<p>Please compare these two hypothetical students. They are applying to Harvard and MIT.</p>
<p>< A > She is an American student who goes to a private high school.</p>
<p>SATI: Math 800 CR 800 Writing 800
SATII Math IIC 630 Phys 630 Chem 630</p>
<pre><code> [ AP ]
</code></pre>
<p>Calculus BC 4
Phys B 4
Chemistry 3
Microeconomics 5
Statistics 3</p>
<pre><code> [ EC ]
</code></pre>
<p>Chief of the Student Council. (11th grade)
etc.</p>
<p>< B > She is an international student going to a high school where she cannot take AP courses but can take AP exams.</p>
<p>SATI: Math 800 CR 630 Writing 630
SATII Math IIC 800 Phys 800 Chem 800</p>
<pre><code> [ AP ]
</code></pre>
<p>Calculus BC 5
Phys B 5
Phys C-Mech 5
Phys C-E&M 5
Chemistry 4
Microeconomics 5
Macroeconomics 5
Statistics 4</p>
<pre><code> [ EC ]
</code></pre>
<p>Silver Prize in a National Science Olympiad (9th grade)
etc.</p>
<p>What do you think Harvard AdComs will think? What about MIT AdComs?</p>
<p>SATs usually have far more weight than the APs do.</p>
<p>1.) 630 on a subject test is pretty "bad" for both of those schools.
2.) Harvard would not like that the applicants took all sciences; not diversifying your interests and taking the hardest classes is usually a good way to get rejected from a school like Harvard, since most of applicants who do get in do challenge themselves in all subject areas. However, MIT typically does not care. I've actually heard of them rejecting kids who "didn't show passion for math and science" even though they had perfect scores on the ACT, SAT, and 3 SAT II's (kid ended up majoring in history at Yale, though. :P).</p>
<p>Anyways, A has no chance at either school. SAT II scores are too low, and AP and SAT I scores and ECs are not impressive enough to make up for them.</p>
<p>The international does not have a great chance at getting into Harvard, but they do have a decent shot at getting into MIT. However, at both schools, the applicant will be facing stiff competition from people other internationals who did better on AP tests, SAT I, etc. Also, keep in mind that the standards for internationals are usually much higher, unless the kid is rich or something like that.</p>