The Indian Thread #20

<p>Well I am taking math2c physics and literature in november.I am thinking along the lines of pre-law or physics.I’ll be applying to MIT,Stanford,Columbia,Penn,Brown,Harvard(maybe) and one or two safety schools.What about you tanarch?
@darkdown yeah,i lived in Ranchi for a year. And scams and underdevelopment are an integral part of the whole nation,we just can’t seem to get rid of them. :P</p>

<p>That’s quiet a list. I am applying to Princeton, brown, UPenn, Cornell, rice, cmu, UMich, Columbia & Barnard for Architecture. </p>

<p>@dark down - the good wishes were for everybody :)</p>

<p>@tanarch It is so because of the fin. aid that I need. I cannot apply to colleges that won’t meet my full aid. So UMich,Berkeley,UCLA,NYU etc. are out.
@darkdown I get 760-770 in physics and 800 in maths on sparknotes.I am not taking the chem test.</p>

<p>[CollegeData</a> - Prepare & Apply - Behind Closed Doors: The Application Review](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_getinarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10047]CollegeData”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_getinarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10047)</p>

<p>For all those who are applying here is another website which gives great info and tips.</p>

<p>Here’s somthing I want to share with you all. Especially the folks who got low SAT scores and automatically went “that closed my doors for the Ivies”. It did not. </p>

<p>The 8 Ivies or for that matter almost all of the top universities in the USA don’t think of SAT like we Indians think of JEE. If you get a low score in your JEE we Indians automatically start thinking of that person as someone who lacks the intelligence or aptitude to be deemed as a “genius”. But halfway across the world in the US people are not judged by a single score. Their application process is far more subjective than our’s. Simply because they take everything into account. If your scores suck but at the same time you’ve won olympiads, done research and stellar stuff like that, the Ivies overlook your scores. Out of all the people who get into the Ivies not everyone gets a 2400 or >2300s or 2200s. Some of them even get less than 1800’s. So don’t give up on your Ivy dreams just because you got a sub par score…</p>

<p>@phr34k: what about other liberal arts colleges and state universities? Do they also ignore the SAT score if it’s low and consider a strong application?</p>

<p>Hahaha at your toast :P</p>

<p>I do agree with phr34k, but - yes, there’s always a but - a good SAT score “showcases to your ability to handle course load to college” (Tufts ADC) and the most important factor “is your high school grades” (UPenn ADC) but you also should have “at least one strong pass-time (I refuse to call it extracurricular)” (Columbia ADC).</p>

<p>This is what I have heard at school over the last 1 month in school from the various Admissions Counselors at these colleges visiting us. Obviously, there are exceptions to the above:</p>

<ol>
<li>You topped the board in a state or the CBSE the nation.</li>
<li>You are in the top-200 sports persons ranked in the world in a particular sport. (Depends on the sport really)</li>
<li>You pursued a similar pass-time at a national or international level.</li>
</ol>

<p>Oh and one thing my school counselor - she was the head admissions officer at any Ivy - said is that the more interesting you portray yourself through the application.</p>

<p>And one parting tip from my side: The school wants a rounded school body more than they want a rounded student. Example, you have to choose between 100 good guitarists and 5 good ukulele players at Julliard.</p>

<p>Cheers people.Yeah,it will all be clear in 5 months. I wish I remain sane by that time. This application process is killing me already :/</p>

<p>Ditto to Tizil’s post. If you have a sub-par SAT (below 2000) /low subject SAT scores and you are applying to Ivys, you better be a celebrity (in sports or otherwise) . For people who have topped the board exams, your SAT score WILL reflect that.</p>

<p>And I know you were been facetious, but EC is not a time-pass. People who have real talent (music/dance/sports) spent an enormous amount of time and dedication to get to the national level. And being student body leaders in school shows your leadership, initiative. Spending real time at a charity/community service shows initiative and empathy to others and being “non-sheltered”. They don’t want you to bury your head and study here, they want kids who have potential to make a difference in and outside of your class room. </p>

<p>By the way, all of these apply only to the most competitive school. Of course if FA is not an issue, one could still get admission in mid-tier universities with a lower SAT and not much EC.</p>

<p>Check this out
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1112322-official-harvard-university-2015-decisions-thread-4.html?highlight=harvard[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1112322-official-harvard-university-2015-decisions-thread-4.html?highlight=harvard&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There’s a site stumbled across called ■■■■■■■■■■. It has a very interesting graph for all the schools showing the GPA and SAT score range of the entire class.
Here’s the link for Harvard-</p>

<p>[Harvard</a> University in Cambridge, Massachusetts](<a href=“Cappex”>Cappex)</p>

<p>Few of the accepted students don’t have high GPA or Sat scores.</p>

<p>@veethiv- state universities definitely don’t consider this. But if you haven’t applied for any aid a lot of the medium ranked universities may be willing students with mediocre applications, as after all they need money…</p>

<p>As for liberal arts colleges I don’t have that much of a clue.</p>

<p>@veethiv- state universities definitely don’t consider this. But if you haven’t applied for any aid a lot of the medium ranked universities may be willing students with mediocre applications, as after all they need money…</p>

<p>As for liberal arts colleges I don’t have that much of a clue.</p>

<p>Hi people,
I know I’m a late entry, but am finally glad to have stopped by this thread. I’m from Udupi btw. I’m aware a lot of you haven’t heard of this place. Anyway, I hope we’ll have a great year of admissions and acceptances ahead.</p>

<p>@akitheerp- Welcome. And I do know of Udupi; I lived for three years in Mangalore!
And like d&d(no offense!) said we all hope so!</p>

<p>I am in a big dilemma. I am applying for economics and I just can’t seem to decide what should apply to between UPenn and Columbia. I don’t know much about the kind of FA packages one gets at both the universities. I am slightly drawn towards Penn but at the same time I am attracted by Columbia’s location- NYC! So I can somewhat say that I am indifferent between both these. </p>

<p>So the only thing that matters is FA. I am looking for ATLEAST >80-85%. So CC’ers help me out!!</p>

<p>Thank you darkanddown and phr34k.
As far as anything regarding financial aid goes, Harvard has the best financial aid package of all.
@darkanddown - Columbia’s webpage says nothing of FA for international students. But I guess it’s the same for domestic and international’s.</p>

<p>As far as my knowledge goes, Liberal Arts colleges are generous with their aids. I am looking forward to Mount Holyoke or Bryn Mawr, but they do require a strong application. Hope everything goes well.
Good luck and best wishes to all of you applying there!</p>

<p>@phr34K - Dilemma between Upenn and Columbia. Apply to both. Were you thinking ED? I presume you are a strong candidate? Also I have said this before but if you live in a city that has US educational advisor (USIEF) <a href=“:: Welcome to USIEF ::”>http://www.usief.org.in/USIFContentPage.aspx?heading=Study%20in%20the%20US%20&ContentID=91&BannerID=6&openmenucode=0&parentmenucode=0&menucode=2&headingHead=2&lt;/a&gt;
please use them. DO not depend on CC.
About the cappex chart on low scores, remember the low scores are usually recruited athletes or some VIPs (legacy/famous people etc…etc).</p>

<p>Welcome Akhitreep!</p>

<p>I am glad to share with others here that I am (and my counselor as well -__-) finally happy with my common app essay!</p>

<p>Just 15-20 (something) essays left -.-’</p>

<p>@akitheerp: Welcome to the thread BTW what are your college choices?
@darkdown: I seem to be stuck on the essays. Haven’t written anything yet. And about that Columbia chat,how was it? Find anything bout FA?
@phr34k: Even my 1st priority is FA, so I am looking at the Ivies too. Also MIT and Stanford offer generous FA. Thought about them??</p>