<p>Hi, I just moved to America as a refugee from Nepal and I was wondering my chances @ the following schools:</p>
<p>New York University
Fordham University
Boston University
Boston College
Tufts
Cornell
Carnegie Mellon
Northeastern University </p>
<p>GPA: 3.75<br>
SAT 1: 1350 (<- retaking.. should get 1400-ish) </p>
<p>I`ve taken Honors and few AP classes:
9: gpa =3.7
10:gpa=3.5 (moved to U.S.)
11: so far 3.75</p>
<p>EC<code>s:
math team (10-)
track (11-)
asian awareness (11)
golf (10-)
amnesty int</code>l (11-)
Cultural Diversity (11-)
Leo Club (11-)
Model Congress (11-)</p>
<p>Volunteering, etc.:
200+ hours @ Yale New Haven Hospital
JOb shawdowing @ St. Raphaels </p>
<p>haven<code>t taken SAT II</code>s yet</p>
<p>P.S. Essays should be very good; recommendations not so sure since I just moved here.</p>
<p>It would be great if you could tell me what my chances in those schools (^) are.. thanks..</p>
<p>Tufts, Cornell and Boston College are realistic reaches - if you really prefer one, consider applying ED. </p>
<p>The others you have a great shot at. However, if you need substantial financial aid, you should look very carefully at some of the schools on your list and investigate how much the typical package will be. If you will be applying as an international student, this could be even more of an issue. Those are all extremely expensive schools and some do not provide very strong financial aid, even for US citizens. </p>
<p>If financial aid is an issue, my advice would be to cast a wide net - consider at least a few schools in other parts of the country that cost less and that tend to be a bit more generous with financial aid and merit scholarships. If you are deadset on staying in the northeast and money is going to be an issue, consider adding a few public schools to your list (The State U of NY system might be one option) A few Liberal arts colleges and less competitive smaller universities in the midwest and south might increase your chances of actually being able to afford school if that is an issue. Good luck!</p>
<p>cavalier302- It just seems compared to the other students posting, my grades seem mediocre, but thanks for the compliment. :) </p>
<p>carolyn- Thanks as well for the information. I'm planning to getting some sort of need based grant, but I dont know how much that will help. So I'm taking your advice and plan to apply to UCONN and other state universities as well.</p>
<p>At Tufts, applying ED will significantly improve your chances (I believe the overall admit rate is around 22% for liberal arts if you apply regular decision and around 34% if you apply ED; you can check around on the website - <a href="http://www.tufts.edu%5B/url%5D">www.tufts.edu</a> - to be sure). I can't really speak to the amount of edge ED would give at the other schools, but I'm sure that it will help quite a bit. If you really have no idea where you want to go, ED is not for you. But if I were in your shoes, I would really try to research (and if possible, visit) the schools that most interest you and if you can choose a favorite that you're sure you wouldn't regret being tied to (in the event of getting in), go ahead and apply ED there. Good luck!</p>
<p>Ohh.. well that will probably help a lot. But doesn't applying for ED require higher grades and SAT scores though? So will it be more competetive with ED?</p>
<p>It really depends on the school --- At some, you do get an advantage of applying early. Tufts is one school that likes to know they are a candidates first choice. At other schools, however, applying early can be as selective or even more selective as applying regular, so you will need to do some research. ED is NEVER a good choice if you want or need to compare financial aid offers, however.</p>
<p>Although some schools, Tufts included, guarantee to meet 100% of your financial need. It is important to realize that Tufts, for one, is not need-blind so this might hurt you in admission. I did not realize this until after I had applied and had been accepted (oops!)</p>
<p>ED is a bit more competitive but if you're in the school's league, they will probably not reject you but rather defer you to the regular admit pool. But the school will still have on record the fact that you had applied ED which shows that the school is your first choice and might still work as a boost in your favor.</p>
<p>The "moving to the US from Nepal as a political refugee" part of your application would be very appealing to some schools. The LACs come readily to mind.</p>
<p>I agree with dmd. I think with your status as an immigrant from Nepal combined with your stats, you'll be in almost everywhere. I like your ECs a lot, and they should help a little on your application. Your two biggest reaches are probably Tufts and Cornell, but you look pretty solid for them. Even without being from Nepal, I think you'd be fine. As far as financial aid is concerned, look up USNews' list of schools' average prices after grants.</p>
<p>.. well I feel much better now.. :) I just need to figure out the financial aid aspect of applying considering I can't afford all of the schools. Maybe grants will help a little.</p>