<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm at a local Taiwanese High School (everything taught in Chinese, BUT my native language is English and I learnt Chinese when I started High School, so my GPA is a lot lower than I'd like it to be, but there's nothing I can do about that anymore..)
I have ...
an unweighted GPA of around 3.0-3.3
SAT 2200/2400
IELTS 8.5/9.0
NO AP classes (my school doesn't have AP programs)
and A LOT of extra curricular activities..</p>
<p>What colleges should I apply to?</p>
<p>I've already applied to UCLA, UCB and UCSB (I know it's a reach with my GPA, but I do have a semi-valid excuse) I'm going to apply to Melbourne University in Australia, but I do want to apply to two or three more colleges in the US..</p>
<p>ADVICE PLEASE !!</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>I was born and raised in New Zealand, and I left in the middle of year 10 (GRADE 8 in the US) and I had a 4.0 GPA, and many national awards for piano, drama and dance.
I also represented NZ for hockey, and I was a member of the school swim team and orienteering team.
I’ve also done A LOT of volunteer work in Taiwan AND New Zealand.</p>
<p>AND I’m willing to take the SAT subject tests if it will boost my chances of getting into a good university…</p>
<p>SAT subject tests may boost your chances, especially if they show that you know the material well, and will confirm the idea that the lower GPA is a result of language differences. Beyong that, taking them will make you eligible for some colleges, as many require them. Without this, your application is incomplete. So yes, register for them ASAP.</p>
<p>I’ve read your story on another thread. I’m not an admissions officer, but I find your story to be very interesting. I know myself that if I was in your situation, I would find it very difficullt to keep up.
Admission to any highly selective school is never guaranteed, but I doubt that there are many applicants who have your background. I think it would be reasonable for you to include some highly selective colleges, with the chance that someone will recognize this as unique. You are female right? I would include some reputable women’s colleges on the list as well.
Other posters may not agree, but I feel that in some cases, scores and GPA don’t tell the entire story. That’s what the essays are for. As to fit, I recall your family wanting reputable schools, so a range of them from selective to less sellective would be appropriate. It’s up to you to decide how they fit. Since you have included California- consider Stanford, and Scripps College, take a chance at some of the Ivy’s if you want, but also don’t overlook the women’s colleges associated with them: Barnard, Wellesley.
The most highly selective colleges in the US are also among the ones that meet full financial need, so this list is a good reference. Most also require SAT subject tests.
[100%</a> Meet Need Colleges | CollegeGreenlight](<a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students)
While every student needs less selective colleges on their list as well, you’ve indicated that attending school in Australia would be preferrable to a less selective college in the US.</p>
<p>@Pennylane2011 - Thank you so much for your help!
I think I’m going to apply to Barnard College. But aside from the women’s colleges, what other “safety” universities should I apply to? I know that women’s colleges will offer me an excellent education, but I’d rather attend a male and female school…
BUT I am still applying to women’s colleges.</p>
<p>I also have a problem with the Common App, my teachers are willing to write reference letters for me to submit, but they’re not too willing to submit it themselves through their personal emails. (They’re all Taiwanese teachers so they don’t really understand English or the college admission system in western countries)</p>
<p>For this, contact the specific colleges and speak to an admissions officer. I think most of them have admissions personel assigned to a region, so ask who is assigned to yours. He or she may have some experience with teachers who are not familiar with or comfortable with the Common App.</p>
<p>Also ask about the teachers writing them in their native language. Every university has a language department and surely has faculty that can translate them. They may be able to write a more desciptive letter in their own language.</p>
<p>“Safety” is difficult to suggest. I think many colleges would admit you, but from your posts it seems that your family is also considering selectivity. I hope other posters can make some suggestions here. Perhaps some of the colleges that are excellent and beyond the top 30 would be interesting to you. If you were to apply according to GPA alone, these colleges are all reaches, but I don’t think that GPA is a real reflection of what yours would be if you were studying in your native language. The key is to apply to schools that would look at your record individually. These I imagine would be the smaller liberal arts schools: Williams, Pomona to name a few. Emory. Vanderbilt, UNC, UVA. U Michigan, Bates, there are many more. If you were to pick a college that is less selective than these schools are, it would be good to know what exactly you are looking for, as some may have programs that are appealing to you.</p>