<p>@Lookingforward- Thanks a lot! Cheers :D</p>
<p>nishadpotdar-I kind of get what situation you’re in, I did two years of high school (9-10) in India and there was such a big focus on academics that ECs got a bit neglected. I was in Delhi though so it’s a bit different from your situation. I was involved in a lot of things, but barely any on a national/international level. However the schools you’re applying to get a lot of applications from all over the world since they’re so well known so they have definitely done some research into schools in India (since they get so many Indian applicants anyway). At this point they’ll care less about whether you have world-class ECs and more about how you took advantage of the facilities you were offered. Ask you counselor to explain your situation-that’s basically what their job is when they write your ref. Remember, it’s about making the best of what you have and that is what will appeal to the AdComs-that you involve yourself in the community as much as possible.</p>
<p>That said, I would like to bring up what relish12 said-have you looked at other schools in the US? I know HYPSM are the most well known but they’re admissions decisions are incredibly arbitrary-I’m only applying to one of the ‘Big Three’ and the rest of the ones I’m applying to are equally amazing schools that I would love to go to. Do you have backups if you don’t get in? Do keep in mind there’s a slim chance for anyone to get accepted into these elite schools.</p>
<p>I still think you should give it a shot. Your grades are excellent and ECs aren’t the most important component-write a great essay, get good recs, send off your apps and don’t worry about it too much. Good luck!</p>
<p>@ARUNEMO- Thanks a lot! But again, I do not have a counsellor 
My attitude too has changed now. I’ll apply to these schools, but i’m also lookin at these:-
REACH SCHOOLS-
Colgate
Grinnell
Swarthmore
Bowdoin
Pomona
Macalester
Haverford
Davidson
Claremont Mckenna </p>
<p>DREAM SCHOOLS-
U of Chicago
Columbia
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
MIT (Doesn’t accept the common-app)
Dartmouth
Williams
Amherst</p>
<p>Wow, you’ve got a lot of work lined up for you there! I hope you’re not thinking of applying to ALL of them because then you’ll burn out before the application deadline! (Not even joking, I’m applying to seven schools and it’s already torture with the IB and SATs and everything). I’m applying to Colgate! Great school 
and Macalester is a safety for me, and probs for you as well since it’s not as competitive as schools in the East (it’s still a really good school though).
What subjects have you taken in the IB?</p>
<p>I don’t get it-why do you say you have no ECs? What do you think an EC is? I see:</p>
<p>1) Table Tennis
2) Cricket
3) Debate/Speech
4) Science Quiz Competitions
5) Head Boy
6) Various community service projects</p>
<p>Under each of these headings, you list your title or position (if any), the years of participation, and any awards won.</p>
<p>@arunemo- Yes! I will trim this list soon… My IBs are:
HL: MATH, PHY, ECO
SL, ENGLISH A1, HINDI B, CHEMISTRY</p>
<p>@M’s Mom- That was a catchy headline to get CCers interested. But my genuine concern was that I didn’t do the kind of ECs an American does… And most commentors here have answered my question by telling me that my ECs are ‘decent’ and that I won’t be disadvantaged due to lack of opportunities. That’s what worried me!
THANKS A LOT!
I WILL USE YOUR FORMAT :D</p>
<p>…Looks like you’ve got plenty of EC’s to me…</p>
<p>Thanks Turbo64!</p>
<p>pfffft. international applicants always stress too much. and when they’re all excellent applicants as well. your EC’s are amazing. relax.</p>
<p>Haha! I almost laugh at myself when I read this thread now. LOL! ECs do not matter unless they are done with full conviction. That’s all I know. Many people would do loads of ECs because opportunities would be thrown at them. I don’t think that counts much. On the other hand, if someone really puts his/her heart and soul into a couple of activities and has a long-sighted vision of the learning outcomes/experiences of those activities, then the colleges are bound to like that applicant. </p>
<p>I participated in debates and public speaking not because my teacher forced me into it, but because I have always wanted to a persuasive speaker, someone who can use the acquired skills to influence public policy and governance when he grows up (mostly in economics).</p>
<p>I also didn’t teach Shanker and Aniket (my Math students in an orphanage) just for the sake of highlighting it on my Common App or earning IB CAS credits. I did it because I grew up in in a rural part of Central India where twelve-hour power blackouts, mass suicides by poor farmers unable to pay their bills, and attacks by Maoist insurgents that kill innocents are facts of everyday life. I wanted insights into the lives of the oppressed. I wanted to know their problems, first hand. And I also wanted to help them, to be their teacher and mentor. </p>
<p>As far as my college app decisions are concerned, with these <em>decent ECs</em>, 2 800s on SAT IIs and 44/45 predicted on the IB with a 4.0/4.0 GPA, I have thus far been rejected by MIT and UChicago. Still waiting on other great schools. I hope, really hope, that some good news comes my way. Even if it doesn’t, I know why I was born. I know what I have to do. And I will keep fighting! Thank you everyone for your help. You are wonderful people!
Cheers!</p>
<p>Good luck with the upcoming decisions/results and with the oh-so-fun (riiiiight) IB exams this May!</p>
<p>You’ve done some really amazing stuff with the resources you’ve had, and a 44/45 predicted IB is…well…nothing short of exceptional.</p>
<p>Props to you, and keep up the amazing work :)</p>
<p>Thanks RedSeven! Yeah, IB Exams are gonna be fun :D</p>