- International student - Northern Ireland with dual US citizenship
- attends best Grammar School in NI
- one of only 3 in her year to get all A*s at GCSE level - 11 subjects
(subjects at GCSE: English Language, Eng Lit., (Higher) Maths, Further/Additional Maths,
Religion, History, Health and Social Care, Physics, Biology, Chemistry (Triple Award), Irish Language
- has consistently gotten virtually all As since the start of secondary school so 4.0 GPA
- Currently studying Maths, Physics, English Literature, Psychology at AS Level (usual number of subjects at this point in High School in this country)
- Ju-Jitsu for eight years so far and is a black belt and Junior coach - several awards
- Worked at Burger King last summer
- Volunteered at Action Cancer the year before
* Participated in the Mock Bar competition with her school this year
SAT scheduled for this month - practice tests currently getting around 1800 - 1920 total
- Low income family
- Has always had a strong passion for wanting to teach at an elementary school level
*She has been encouraged strongly to apply to Cambridge/Oxford University by her school, but since she has always wanted to go to America , she was thinking somewhere like Harvard would be the equivalent.
- However she quickly realised her SAT scores and extracurricular weren’t really “good enough” for Harvard - is it COMPLETELY unrealistic for her to have even a small chance of getting in?
We need a reach (maybe Harvard?), middle ground schools and safety schools. What are your suggestions?
I think because the US has a bigger population she isn’t as impressive there as she is in Northern Ireland.
Any thoughts on what she should realistically aspire to and try for?
Should she bother doing the SAT subject tests (which are necessary for Harvard)?
Thanks 
Well, since her test scores are a bit below Ivy League norms, and she comes from a low-income family, and she really wants to go to the US for college she should try out public universities in the US. There are many good “public ivies” more like prestigious public schools.
She should apply to:
University of Wisconsin at Madison
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
Syracuse University (though it’s a private institution, her 1850ish SAT could get her significant money)
Penn State University at University Park
In general she will have a great chance at the national rank 40-50s universities. If she can get her SAT up to 1900 or even 2000 she’ll have ama zing chance for admittance and scholarships.
Also regarding applying to Harvard, it really depends if you think it would be worthe the money, for additional books for subject tests, sending scores, and if admitted high tuition.
Anyways, I wish her and you good luck!
I was in the same position as your daughter about 6 months ago; I got the same number of A*'s at GCSE and finished my AS’s and got all A’s as well. I spent at least 2-3 months revising for the SAT and after 2 attempts I could only manage a 2090 which wasn’t enough for the universities I was looking at, so for a last ditch effort I signed up for the ACT and with only about 2 weeks preparation scored a 34 which is roughly equivalent to a 2250-2300. If you aren’t aware of the test itself the ACT is considered exactly the same as the SAT by all universities and no universities have preference for either. I suggest taking the ACT as all the people in my year that were applying to the US struggled with SAT but drastically improved their uni prospects by taking the ACT. I can’t guarantee an instant success but I really feel that the ACT is better for students who’ve gone through the British system as it’s less tedious and more straight-forward. I really recommend you look into it as it seems the only thing stopping your daughter from potentially getting into a great school in the US is her SAT score.
Agreeing with braapbraap that the ACT is a good option for US colleges- it works very differently than the SAT. D1 nailed the SAT, D2 nailed the ACT- and neither did particularly well in the other.
The low income thing is worth paying attention to (particularly given your D’s objective of primary school teaching). Harvard, and a number of other top-tier schools (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission) are need-blind (ie, they won’t consider your need for financial aid in making the admission decision) and will meet your full ‘demonstrated need’- but that only adds to the pile of applicants. One warning: often, big scholarship/merit awards will be annual- and their assessment of your need each year can change. I know some people who were very happy with their first year packages, only to find that in year 2 it was not as good- small changes in your family circumstances can have a big impact. And, what should be obvious: watch out for aid packages that include loans. Also, application fees are high, but you can ask for them to be waived- it’s pretty straightforward.
When you are used to being the academic star, with Oxbridge/Harvard in your eyes, it can be hard to back up and re-examine what it is that you want from university. At Oxbridge, you study one subject in-depth, with other students who are also committed to that subject. At US universities, you generally study much more broadly, and the universities have a lot more variation in terms of style/structure/ethos/personality- and that can matter quite a lot. For example, here are takes on what it is like to attend Harvard as an undergraduate:
https://www.■■■■■■■■■/colleges/harvard-university/summary
and here is their take on Stanford:
https://www.■■■■■■■■■/colleges/stanford-university/summary
I encourage you both to read around on the colleges you are considering.
As for your original question- she should be able to get into some excellent US universities, possibly with the kind of aid that will make it affordable. But, IMO (and obviously I am not on the admissions committee!) your D will have a hard time standing out from the caliber of Harvard applicants: most of the applicants will have similarly impressive academic credentials and something else significant besides.
sorry, starred out letters are u n i g o (all joined up)
You should know that the Chances are usually like guessing game section of the forum, used for high school students socializing and a lot of the parents and educators on CC avoid this area. I look very rarely myself. It is like a place to discuss astrology and guess each other’s character traits based on sun signs and what is rising. You will do better to post in the College Search area or the Internationals area.
Yes her practice scores are far too low to be viable at the extremely selective schools that are need blind and meet full need for internationals. The scores can be very stupid but they are used to sort and that is that. There are schools that might give her money but will it be enough? Also yes she should take SAT II if she is going to make a through attempt to get into an American college. Some colleges that are small liberal arts colleges and still very highly regarded are test optional. You do not have to send if you don’t think it reflects your scholarship and ability. But you can send in the SAT II subject tests if you show well with those. Many of those schools give a good amount of funding to internationals.
While the public schools listed in your first response might be very nice, those will not give any money, much less huge money for an international or even out of state student.
Here are colleges to consider. While they do not all promise to meet need for international students (only 6 colleges do) some of them will for the right student,
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/professionals/colleges-and-universities-that-meet-100-percent-of-financial-need.pdf
Perhaps not the answer you want to hear, but I think she might be better off staying in the UK. Finding colleges in the US as a low-income international student is very hard, unless said student is a superstar in every aspect of his or her application, and could be admitted to one of the schools listed above as need blind and meets full need. She could apply to less-prestigious schools in the US and hope for a scholarship- but why do that if she truly bad a shot at Oxbridge? It would be, I feel, much cheaper and perhaps better for her to stay where she is. Then again, she could take the SAT and knock it out of the park. I second the advice of taking the ACT.
Ivy’s are not an option
I would go to UT Austin, UF, UW Madison, University of Alabama
chance me
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/17949766#Comment_17949766
I’m back! My daughter just got her official SAT results, and did a little better than I expected: 2050. I am very proud.
But let me point out that I shouldn’t have said she is an International Student - she will be considered a local student. She has US citizenship and we plan to move to whatever state we decide on a year before she starts college, so she can have some time off studying and she will be working during that gap year.
My daughter is what is called a “Third Culture Kid” - never fit in here in the UK due to my issues, mostly(!) and has always planned on moving to the US. Plus in Northern Ireland there are no jobs for teachers. 3 qualified teachers for every job. So she long ago ruled out staying here.
UF=University of Florida
Since you plan on moving to the US, which state would you like to live and work in?
Some possible advantages to Florida:
Many High Schools in Florida use the The Cambridge AICE Programme. You’re daughter would find it easier to fit (academically) into that program. It’s also recognized by the state of Florida, which means you’re AS test scores will be counted toward college credit (much like AP or IB test scores). For purposes of admissions to the Florida public (and private) universities, the schools would look “favorable” on the AICE program, as an equal of the more common IB program (it’s viewed as a rigorous program).
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/advising/info/AICE-examination-credit-info.aspx
UF is one of the top public universities in the country:
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public
More importantly, UF, and the other state public universities are very affordable for lower income students. Florida has very low in-state tuition (around $6,100 a year in tuition), and you may be able to qualify for the Bright Futures merit Scholarships (about $3,100 a year). Of course, the key is being classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/home/uamain.htm
Florida Residency Requirements for Tuition Purposes:
http://www.flbog.edu/forstudents/ati/resrequirements.php
Good Luck!
Should she consider North Carolina?