<p>Give me every possible detail about this event that occurred, your school’s rule book, and a month. I’ll bring them to their knees.</p>

18

<p>@arswan That’s a little extreme :D</p>

<p>Everyone, thanks for everything though. Just submitted my apps…time to cross my fingers for the next three months…</p>

<p>And happy 2014!</p>

19

<p>Do you still have time to send a couple more? I would, in particular, apply to Wellesley, Barnard, Scripps, Mount Holyoke, and/or Bryn Mawr.
If you are rather conservative (as Pepperdine and Notre Dame would indicate), look at other religious schools like Holy Cross, Wheaton (IL), Hope, and Calvin. Notre Dame is very bad at financial aid, so it may be a wasted application. Moderately religious but offering financial aid to international students there is St Olaf College (MN).
Many of these colleges have Jan 15 deadlines.
Send your transcripts in the mail after clearing it with the colleges you’re applying to.</p>

20

<p>hahaha I know. I was totally kidding.</p>