<p>Wow. Wellesley seems amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before.
I’m not particularly conservative 
I picked Pepperdine because several alumni from my high school are there and they recommended its biology program, and ND is, well, ND. I think I’d find people to fit with anywhere.</p>
<p>Okay…now I’m panicking.</p>
<p>I registered for the January Math 2 test through an agent (Collegeboard has very strict restrictions on candidates from Nigeria). There I was, checking my account day after day for my registration to pop up, so I could manage my school list and all…</p>
<p>…nothing.</p>
<p>I started calling the agent, and they assured me I’d been registered and it probably just wasn’t linked to my account because of a difference in data or something, and that I would get a link to my admission ticket in my inbox. Fine. </p>
<p>By the end of last week, still nothing.</p>
<p>That was when they ‘remembered’ that they’d registered me for May instead.</p>
<p>Which is, frankly, ridiculous.</p>
<p>Seven frantic calls to Collegeboard later, I’ve had it drummed into my weeping head that there is no way to change my registration this late. So I have no chance of writing a Subject Test in Math before the admissions decisions come out, and it’s a requirement for MIT. What do I do? It’s actually a nightmare :’(</p>
<p>The schools you list are all high reaches for an international student requiring high need. Even those that are need blind to internationals may have international quotas, and I do not know where Nigeria falls in all of that.</p>
<p>That said, if you get your things together, you do have a better shot than a lot of students with the courses taken and your test scores. And perhaps Nigeria is an under represented country. If your are URM that can also up the odds.</p>
<p>However, if you really want to study here in the US, I suggest you add some schools to your list that are much less selective and would really love to have your high stats in their mix as they are seeking that, and will be amenable to paying for you. I’m talking about schools that are not listed right up there in the top 100 in rankings. You are highly likely to get some generous offers that way.</p>
<p>Can you take the test as a “standby”?
If not then you should cross out MIT and either hope to get into another school,
or take the test in May and apply next year (do not take college classes after graduating high school).</p>
<p>Have you paid the agent? Because this should be reported somewhere so that it doesn’t happen to other applicants.</p>
<p>Get to someone high up at Wellesley and tell them the story from post 1201. They will be ALL OVER that. They LOVE to see a strong woman break all the rules. I’m totally serious. The president’s name is Kim Bottomly.</p>
<p>And given that story, I don’t know why you’re applying to Notre Dame. It’s a great school, but Catholic identity is very central.</p>
<p>I would contact all the main women’s colleges (Wellesley, Scripps, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Barnard) and explain your story in detail. Some are bound to react positively.
However, do so very quickly.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634: I called the MIT admissions office, and they said they would still consider my application (apparently I’m not the only applicant in this position this year). Hopefully my math awards will sort of make up for it…</p>
<p>@Pizzagirl: I don’t know, I did incorporate it into my supplement essay 
I might call in, though</p>
<p>This is an odd case and I would recommend talking to am admission counselor directly about your situation. That being said, your test score is excellent and I don’t think you should have much difficulty gaining entrance!</p>
<p>And by the way, my college list changed quite a bit, but I can’t edit my original post
In any case, here are the schools I applied to:</p>
<p>MIT
Notre Dame
Dartmouth
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley
Pomona</p>
<p>I know Catholic identity is central at Notre Dame, but one of my brothers is a sophomore there (he’s an agnostic) and he’s never had any religion-related issues. I dropped Pepperdine for that reason, though; it seemed a little too…over the top.</p>
<p>The “religion related issues” may be different for a guy and for a girl - but I suppose you’d want to be around your brother, too.</p>
<p>True, that. But his best friend (who’s a girl) is a Muslim, and she hasn’t had any problems either. From what I can gather, the Catholicism of the university is obvious, but not in-your-face.</p>
<p>As an International needing financial aid, things are going to be tough for you, no way around it. I assume you are black (Nigeria), you might want to try the University of Michigan, they are desperate for black students.</p>
<p>Mandalorian, UMich costs $50,000 for internationals, and no financial aid…</p>
<p>It’s weird - I never thought of myself as low-income until I started applying to colleges in 2012. Anyone who could pay $50000 a year on one child would practically be living as a king here. The difference in costs of living is astronomical.
Dartmouth and MIT and need-blind, but of course they’re super-competitive. Pomona supposedly is as well, but I’m not too sure about that. As for ND, WUSTL and Wellesley, they have commitments to meeting the need of everyone who’s admitted, but I understand finances may affect my admissions decisions. Still, I got into ND last year with the same finances, so… :/</p>
<p>I have a young friend who is attending Notre Dame and is definitely not Catholic (Baptist I think) but no religious identity issues either (actually know more than one person from ND - not a big deal at all).</p>
<p>Catholics barely consider ND a Catholic school. You would be fine there.</p>
<p>I realize it’s probably too late for this year, but how do you feel about an all-women college? I really think, from reading your story, that you would fit in at Wellesley, Smith, or Mount Holyoke. They are all schools that celebrate diversity and strong, gutsy women.</p>
<p>According to the Common Data Sets, Wellesley and Smith do NOT require a high school diploma or GED…</p>
<p>I apologize if I missed it earlier, but do you have a planned major yet?</p>
<p>Staceyneil, I applied to Wellesley! I put everything I had into that essay - it’s actually the school I have highest hopes for…
And I want to go into medicine, but I don’t have any concrete major yet. Neuroscience looks good, and I’d love a creative writing minor.</p>
<p>Been a while…
Just wanted to say I’ve just about given up. Apparently my principal refused to release the school’s letterhead and stamp for my transcripts/recommendations. He actually called a staff meeting and warned them not to write any recs for me. But a couple of teachers submitted online anyhow and said damn the consequences. One of them - my physics teacher, he’s retiring this year - went to confront him over it and asked him if missing a year of school wasn’t enough punishment. He said no, it wasn’t.
So if any of these colleges contact my high school I’m doomed, basically.
I’ve withdrawn my MIT app - no paper recs - and Notre Dame’s about the only school I have any hope for. The lady at the Wellesley desk sounded sympathetic, though :/</p>
<p>jewelessien, this is really terrible. I hope the Wellesley admissions will come through at least. This is really a situation where women’s colleges should step in.
:(</p>