Greetings!
I’m a UK student, born in Ukraine.
My stats: SAT 1540 essay 6/5/6
Subject Tests: Math 2:800 Physics: 740
Grades (UK has a different system) : AAA*A for Math, Further Math, Physics and Biology
Extra-curricular: School monitor (officially chosen for qualities, but really for commitment, sports, academia, and everything school-wise and also election); House monitor; Help younger years settling into school, Schools first team for cross country, academic scholarship in my school, done research project in physics (CREST SILVER), got golds in national challenges and main scientific writer for the school magazine, and some others. Do lots I’m school in subjects, so going to have very good recommendations, also I study in an independent public school.
Now to the question: in your opinion, what are my chances in admission at schools like Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, etc?
If you have your experience of applying from UK system you can also share it here
SAT Physics is on the lower side, especially if you’re aiming to go for that kind of major. ECs are fine, but nothing that stands out too much (however I can’t say that with complete certainty). Grades are good and SAT is fine as well. Overall, Harvard and Princeton may be hard, but a school like Cornell is definitely attainable. Good luck!
are your A-levels predicted or achieved? If achieved, you are likely taking a gap year? Either way, those are great scores.
Your stats are great and you have more ECs than most UK applicants. Not clear what you do with your summers, and they will want to know. All of those unis are very comfortable with the UK system, so no need to worry/wonder/explain on that front.
Do a little work to understand the differences between the schools- what they are looking for, what the structure is like, etc. For example, Columbia has a very strong ‘core’ curriculum. As you have been very STEM-y, you might see this opportunity to immerse yourself in some humanities as a welcome balance- or a less than welcome distraction.
If finances are the issue (putting the UK unis out of reach as an international student), and the US is the goal, you will want to add some less-famous schools who will welcome you with open financial arms.
fwiw, you will be compared to other students applying from the UK (not the Ukraine). Based on your thumbnail sketch, you might want to emphasize some of your breadth & community involvement- you have a lot of depth in STEM, but even your sport is very individual. Remember that in the US they are also considering what you add to the community. The schools you list are looking at students who have the stats you have AND something else. Whatever the AND is will be what tips the admit decision.
tl;dr: you are a credible candidate - and your chances are low. They are low for all applicants (you have done enough math to know that if a university accepts 6% of the applicants, 94% are rejected, and most of those rejected are credible candidates). International candidates are typically 12-15% of the 4-10% of applicants who are admitted, and that is who you are competing with.
Are your cross country times good enough to run in the Ivy League?
Many Ivy sports teams are crappy . . . . just saying that because you make it sound like they might actually be great teams or something. I don’t know about cross country, though.
OP – other schools outside of the Ivy league that you may want to consider include Ivy-level LACs.
- Amherst (sporty)
- Williams (also sporty)
- Vassar
- Wesleyan
- Middlebury
- Haverford
- Swarthmore
- Carleton
- Grinnell
- Wellesley (women only); Smith, Bryn Mawr; Scripps
- Harvey Mudd
- Pamona
- Claremont-Mc.
Other Ivy level unis–
- UVA
- UChicago
- UMichigan Ann Arbor
- UC Berkeley
- Stanford
- Notre Dame
- Northwestern
- Georgetown
- Rice
- Johns Hopkins
@Dustyfeathers I’m asking because if he is a recruited athlete his chances are much, much higher.
Thanks, I will probably put about service to the house and the younger years)
Don’t know, since I only run at school level, I will definitely check!
Ivy league sports are not crappy. They are division 1. They usually win a game or two in the NCAA tournament, get players drafted into the NFL and have you heard of the Penn Relays? In track and field I would say they are in the top tier. Yes it is not the level of elite athletes that get football scholarships at power five schools but they are not division three either.
Just saying sorry off topic I am just an Ivy grad. Also never be afraid to walk onto the field and try out at any level.