My chances

Student Lounge International Students
1

hey guys,

I’m looking to take Engineering Degree in the States and Would Need Some Financial Support Badly.Badly. Gimme your Suggestions.

10th :98%
11/12: 85% [Class Topper]

SAT TOTAL : 2320 [MATHS 800]
SAT PHYSICS : 790
SAT CHEMISTRY : 800
SAT MATHS 1 : 800

ACT :35

Race: Asian

EC:
Table Tennis Player
Web Designer
Good at Drawing /Designing [State Runner up on Drawing Competition]
Science Club
Maths Club
2 Times State Science Fare Participant
National Talent Search Participant
National Maths Olympiad participant
‘Digest’ Talent Search State participant

Looking for : Harvard,Cornell,Princeton,Duke,Armhest,UC,CSC and if possible MIT or Stanford Or I would really like some suggestions.

Thanks

2

Are you in 11th or 12th?

You ought to have taken SAT Maths 2.

TT at what level? Participation in Olympiads doesn’t really count.

3

Harvard Stanford MIT Cornell Princeton Duke are VERY high reaches. PLus considering the fact that you need alot of financial aid, I`m sorry to say u have super slim chances :frowning: Cant say about the rest though

4

Don’t worry about financial aid for MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Amherst. They are need-blind.
(Although Cornell doesn’t guarantee to meet full need, it is still not a factor in admission).
You could also consider a couple more slightly lower reaches, like Columbia, UChicago, UPenn or Dartmouth (Dartmouth is need blind).

Suggestion : Don’t apply for financial aid to Stanford. There’s almost no way an international can get in with financial aid unless you are an Olympiad medalist (AKA Superhuman). Focus on getting in first and then worry about how you’re going to pay (you can take a loan, etc)

If you’re in 11th, pick one Olympiad for next year (maybe INOI, because the results come out early) and go all out at it. If you make it to the training camp, it can be a huge boost (MIT in particular loves INOI).

Do something innovative with your Web Designing (I’m assuming you’ve got a year left). If possible, find a way to tie it to one of your other interests. If you can hype it up enough, it will sound good.

The BIG hole in your application is the lack of social service, or at least, some indication that you want to contribute to the society or the world.

And of course, 85% is a bit on the low side, but if you’re the class topper, they should take it in the right context.

Good luck!

5

Oh, and seeing as you’ve participated in Science fairs, you might want to scrap the Olympiad idea in favour of something like Google Science Fair or Intel (for Intel in India, you need to start with the IRIS science fair).

Basically, your app is lacking something BIG that will set it apart.