What are my chances for getting into top universities? (asylee student)

Chance Me / Match Me!
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i am a senior in HS at the moment and just wanted to see what people think about my application.

want to major pre-med (chemistry and mathematics if the school doesn’t have a pre-med program)

background/info about me: asylee/refugee
(3 years in US, 14 years non-US)
bilingual
muslim
income bracket: <$20k
documented gifted student (162 IQ) WISC-R test, took the test when I was 8.

academics:

gpa: 3.34uw (freshmen year is 2.7 because of my unexpected transition, was bit too hard to adapt as well, also started school 2 months late)

sat: took it 3 times
1st: 1450 (650 ebrw, 800 math)
2nd: 1490 (690 ebrw, 800 math)
3rd: still waiting for the scores (expecting high 1400s / low 1500s)

act:
will take one in February (some universities accept it)

sat subjects: 3 tests
math 1: 790
math 2: 800
chemistry: 750

ap: 9 aps by the end of high school
took ap world (4), apush(4), ap chem (5), ap phys 2 (5), ap comp sci a (4), ap bio (-), ap phys c (both courses) (-), ap calc bc (-), ap psych (-)

extracurriculars:
1000+ hours of recorded voluntary work.

organizer of a soccer sports league (also participated in tournaments)

raised $3k for African families in poverty (surgeries etc.)

speedcuber (rubik’s cube etc., and held two national records for my country for a year in 2018)

was a member of the mathematics team, science olympiad team, and international club.

worked at a store as a cashier for 3 years, worked as an IT assistant for 3 months.

awards: sadly, i only have one award that is actually recognized as an award.

national ap scholar

essay: is about my transition from my own country to United States, talks about how i had very tough responsibilities at such a young age. the main point of my essay is what I’ve learned from my transition and my experiences.

so, obviously, i don’t think my application is ivy level but i certainly believe i didn’t have enough time and opportunities to adapt, take care of my family, and also keep up with my academics and social life.

do you think i can get into top colleges? if not, what are my best choices? whats your advice to me?

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I wish you had provided your WGPA, as that does matter. Also, what your UWGPA was 10-12. Schools do look at how students grow academically, so I would not rule out the Ivies, but it will be tough, that said, you do have an interesting story and that may be a “hook” for some. My advice if you want a top university (maybe not an ivy) is to pick one with an EDII. If you are worried about financial aid, it is the one reason you can pull back your application, so don’t worry about that. Some top schools that have ED II are Colgate, Lehigh and Bucknell. There are others, but the main point is showing you are committed to the school, so pick the one you are most connected to. LORs will also be a big part of if you get in. Remember, there are so many “top” schools that if you apply to enough, someone will connect with your unique story and you should get a pleasant surprise. You test scores are great and will make you a candidate they will consider. Be sure, however, to select a few safety schools. Any school with lower than a 50% acceptance is not a safety, even if you are mid their criteria. We had a friend that met the criteria for 6 schools on her list, but all had selective admissions and she ony got into one, the one she liked the least of everywhere. She was waitlisted to 3 and did end up getting into Colgate from the waitlist after doing a lot of stuff to get in there. Lesson she learned was the overconfidence in the schools she thought she was a shoe in was not accurate. Find a safety you could live with and then spend your time on which school you should EDII to.

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Thank you so much for your advice, i really appreciate it.

My school doesn’t do weighted GPAs. My sophomore year is 3.57 and junior year is 3.74, i don’t know anything about my senior year. (I’m expecting a 3.8-3.9 this year)

And I was also thinking about applying ed2 to colgate or lehigh. I already have some safety schools in mind with 60-70% acceptances.

I will definitely consider your advice. Again, thanks for your help!

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edit: got a 1490 on the last sat (700 ebrw, 790 math)
superscore: 1500 (700 ebrw, 800 math)

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Congratulations! I just want to say how impressed I am by your story. I’m so glad you were able to find refuge in the US.

Have you already applied to some schools? Were your parents able to fill out the FAFSA? Do you have someone like a school guidance counselor helping you out?

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Yes, you should apply to several Ivy’s. They will probably be able to offer the best financial aid. By the way, are you aware that you can apply for free with fee waivers because of your family income?

Regarding EDII, I suspect you would find Colgate more generous with aid than Lehigh. However, Colgate is in a really remote, cold area. It’s beautiful though and has a super alumni network.

What about your state flagship? I would think you would be eligible for admission to the Honors College, which often means tuition would be free.

There are also one or two good schools you could attend absolutely free. When I remember the names, I will post here.

Remember to think of transportation costs. They can really add up, and it helps if there is a direct bus, train, or inexpensive plane route between your hometown and the college you choose to attend.

Again, best wishes to you.

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You may be interested to see that Colgate appears in an online site for which you can search, “The 25 Best Colleges for Pre-meds.”

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Thanks!

Yes, I’ve filled out my fafsa with my parents and already applied to a couple of schools.
I also apply to colleges with fee waivers.

I’ve applied to my state’s flagship university for a consideration for full scholarship.

I would be happy to know those one or two good schools you talked about :slight_smile:

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it a lot.

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Yes! Thanks for letting me know. I will definitely consider colgate.

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Based on your interest in competitive mathematics, consider Hamilton for a potential reach application:

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The two schools I mentioned are Cooper Union in NYC and Berea College in KY.

Cooper Union offers 1/2 tuition scholarships to all applicants plus would likely cover much more in your situation.

Berea is free; students work on campus in return. For example, many maintenance and housekeeping functions are handled by students.

Good luck and keep us posted!