My background is pretty special even for an international applicant. What are my chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi everyone!

My name is Jamie, and I am currently a freshman at National Taiwan University.
I’m looking to reapply (as part of the c/o '21) and need some advice.

Well, first of all…I retook the Taiwanese college entrance exams last year.
Even though I’m currently attending the best university in Taiwan, I still feel like something is missing from my higher education experience, something that I hope I’ll find elsewhere. This kind of background plus my status as an underfunded international student (I need a lot of financial aid!!!)…bars me from applying to many great universities like MIT, Columbia, Stanford, Princeton, and Johns Hopkins. In fact, it leaves me with only three choices: Harvard, Yale, and Amherst.

So, without further ado, my stats:

GPA: Sucks (3.5-ish. IDK yet, there’s a different conversion system here, and my high school grants admission to only the top 1~2% so there’s that too)

SAT: TBA, but I don’t think I’ll do too badly!

ECs:

  1. Venture Scouts (Senior Patrol Leader, which roughly translates to President?)
  2. Biology Olympiad (Made the top 5%)
  3. Finished a special 3-year program for students gifted in the life sciences, hosted by Taiwan’s best research institute
  4. Best Actor+ Best Script for an interclass drama competition
  5. 6th place at the government-held National Diplomatic Envoy Competition (It’s pretty complicated, sorta like a MUN+Quiz Bowl+Drama Competition)
  6. I tutor my cousin at no charge since her family is in a pretty bad place and can’t afford extra instruction
  7. I was part of an unofficial LGBT club at my school.
  8. I did triathlon in middle school, and have recently resumed training
  9. I speak fluent English and Chinese, and am currently learning French and Japanese
  10. Won the Dean’s Award when I graduated from high school
  11. I’ve climbed six mountains above 10000ft!

Others:

  1. I translated and published two books when I was in sixth grade
  2. I think my essay would work quite well. I wrote about my greatest passion in life (Medicine. No joke!) and was very, very sincere. No sob story, no bull.

Any comments would be appreciated.

2
  1. Ensure you're SAT/ACT comes in soon. Deadline is Nov. 1. and they would like to see at least 1.
  2. Don't add that you tutor your cousin, the common app doesn't really give space for one day things.
  3. Besides this, and your GPA, which isn't too bad, I'd say you got a great chance. However, only 5% get admitted and its really competitive, so good luck!
3

Thanks @johonmilla
I also found out about Penn and Duke, so I’ll be adding the two to my list!
SAT scores are out late October…I hope that’s okay. I’ll be taking the subject tests Nov. 5th though.

4

You sound like you’ll be a transfer student since you’re in your first year at the National Taiwan University? That makes your chances pretty much nil.

5

@anxiousenior1
Nah, I checked. If I drop out as soon as I make a decision it’ll be fine (<1 academic year)

6

Hi, I am currently somehow in the similar plight as you, though I am considering transfer. Sorry, but may I know what reapply (as part of the c/o '21) is. And how it works? Thanks.

7

@SAILORMOONMING

I’m going to start college all over again if I get accepted (I recently started college in Taiwan)
Every school has specific eligibility criteria so you have to check that out first before you apply. Good luck!!