<p>I see people getting 2300+ scores here like anything.
My first language isn't English and therefore my SAT CR and Writing were not that good. </p>
<p>So will i be given some leverage on that basis? I mean, my maths and SAT 2 scores are still somewhat respectable. </p>
<p>SAT - 1 - 2100/1440 CR - 650, Math - 790, Writ - 660 essay 10
SAT - 2 Physics - 800, chem - 730 (i changed to chem just two days before SAT 2 as i was originally supposed to give Maths IIC, but whats done is done)</p>
<p>2300+ guarantees nothing. 2100 is very good, yes it could be better but can you take it again? Math II tends to be easy but that also means that if you get one or two wrong, you are in the 700s. Most Ivies want two subject scores, maybe three, so you could consider taking the Math II.</p>
<p>I am not sure what you mean by leverage. If you are international, they will assume your first language is not English if you come from a non-English speaking country. If you are a US citizen, you should make sure that it is clear that English is not your first language. There are many people who are ESL applying to top colleges. </p>
<p>Your inherent problem if you are an international would be favoritism towards US citizens. My son is targeting an Ivy that is need-blind for US citizens, as well as those from Canada and Mexico. If you are not from one of those three countries, and you can’t pay your full way, you will find it more difficult to get in.</p>
<p>The Dean of Admissions who spoke to parents of Ivy legacies noted that test scores and GPA won’t keep anyone out unless they are below 25th percentile, but what gets you in is the essay, which shows the desire to go to the school and how much research you’ve done about the school, and the extracurriculars. Nothing is worse than to have 2400 SATs and no extracurriculars, and a generic essay. The understanding is that if someone can get 2100 on the SAT, and have strong extracurriculars that took up time, they can handle college.</p>
<p>The worse mistake any applicant can make is to apply to all the Ivies and other top schools, and write very general essays which prove they didn’t go beyond the homepage of the college website. This puts US citizens (and especially those in the Northeast US) and rich internationals who can afford campus visits at a huge advantage, who can visit the campus, and name drop campus sites and founders.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to pick a few schools that you really would want to go to - if it would be HYPM, then find out more about each school and make sure to include specific traits of the school in your essays. I was lucky, I had visited the college I went to as a junior and senior, as my brother went there, and my essay indicated both my enthusiasm and knowledge of the campus as a great fit for me. And my test scores were in your range, plus I was not in the top 10% of my class.</p>
<p>Remember that some schools are worried about extreme high achievers not fitting in with their general population, even at Ivies.</p>
<p>My top choice is Georgia Tech, my brother studies there and i love the city.
I am not an ivy fan. I ,most probably, wont get much aid from ivies (if they give it on merit basis), so I am applying to only 2 ivies. The problem is from where i come from, getting ECs is very difficult as we dont have clubs, or other things. Mostly schools are academic focused
and highly competitive. “You slack off, you come last kind” of thing.</p>
<p>Another possibility would be to work, whether or not you need the money (up to 10 hours per week, and less is okay if it is consistent). You could also do volunteer tutoring or something online to help others.</p>
<p>You have put your finger on one of the issues that international applicants have, why “dumber” applicants from the US or a handful of other countries get in and many higher-qualified academically internationals do not. US high schools have zillions of clubs and activities, plus youth sports of all levels is very common. And the point of going to college for many schools is to get a well-rounded education, not just academics, otherwise, just go to a trade school.</p>
<p>What you need to know is statistics for Georgia Tech:</p>
<p>Test Scores – 25th / 75th Percentile
SAT Critical Reading: 600 / 690; you are 650
SAT Math: 660 / 760; you are 790
SAT Writing: 600 / 700; you are 660</p>
<p>That means that you are better than 75% of the accepted Georgia Tech students in math, and probably better than half the accepted students in reading and writing. That puts you in a good position. Since they are a science and engineering university, you should stress any experience you have in those areas.</p>
<p>You can find out the same info for other colleges at: collegeapps.about.com</p>
<p>If you can’t visit the campus, watch online tours, read about the area the college is in, read the school’s online newspaper.</p>
<p>(I don’t know any Ivies that give merit aid. RPI is a very good engineering school that gives merit aid. If you want to know about merit aid, go to the school website and find the net price calculator (NPC). College Board also has many of them, and I believe they link to outside NPCs. NPCs are required by financial aid regulations.)</p>
<p>(but I do think that if your brother goes there, and is doing well, and you are famliar with the campus through him, you should not stress too much.)</p>
<p>Most Ivy League schools (Harvard, Princeton, and Yale in particular) are extremely generous in terms of Financial Aid and I believe most if not all are need-blind.</p>