Torn between universities because of ACT scores (PLEASE HELP!)

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Right. So guys, I'm looking at UCLA, UC Berkeley, UChicago, CMU, Duke, Stanford, USC, NYU and Michigan Ann Arbor.</p>

<p>Here's my profile:</p>

<p>Scores:
Distinction in IGCSE (GPA = 3.93)
IB predicted: 41
AP 2 exams: Microeconomics = 4/5 Macroeconomics = 5/5</p>

<p>ACT = 30/36</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Tennis, basketball, horse riding, photography, theatre, MUNs, dance, movie making</p>

<p>Leadership positions:
Vice captain of the school quiz team
Security council President (this year), vice president (last year), best delegate (2 years ago) - MUN
Vice captain of the varsity tennis team
President of the farewell committee
Vice president of the photography club
Was vice captain of the junior varsity basketball team</p>

<p>Awards:
11 tennis championships - 7 time champion, 4 time runner up (singles and doubles)
2 All round excellence awards
1 academic excellence
1 computer wiz
2 basketball awards - winner and runners up
1 time long jump gold medallist</p>

<p>Additionally I work with 4 NGOs - 2 of my own. I'm an international student. If you can recommend any more colleges, I'd be happy if you do so. I'm just not sure of which universities to apply because of my ACT score (but that isn't the only aspect, yeah?)</p>

<p>What are my chances to get into the above colleges mentioned?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>With a 30 ACT, chances are dim. Try out for Tennis recruitment, you seem good at tennis.</p>

3

<p>The key question is: what’s your budget? Will you need financial aid?
If you don’t, LOTS of schools are possible, although Top 20 Universities/LACs would be huge reaches.
If you do, look for D3 Colleges that have tennis. Fill out the “prospective recruit” questionnaire on each college website for the sports you’re good at. Be ready to provide stats and honors and start working on a video. DO THIS VERY FAST since recruiting season is almost over. </p>

<p>UCLA, UC Berkeley,and Michigan Ann Arbor = 55K. reaches if you don’t need financial aid.</p>

<p>UChicago, CMU, Duke, Stanford, USC = high reaches. Apply only to 2-3 of those.</p>

<p>NYU = likely, as long as you have 50-65k for your education.</p>

<p>What other schools are you applying to/aiming for?</p>

4

<p>

That cost estimate is a bit optimistic. The current cost of attendance of NYU for an international student exceeds $75,000 a year, and will likely reach $90,000 a year before the OP graduates.</p>

5

<p>^NYU has been known for giving $20k in scholarships to international students it wants. Which of course is useless when compared to the whole cost unless one has a hefty sumn to spend.</p>

6

<p>There is no problem of financial aid, luckily it’s all covered.</p>

<p>I’d love to go to UCLA or Michigan but ACT isn’t the only thing to be considered right? My mentors do say my essays are turning out to be amazing.</p>

<p>Other schools I’d be applying to our UCSD, UC Irvine, UT Austin, Boston University and UIUC.</p>

<p>Am I just lacking the ACT score?</p>

7

<p>Can you retake that ACT? With that IGCSE scores and a predicted IB41, I’m pretty sure you could improve a bit. That’d make Michigan and UCLA more likely - right now, they’re high matches (about 50/50). NYU is a match if you can afford it, since you’d apply with your test scores only (they don’t require SAT/ACT scores if you can show national exam results and your current IGCSE and IB scores would qualify you directly.)
The rest of your application is very fine. :slight_smile:
Why aren’t you applying to any Top LAC?
Will you be applying to Honors Colleges?</p>

8

<p>Are you going to make this thread a 4th time?</p>

9

<p>Because you are an international student, your ACT needs to be at least 3 points higher. As of right how, every school you named is out of reach except for UCI and UCSD.</p>

10

<p>

How did you arrive at that conclusion? (Interesting if it were true, but it sounds like such a gross oversimplification that I’m having a hard time believing it.) </p>

11

<p>I just really wish I get in UCLA or BERKELEY OR UMICHIGAN</p>

12

<p>You can wish, but these are dream schools for tens of thousands of students (literally). So, while you keep one hand’s fingers crossed, with the other, prepare your other, more realistic applications.
For you, any school that admits fewer than 30-35% students is an automatic reach (as they are for almost anyone).</p>

13

<p>Do SAT 2s matter much?</p>

14

<p>Anything that will make you look competitive is important.</p>

<p>About “should be 3 points higher”. you are competing with both citizens and international students. It’s true that you have to have better score than majority of US citizen applicants. </p>

<p>Also, since you are an Asian(judging by your profile picture), the competition will be even more fierce in UC schools. </p>

<p>And I am glad that you don’t need FA, because then your chances will be even thinner. </p>

<p>P.S. If there is anything “optional” in admission requirement-like SAT II or stuff-just do it.</p>

15

<p>

That’s not true. Highly selective universities seem to admit international students separately from domestic students because they have a different target enrollment for each. Berkeley, for instance, was less selective for international students than domestic students in their first year of budget cuts because they really needed the additional tuition revenue from international students. (Now they seem to be more selective for international students again, probably because they are getting more applications from international students now.) </p>

<p>It’s too bad the UC Stat Finder is no longer online. It used to be possible to get admission statistics broken down GPA, SAT score, residence (in-state, out-of-state, international) and UC campus. Not anymore :(</p>

<p>Back to the topic: I also recall highly selective liberal arts colleges with limited or no financial aid for international students (e.g. Haverford) having international admission rates upwards of %50, way higher than their general admission rate. That was back in 2007 - 2009 when Peterson’s still published international admission rates separately from domestic admission rates. </p>