What are considered as good extra-curriculars and can a good SAT and GPA make up for weak ECs?

Applying to College
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Hi, so I’m pretty new to the forum and I tried looking through the forum to find an answer but couldn’t find one since I think the question is slightly specific.

I’m a student from Hong Kong studying in the UK hoping to go to the US for college, my current SAT score is 1550 and my GPA (converted) would be 4.0.

I am looking to apply to 12 colleges in the US, and 5 in the UK which are all safeties. (80-90% getting in)

Reach: Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, UCLA, UCB, NYU, Boston College
Target: UVA, UMich, USC, 2 colleges from HK
Safeties: UF, 5 colleges from UK

I understand that most ECs are considered as good if they’re on a national level, or basically shows how much you stand out. However, since my school doesn’t have any sports team, I’m only involved in the school’s math team and competed in some national competitions but never achieved anything that special. However, I did win some regional awards when I was younger and in my previous school I was in several school teams for sports but never won anything as well. My current school are quite focused on our career pathways so I have done a few (around two months time) of work experience at several big financial firms, and going to do an one week work experience programme at JP Morgan (which got moved to a virtual programme) and a one month long paid work experience at a local financial firm back in Hong Kong. I’m in quite a lot of my school’s club and will be the president of the Econ club at my school next year, along with some local leadership programmes and volunteering every week.

Overall, I do quite a lot of ECs, but none of them are ‘impressive’ or ‘spectacular’ and since I never had US colleges in mind until the last year or so, I’m very unprepared in terms of ECs so I was wondering if my SAT or GPA can make up for it. In terms of my GPA, I’m predicted to get AAAA in my A Levels (which converts to a GPA of 4.0/4.0). I sat the SAT in march without much prep and got a 1550, and I’m hoping to retake it to push it to a 1580 or more (if situation allows), since I felt quite confident after doing more practice after I sat the exam (I couldn’t prepare before since I was sitting mocks at my school).

With all that in mind, my question is how weak are my extracurriculars actually and what can I do (especially with COVID-19 disrupting everything) to boost it. Also, would my SAT and GPA be able to make up for my weak ECs?

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I just wanna say that UVA, UMich,and USC are going to be heavy reaches for you, not target schools. I think you’re underestimating international admissions, especially if you can’t afford full tuition.

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If UF means University of Florida it is not a safety.

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Grades and test scores are baselines for highly competitive colleges. They are not enough by themselves, because almost everyone who applies will have similarly impressive transcripts and test scores. If those are high, the rest of your application gets a closer look, and it is the “everything else” which “makes or breaks” your chances at getting an acceptance.

It is not about one EC being better than another or the acceptance going to who has the most awards or the most impressive ones. Colleges want to get to know you, they want to see what you’ve made of the opportunities you’ve been given, and most importantly, if you are a match for the school. So it isn’t WHAT you do, but HOW you do it. There is a little bit of luck involved, as demonstrated the old story about an applicant being a top oboe player in year where the entire trumpet section is graduating or studying abroad, and the band department urgently needs admissions to refill those spots.

Pick ECs you love, where there is room for personal growth, personal challenge, and the potential to show your leadership qualities (which means more than winning a title!). SHOW (don’t tell) the college what you’ve learned and how you made the most of those opportunities.

EPopcornboy123 is right… some of your match and UF (your safety school) are really reaches… high reaches if you are applying for computer science or engineering (perhaps any STEM major at UMich). Assuming you can afford it, you’re probably going to have some excellent choices. However, you can improve your odds with more research and due diligence.

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OP- knock all your schools down a notch and then your scores and grades will be what’s most important. Harvard, Columbia, Penn-- they expect the top grades, scores AND all the other stuff.

What can you afford? Start there. Move away from the coasts and your international upbringing becomes more interesting than it is in Boston or LA.

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I think you’re underestimating international admissions, especially if you can’t afford full tuition.