Seniors at CC! URGENT!... I never had a chance to do ECs... SO WILL HYPSM reject me?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello everyone! This is an international applicant, hopin for a seat at HYPSM... AND YES, I AM A SENIOR! So the thing is this, I live in a small town in India where I have access to electricity only 12 hours a day. THERE ARE NO TENNIS COURTS, SWIMMING POOLS OR SOCCER GROUNDS IN MY TOWN. I never really had the opportunity to do <em>WORLD CLASS ECs</em> like nationwide MUNs, Olympiads and stuff. Please spare a moment and look at my ECs, and suggest if I should apply to HYPSM n Chicago! My academic stats are in the range (2200+ on SAT 1, 2290 on 3 SAT 2s, 95% in grade 10 and 44/45 predicted in IB)</p>

<p>GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITIES, HERE IS WHAT I HAVE DONE:-</p>

<p>• Successful completion of Personality Development course in Bhonsala Military School, Nagpur. (June 2005)</p>

<p>• Successful completion of the National Himalayan Trekking Expedition (Nature Study cum Trekking) organized by the Youth Hostels Association of India. (June 2006)</p>

<p>• Participation in the State level Table Tennis Tournament (Maharashtra) (2007)</p>

<p>• Teaching Math to Grade 6 kids of ‘Vidharbha Vanwasi Kalyan Ashram’- an orphanage established for the welfare of helpless orphans belonging to Tribal (outcast) communities. (2009-present)</p>

<p>• Participation in Tree-plantation drives and garden making. (2009-2010)</p>

<p>• Engineered school’s volleyball and football (soccer) grounds along with classmates. (2010)</p>

<p>• Service work at Help-age India’s Old age homes. (2010)
AWARDS:
• High Distinction in Australian National Chemistry Quiz (2005-2006)
• Certificate of Merit- General Knowledge (2005-2006)</p>

<p>• Distinction in University of New South Wales’ Science Quiz (2006-2007)
• Gold Medal in Inter-House Cricket (2006-2007)</p>

<p>• Gold Medal in Inter-House Cricket (2007-2008)
• Silver Medal in Inter-House Table Tennis (2007-2008)
• 2nd Position in Inter-School Table Tennis Team event (2007-2008)
• 1st Position in Inter-House Debate Competition (2007-2008)
• 1st Position in Inter-House Quiz Competition (2007-2008)
• 1st Position in Inter-House Extempore Speech Competition (2007-2008)
• 1st Position in Inter-House Sanskrit Shlok Recitation Competition (2007-2008)</p>

<p>• Silver Medal in Inter-House Table Tennis (2008-2009)
• 1st Position in Inter-House Debate Competition (2008-2009)</p>

<p>• Finalist (Top 20 all India level) in EF Tours Global Citizens Scholarship (2010)
1st Position in Inter-House Debate (a few weeks ago!)</p>

<p>EXPERIENCE:
• Captain of ‘Siddhi-House Table-Tennis Team’ at ‘The Jain International School.’ (2006-2009)</p>

<p>• Captain of ‘Siddhi-House Debate Team’ at ‘The Jain International School.’ (2006-2009)</p>

<p>• House-Captain of ‘Siddhi House’ at ‘The Jain International School.’ Had to resign from the post because I was elected to the post of Head-Boy two weeks later.</p>

<p>• Head-Boy of ‘The Jain International School’ in Grade 8 (2006-2007)</p>

<p>• Editor of D.Y.Patil International School’s official newsletter (2009-2010)</p>

<p>• Head-Boy of ‘D.Y.Patil International School’ (2010-present)</p>

<p>Bare in mind that most of these 'inter-house' activities were within my school's premises only! BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT I HAVE ALWAYS PARTICIPATED IN COMPETITIONS I COULD PARTICIPATE IN... IS IT MY FAULT THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WEREN'T CONDUCIVE FOR A LOT OF <em>WORLD CLASS ECs</em>...</p>

2

<p>You seem like a very good applicant for international competition so I think you should definitely give it a try, because if you don’t, you might regret it. And just a side note, my cousin went to bhonsala military school!</p>

3

<p>Oh that’s nice! But are my ECs even of the average applicant’s level!</p>

4

<p>They sound downright intimidating to me!!!</p>

5

<p>You mean my ECs are kinda ‘intimidating’?</p>

6

<p>Just bluntly tell me-Are they even respectable for an HYPSM applicant! Brusqe replies won’t hurt me, they’ll help me… PLEASE HELP!</p>

7

<p>I’m no expert by any stretch, but personally I think you have awesome ECs…I would certainly imagine that they would help you at HYPSM. Please bear in mind that I’m no expert. You may want to PM Northstarmom or one of the others who have mega experience in this area. But ISTM you have taken advantage of just about anything you possibly <em>could</em> have taken advantage of, given the circumstances. That’s why i said they were intimidating – my kids haven’t done a fraction of that kind of stuff.</p>

8

<p>You will be compared to others from your country, not US students. No college will expect US like ECs. So relax.</p>

9

<p>Hey, you should apply to wherever you want. HYPSM isnt the entire US college system. You appear to me as someone who has done scarce research into the schools and their specific nuances and instead merely apply to these schools based on the impression of them simply being the best colleges in the world-- with that kind of attitude I doubt their admission offices would consider you as a viable applicant.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I think your Ec’s actually look much more glorified and ‘intimidating’ than they actually are. Most of your ec’s are locally based, and because of that, there is no way for anyone to verify the accuracy of your ec’s. For instance, your ‘headboy’ status has no description of its connotations, and its dubiosity is further accentuated by the lack of information regarding how many people you actually ‘lead’. Coming from asia, I know most of the international australian competitions you took part in, and I especially know their generosity in awarding High Distinctions to most of the subject competitions.</p>

<p>I realize the difficulty you would have had in expanding your EC portfolio, and I think with the opportunities you would have had in India, your resume is a far cry from what it possibly could be. But none of us are perfect, and my ec’s are indubitably weak as well. Honestly, I would think you have a shot at HYPSM (not that they are must-go to’s), especially if you continue along the line of having a lack of opportunities in international competitions in India. But thats if the admission offices do not check your background in more empirical detail; if that happens I have a feeling that your statement would have backlashes.</p>

10

<p>relish12–I think you are being unduly negative, especially in your first two paragraphs. What is it about this board? Some people seem to like to go out of their way to dash other people’s dreams. Can’t help wondering what’s behind that…</p>

11

<p>I think what relish is trying to say is that all the Ivies are so different, and the people who apply to all of them generally appear to be more after a prestigious school than one that’s genuinely a good fit.</p>

<p>OP, colleges will take into account the environment you grew up in. If someone’s school only offers 3 APs, they won’t be compared to someone whose school offers 20. Similarly, you won’t be compared to someone who has EC opportunities thrown at them.</p>

12

<p>Okay… The thing all of you have said is that the colleges won’t compare me to someone who got better opportunituies! WONDERFUL! Thank you everyone for commenting.
@LadyDianski- Thanks a lot! :smiley:
@2college2college- Thanks! I’m relaxing now. :smiley:
@rebeccar- Ur info really helped!
@Relish- HERE ARE THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS-
1)Most of your ec’s are locally based, and because of that, there is no way for anyone to verify the accuracy of your ec’s.
WELL, I HAVE ALL THE CERTIFICATES AND PHOTOGRAPHS AS EVIDENCE. SO VERIFICATION WON’T BE A PROBLEM.</p>

<p>2) As far as the headboy status is concerned, I’VE LEAD 2 SCHOOLS AND THE FIRST SCHOOL HAD 500 STUDENTS! (THAT’S NOT An easy task)…</p>

<p>Having said that, I understand that my ECs are locally based, and most of the outbound ECs I have done were in my vacations. But other commentors have allayed my frayed nerves, in the sense that almost all of them seem to agree that I won’t be put to an undue advantage because of lack of opportunities… </p>

<p>I must reiterate the point that I did almost everything I could… RELISH-Please comment back! YOUR COMMENT WAS REALLY HELPFUL…</p>

13

<p>@LadyDianeski- Do you know the experienced Northstarmom? If you do, it would be really appreciable if you ask her to read this thread! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :D</p>

14

<p>I think OP may just be searching for commendation, attention, and recognition. Op says, “Never had a chance to do EC’s”…quite deceptive just so we could tell OP how excellent he is…</p>

15

<p>@dapotatoman- Don’t get me wrong bro… You don’t know my situation. No one knows anything about the American college system here. When I read that only OLYMPIAD WINNERS, MUN WINNERS and people with such ECs go to HYPSM, I thought my ECs wouldn’t stand anywhere… I was expecting for some help, but you are too superficial in ur reading… :(</p>

16

<p>You are a strong applicant and you have good ECs, but the competition among internationals is fierce. HYPS and M might all reject you. I’m not saying they will, but they might, so don’t let your quest begin and end with those alone.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

17

<p>Okay… At least I have a chance! Thanks…</p>

18

<p>I’m not sure if colleges care about inter-house events. Inter-school, yes.</p>

19

<p>Ok… Thanks</p>

20

<p>You will be a fine candidate- just understand how small a percentage of applicants are accepted. I believe you will be seen as an “angle” candidate- ie, one who is highly qualified academically but just does not have the typical American pattern of ECs. You will need to carefully organize the ECs you have, so they logically fit in the CA. No matter what relish wrote, you are clearly a motivated, involved kid. Lots of good in there- you have done some very interesting things. Good luck.</p>