<p>All of the US schools you mentioned are at least very good for undergrad and some of them are great.</p>
<p>None of these schools are safeties for international students.</p>
<p>Now, you might well be admitted to some of the schools on your list. But if you want to be 100% certain that you can get your bachelor’s degree in the united states, you should add some true safeties. True safeties might include lesser state flagship universities, or non-flagship state universities, or private schools outside of roughly the top 80 in the US News rankings for both national universities and liberal arts colleges. </p>
<p>That’s likely where you’ll find your safeties if you are a strong applicant.</p>
<p>It can be a fun search. Good luck!</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats thank you for the breakdown! even with NOT asking for aid, is it still hard to get in? I thought that aid was a big factor in admissions? no need for aid = higher chances? </p>
<p>That’s nt the case for all schools. Some schools are need blind and don’t hold that against you. Even with not asking for aid, priority is given to American applicants, so you have to increase your test scores. Ideally, an int’l needs to exceed the average scores and GPA to qualify for admissions </p>
<p>“Super reaches” and “lesser state flagships?”</p>
<p>Good grief, what has become of the college admissions process? Looks like the goal of education and personal enrichment is now completely lost, or at least irrelevant. Sad.</p>
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<p>It is not necessarily a factor in the admissions decision per se. However, if you cannot afford to attend the school, then getting admitted to the school is of no use.</p>
<p>
Because top private colleges typically promise to meet the full need of every admitted student, requesting financial aid as an international student can sharply hurt one’s chances at all but about 5 or 6 elite private colleges. For example, Chicago:</p>
<p>*First year international students are eligible for need-based and merit-based financial aid. In fact, if you apply for need-based aid, and we decide to admit you, we are committed to meeting 100% of your demonstrated financial aid. For this reason, our process is need-sensitive. *</p>
<p>Where international applicants stand in the process otherwise is difficult to say, as much depends on geographic diversity. A strong applicant from an underrepresented country - say, Zambia or Turkmenistan - may well have a better shot than your run of the mill applicant from New Jersey. </p>
<p>Canadian applicants are a bit of a gray area at many colleges. Penn and Chicago, for example, give them financial aid like domestic students.</p>
<p>nervousfreshie, Queen’s, York, and Western are great options for business. If you think you can get into at least two of them, I think you’d be set for admissions. As AnnieBeats noted above, check out Toronto too; I’d also add McGill and UBC as possible options. Perhaps add another Canadian school to be super safe - Alberta or Simon Fraser or the like, perhaps. </p>
<p>The enormous cost differential between American and Canadian universities makes it difficult to justify attending any but the best US colleges, in my opinion, so it makes sense for an applicant to aim high. For now, however, focus on getting those scores up - mid-700s for each subject would make you a lot more competitive as an applicant. (Alternately, consider the ACT instead.) With the exception of that rather weak Math HL score, your predicted IB scores are pretty good. </p>
<p>Spend some time thinking about what you want in a university. Your list is all over the place, and some of the universities have virtually nothing in common. I’ve attended two of the universities on your list and have trouble believing most students would be equally happy at either. </p>
<p>@warblersrule thank you so so much for your words of wisdom! I really appreciate how you explained everything and it makes you sound not as scary as some of the more intense CCers 
I was just wondering if you knew really how competitive it is to get into a Canadian university? I’m a Canadian immigrant, so I don’t know if that will increase my chances of getting into a US uni? Will it even DECREASE my chances of getting into a Canadian university? I’m a canadian PR and I’m originally from an asian country (I can’t say or my friends will know who I am, but I am NOT from China, India, Hong Kong, Korea or Japan). The cost is one of the reasons why I’m aiming high for a prestigious US university. I have already asked once on this site, and most people said that if you can’t get into the top 30-50 US universities, that you are better off going to one of the Canadian unis as it is way cheaper.</p>
<p>In general, do you guys think I have a higher chance if I’m a Canadian immigrant, originally from an asian country (not China, India, Hong Kong, Korea, or Japan)? Also, does being a ‘traveller’ help? (I have lived in quite a few different countries since birth; perhaps it can make me seem like I’m knowledgeable in different cultures?)</p>
<p>thank you so much!</p>
<p>What advice is your HS counselor giving? Where do other students from your HS go to college? It sounds like you will want to be more knowledgeable about Canadian colleges and applying to those in addition to applying to US colleges.</p>
<p>@SOSConcern my counselor only gives us advice on Canadian universities (canadian HS duh) and he is not knowledgeable in anything concerning the US universities. I think he knows as much as how to fill out the common app. He tries to discourage us from applying to US universities because Canadian ones are ‘so much better’ according to him.</p>