My chances at Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth ...

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am an applicant from India to the following colleges:</p>

<p>Harvard - EA - Deferred
Yale
Dartmouth
Duke
Northwestern
U Notre Dame
Lehigh
Stony Brook U
Iowa State</p>

<p>I have requested a considerable amount of aid at all these colleges, except the last two. I also understand that Harvard and Yale are need-blind for international students.</p>

<p>So here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT Reasoning Tests :
CR - 650 Math - 750 and Writing - 570 (potential threat to my chances??)</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests :
Math L II - 800 Physics - 800 and Chemistry - 790</p>

<p>My CGPA over the last four years is 3.92.</p>

<p>My recommendations were very very good and I was ranked 3/148 when I graduated, at one of the most competetive schools in India.</p>

<p>I also hold National Mathematics Challege distinctions over the last 3 years scoring 97,98 and 95 percentile respectively.</p>

<p>MY EC's -
I was the Soccer team captain at my HS for both the Junior and Senior years. We were the National Champions and State Runners Up in my junior year. We won the State Championships in my Senior year.</p>

<p>I won a National Public Speaking Competition.</p>

<p>Was on the School band as a bass guitarist.</p>

<p>I have tons of other activities that I am not listing here.</p>

<p>I guess my essays were pretty decent too.</p>

<p>Could anyone help me out with this and predict honestly my chances of admission? PS- the last two are safety schools and I guess I will make it to those two! In case you need more information please ask. </p>

<p>Best Regards
Sarovars</p>

2

<p>you have a nice range of schools, but still those SATs are pretty low. i think all of these schools are possible, but harvard yale and dartmouth not terribly likely.</p>

3

<p>Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Duke - Unlikely. Your SATs are not strong enough.</p>

<p>Northwestern - 40%
Notre Dame - 50%</p>

<p>Lehigh, Stony Brook, and Iowa - I'd be very surprised if you weren't accepted.</p>

4

<p>wow, you must have something going on to be deferred from harvard scea. those sats should have been an auto reject. i'm not sure that being south asian grants you any kind of urm hook. it only goes to show that as a deferred scea from harvard, you never know what these adcoms are looking for.</p>

5

<p>Harvard defers almost everyone that isn't accepted outright at SCEA. Very few are rejected outright. They take very few of those in the RD round.</p>

6

<p>I know that Harvard defers instead of rejecting. But I really doubt if SATs are the only measure!! Comon think about it the USNEWS College Rankings give the SAT Ranges as follows -
Harvard - 1400-1580
Yale - 1400-1580
Dartmouth - 1360-1550
Duke - 1330-1530</p>

<p>Thats the mid 50%. I bet there are student there with lesser SAT scores! These are stats for the Classes of 2009!!</p>

7

<p>Forgot to mention. my GPA is unweighted!!!</p>

8

<p>sarovarc -</p>

<p>Your SAT M+CR is well below the median for HYD and D. Kids with M+CR below the median almost always have to have a hook - athletics, URM status, legacy status, celebrity, some astonishing EC or talent - to compensate for their below average SAT score. Even though your GPA and class rank are competitive, your SATs are below the median and you don't appear to have the hook needed to compensate. Consequently, I think I am correct in saying it's unlikely you'll be accepted at Harvard,Yale, Dartmouth, or Duke.</p>

9

<p>OK well thanks ... :( .... Its a little heartbreaking but I can pray :)</p>

10

<p>u have a shot at Duke...SAT isnt everything... just wait and watch</p>

11

<p>Well thanks everyone who has helped out ... If theres anything you guys want to add feel free to add to this forum or email me at <a href="mailto:csarovar@yahoo.com">csarovar@yahoo.com</a></p>

12

<p>i think harvard yale and duke are going to be great reaches mainly due to your sat's and average ec's</p>

13

<p>I would have thought national distinctions in athletics and public speaking would be slightly above average?</p>

14

<p>I think you still have quite a bit of opportunity considering ur SAT IIs were amazing, and I'm don't doubt that your ECs are amazing, but many ppl will be in your situtation. And yes, you're right about international students. If ur recs were amazing they would stand out. Besides Writing, well they can't expect you to be terribly excellent in it, esp if ur a native from a foreign country. I mean I've spoken english all my life yet I live in HK where out school has NO focus on english writing, such as grammar etc.. its all on lit. So I can do lit but not writing unless its essays. BEST LUCK! I'm sure it'll all turn out great!</p>

15

<p>I agree with lily88</p>

16

<p>If you are good enough to be recruited as a soccer player in the Ivies, you will probably get in. Otherwise, I would say probably not. National recognition in a sport is only an advantage if it benefits the school, either on a team or in publicity (like the Olympics).</p>

17

<p>Hey lilly88 I used to live in HK, I was there till grade 9 @ South Island!</p>

18

<p>Northwestern, from my understanding, doesn't have much aid for international students. Unlike its domestic need blind policy, you're in a much more competitive pool if you're an int'l requesting aid. So that might be a major factor working against you.</p>

<p>Then again, nothing's for sure simply because, as you've stated, there are more ECs, and we don't know about your letters of rec and essays. Best of luck.</p>

19

<p>Outside of harvard and yale the rest of your schools are not need blind to international students so your ability to pay will be a factor in admissions. In addition you will be evaluated against the entire pool of international candidates, literally thousands of students vying for approximately 100 slots in each school. </p>

<p>I am sorry to say that many are going to bring stronger stats than you. Many will be of asian descent (which you are) and this is also going to work against you because even as an international student you are not coming from an underrepresented area. It will be an uphill climb</p>

20

<p>i know .. its tough i guess ... lets see how it works</p>