What kind of Colleges can I get into? Do you think I can seriously consider getting into an Ivy?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hello,

I am an American, who has been living outside the US for the past 6 years. I am currently living in my 4th country that is outside the US. Over the course of these past 6 years I have been attending private international schools. Now I am a junior in Hong Kong, and have a current GPA of 3.6. I know it seems bad, but its higher than my schools average (its EXTREMELY academically competitive) I currently have an SAT score of 2030 (as of my first test), but I am pushing it to over 2100. ve been trying really hard to keep my grades up, as I have been constantly switching back and forth from AP and IB schools–so curriculums differ.

I think I have the potential of writing a really interesting personal essay as I am a second generation third culture kid. I want to pursue a major in political science and am exclusively looking at schools in the New England + New York region. What are my chances of getting in to an Ivy? I am aiming to take 6 APs by the time I graduate, all of them rigorous (APUSH, APWorld, APBio, APStats, APEcon, APLangLit) Do you think all this moving around will hurt me?

GPA: 3.6 (high for my school)

SAT: greater than or equal to 2030

ECs: moving around a lot has made it hard to keep my ECs consistent and take on leadership roles

     MUN for 4 years (leadership roles too)
     Cross Country 1 year
     Board member+founder of online school newspaper 2 years
    Reporter for school newspaper
     Student Ambassador 1 year
     Debate Team 1 year
     School Medic Team
     Regular participant in charity runs
     Honor roll student 2 years
    Treasurer of Interact Club 1 year
    Habitat for humanity 1 year
    Soup kitchen volunteer+coordinator 1.5 years
    UNICEF member 
    Elected speaker at various IB events
    .....

What do you think? Thanks!

2

Forgot to mention: I’m trying to get an internship with a senator this summer as well

3

The third-culture kid essay is one that a lot of people write, according to the GC at my school (populated chiefly with 3rd or 4th-culture kids, meaning he’s had some experience). It’s one of the first things he told me about essays (he advised me not to join the crowd).

It’s similar to the “divorce” essay: if you can write an essay that’s one in a thousand, do…but be aware that there may literally be a thousand of them among some colleges’ applicant pools. If yours is the 11th 3rd-culture-kid essay that an applications reader sees, he/she is liable to tune out.

In your time abroad, you must’ve encountered something new that you never would’ve seen in the US. Perhaps an essay on something you’ve seen abroad would work better than the sterotypcal essay on the difficulties of fitting into a new school in another country.