<p>Okay, I know it seems really snobby to ask only about arguably the most prestigious colleges, but I live in India, and my parents think going to the US for studying is not worth it if it's not somewhere really really good, because then I'll just get in somewhere in India. So I've prepared a list of things which will help you assess me, and please just be open and realistic :) Thanks a lot. Also, a few things are different in the Indian system, I hope I do a good job of explaining myself.</p>
<p>Gender: Female, Ethnicity: Asian (Indian), Location: Kolkata, India.
No income. No siblings. Parents married and both working. </p>
<p>SAT scores: Math: 800 Critical Reading 800, Writing: 790
SAT subject tests: Haven't taken them yet, but expecting pretty good scores, have prepared a lot. I'll be taking Literature, World History and Math II.</p>
<p>Subjects at School (unlike US schools, we have pretty much fixed subjects for ninth and tenth, and more specific ones for eleventh and twelfth, I should tell you that Ivy League admission boards are familiar with that): 9th and 10th: English, Bengali (2nd Language), Math, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography
11th and 12th: English, Bengali, History, Political Science, Economics, Mathematics. (We can choose between Science, Humanities, and Commerce streams - We can't take a combination of pure science and an arts subject)</p>
<p>School: My school is a 180 year old, very prestigious school in India - La Martiniere for Girls. It follows the ICSE board.
Class Rank: 10th out of 140, 1st in the Humanities stream</p>
<p>Predicted scores from mid-year report (out of 100): English: 95, Bengali: 88, Political Science: 96, Economics: 95, Math: 98, History: 96</p>
<p>You should know that in school, things like theatre and band are extra-curriculars only, and not available as a 'subject' as such.</p>
<p>Possible majors: Economics (most preferred), History, specifically modern, English.</p>
<p>Languages fluent in: English, Hindi, Bengali, French (from Alliance Francaise)</p>
<p>School leadership posts:
Junior Prefect (10th grade)
Senior Prefect (12th grade)
Captain of Charnock house (There are 4 houses - like teams in which everyone is assigned from 3rd grade, it's pretty hard to get captain) (12th grade)</p>
<p>Other school clubs and activities:
Editor-in-Chief of School Magazine (11th Grade)
President of Quiz Club (12th Grade) (Quizzing is a very regular activity in India)
Head of Press Corps for School Model United Nations (12th Grade)
Member of Model United Nations Club (You can be an officer in only one club)</p>
<p>Other Extra-curriculars:</p>
<p>Grade 8 in Piano with Merit from Trinity Guildhall Board, London. (That's the highest grade)
Preparing for Diploma.
5th Year in Dance (Bharatnatyam) from Pracheen Kala Kendra. (Bharatnatyam is an Indian Classical Dance - 6th year is the highest that can be done, it's an official board)</p>
<p>Regular participant in Athletics meet every year since 3rd grade- Have placed in several 100 metre sprints and high jump.
Regular participant in Elocution since 5th grade, and represented school on many ocassions- Have placed in English and Bengali.
Regular debater at school. Member of Charnock house debate team.</p>
<p>Won numerous quizzes. MANY quizzes. It's a pretty mainstream activity in India, and prestigious. I don't know how to put that through, though.</p>
<p>I sing quite well, and have been called to sing or play the piano at many inaugural ceremonies.
School pianist - We don't have a band, but I am always the one to play at school programmes, I have also played every year at World Music Day Celebrations.</p>
<p>Spelling Bees - Placed among top three on many occasions, won a National Level Spelling Bee, and Came 3rd at an International Level one.</p>
<p>Creative Writing - Placed in almost every school creative writing competition since 3rd Grade, Winning it at 4 occasions. Proven by my Ed-in-Chief position and Head of Press.</p>
<p>Community service at All Bengal Women's Union - for underprivileged Girl child.</p>
<p>Teacher Recommendation: I'm thinking of making my Economics and History or English teacher write them. I'm close to most teachers except Math, who's new. And the teachers like me, so that's not much of a problem, I just hope they can express themselves well with it :D</p>
<p>Essay: In India, especially in Bengal and some other parts, there exists a mentality that the best careers are in Engineering or Medicine. Or at least pure science. Now, it exists in such a weird way that all the aunts and uncles and grandparent like people..basically everyone over 50 asks a high school person questions like 'Doctor or Engineer?' and 'You're taking Science right?'. It seems funny, but the amount of pressure created on most people is ridiculous. Many students are forced If you take Humanities in Eleventh grade, it's automatically presumed that you're not capable of taking Science, that you don't have enough brains for it. I plan on elaborating on that, and then on writing about how my Grandfather, in whose generation EVERYONE is biased about subjects and sort of looks down upon those who are pursuing 'dumb' or 'not-requiring-brain' subjects like English or History (I plan on writing about my experiences with those people too). I want to write about how he helped me make my decision of what I wanted to pursue, and supported me and encouraged me, while I was almost being coaxed into taking up Pure science. It might be a bit of a culture shock, but I intend on explaining it well. That's my idea. - It's kind of like a significant person who changed your life or something. i think I can pull it off pretty eloquently.</p>
<p>Just be realistic and tell me about what you feel my chances are :) Thanks a lot for reading this whole thing.</p>