<p>Hi I'm a high school freshman who really wants to succeed.
Do SAT IIs count a lot in your application?
Can you submit more than three scores?</p>
<p>all your scores are sent via the collegboard</p>
<p>Even though they say they'll take only the 3 highest scores, if you submit 7 800s that would impress them. On the other hand, people with lower SAT IIs also get in (like me - with 740/680/680). You can never predict what's going to happen.</p>
<p>yeah i had 740/640/640</p>
<p>for the previous two ppl you got in with those scores?</p>
<p>are you legacy/sports star? other crazy celebrity person</p>
<p>lol no. I am an international student which probably makes it even more difficult to get in.</p>
<p>I'm an international. My SAT II scores were as follows:</p>
<p>Chem 610
Literature 670
Spanish w List 710</p>
<p>I got in.</p>
<p>I'm of the belief that it's easier to get in as an international.</p>
<p>yeah right, only about 9% of all admitted students are internationals. if that's what you call easier...</p>
<p>Look past the figures.</p>
<p>International students - let's face it, we're probably smarter than the average American high school student (I'm now awaiting the abuse which is to follow). In my opinion we're in a better position to score highly on SATs etc.</p>
<p>International students add to the diversity factor. They basically need to pick a few applicants at least from most of the countries which apply, particularly freaky interesting ones, but also countries like England, China etc. As international students going to America, we have a broader outlook on differing societies and cultures, and a more global outlook, which is important.</p>
<p>As an international, you are really only competing with your region, not against Americans or other regions (diversity factor again - I think they split admissions into regions). I don't know which country you're from, but in England your average Joe isn't nearly as keen as the American applicants I've heard about or read about on CC. In my opinion internationals don't do as many ECs, and don't have as many national awards which seem so accessible to American kids.</p>
<p>A lot of international applicants as well have parents with interesting jobs, which again contributes to the diversity factor. Or maybe they go to unique schools... either way you're more likely to have something unique if you're an international.</p>
<p>International applicants also demonstrate a real drive to take their studies seriously, as they're willing to leave their comfortable home environments to go off to a completely new country to study at the best university in the world.</p>
<p>A lot of people are put off applying to America because of prices or because they are unwilling to explore a completely new country. This cuts down a lot of potential competition, who may well apply to universities in that country.</p>
<p>Which country are you from?</p>
<p>lol that's funny
so you say that :</p>
<p>"A lot of international applicants as well have parents with interesting jobs, which again contributes to the diversity factor. Or maybe they go to unique schools... either way you're more likely to have something unique if you're an international.</p>
<p>International applicants also demonstrate a real drive to take their studies, as they're willing to leave their comfortable home environments to go off to a completely new country to study at the best university in the world."</p>
<p>and then you say internationals are only competing against their region, which would eliminate those advantages because people in the same region would be similar i.e. internationals with all the qualities you enumerated. </p>
<p>I am from Bulgaria which is a really small country and yet we had about 80 aplicants to Harvard this year. We are all interesting with something, we all come from "unique" schools, and would certainly contribute to diversity. In the end only 6 were admitted and actually that's a big number considering we've had 1-3 students accepted in the recent years. So 6 out of 80 is not difficult enough for you? I imagine what it's like to apply from India or China...</p>
<p>Besides, it is not true that we are competing only against each other. Admissions officers assess the strenght of the whole applicant pool and keep it in mind when making decisions, which means that if there are no strong enough applicants from Bulgaria this year, they won't admit anyone.</p>
<p>You're right. I'm sorry I spoke.</p>
<p>Well I would have to say that even though they are not necessarily smarter then domestic applicants, international applicants must be strong if they are going to even try to get in. It is much more difficult to get in as an international then it is as a domestic applicant. Still it isn't a fair statement to say that international students are stronger then domestic students after all, the best students will get in no matter where they apply from.</p>
<p>I think international applicants arent "stronger", their strength is just more concentrated, ie theres none of the garbage applicants in comparison to the domestics, hence overall probably appearing a "stronger" pool. fundamentally, they only fullfill a certain purpose in Harvard's grand scheme of things, so yeah, if you know how to cater for that purpose, then you got 'em ;)</p>
<p>"for the previous two ppl you got in with those scores?
are you legacy/sports star? other crazy celebrity person"</p>
<p>Scores aren't THAT important...and theirs are hardly atrocious. Harvard and other schools routinely turn away people with perfect scores.</p>
<p>Anyway, mine were 740/760/790 and I was accepted. You need to take the SATIIs no matter what though.</p>
<p>Yeah i got in w/ those scores im no legacy/sports star/celebrity/ international student</p>
<p>SAT II are clearly not that important, I got 800/800/790 as an international student and only got waitlisted</p>
<p>What grade did you guys take the SAT II's in? Or does it matter when you take them?</p>
<p>i took mine at the end of my junior year, while all the AP class material was fresh in my head. i wanted to retake them but my parents nixed it...gotta love me caring WAY more about test scores than they do.</p>