OP is a US citizen living abroad
Those ECs, are they your individual pursuits? Eg, you like to swim versus being part of a team effort? Because, for a top tier college, activities aren’t just about what you like to do in free time, but how you choose to be involved.
The colleges are still interested in international diversity. The real question can be, what was OP’s competition for those colleges from other US kids living in Germany and how many did the colleges want/need to take this year?
I think it’s harder to get some true community service in parts of Germany. But it’s always possible to volunteer.
And remember, your full app is more than stats and some activities. They’re looking at your writing and thinking, recs, how you challenged yourself academically and how that relates to any possible major you show.
Thank you for all your responses
@Lindagaf, @clnation, @intparent Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that standarized test scores are merely used to see whether the applicant is able to handle the workload? I did get 34s and 35s on my practice tests; after I received my official 33 score most people here on CC advised not to retake and rather focus on my essays.
@momcino, @SouthFloridaMom9 Grad school might be a problem, as I would like to study medicine and the German medical system is really different from the US path (it only takes seven years here).
@oldfort, @SeekingPam I do believe that the lack of community involvement might have been an issue.
@SeekingPam The 35 on my ACT was the maths score.
@SeekingPam, @citymama9, @oldfort It seems as if I didn’t really qualify for need-based aid. But I don’t really believe the concept of need blind admission; after all, why would they ask for every applicant’s financial information without even knowing whether the applicant will be accepted.
@Lindagaf I do not have a problem with German universities per se; I just have lived here the last thirteen years and I really want to go back to the US. Also I fear that I won’t be able to do research here, as the universities’ endowments are rather meager.
@SeekingPam No I did not consider schools in the UK or Canada (unfortunately)
@Gumbymom I was well aware that all schools were reach schools; my safeties are here in Germany
@oldfort I am an US dual citizen and therefore not considered as an international (for admission purposes)
@lookingforward One of my interviewers told me that out of all students he/she interviewed here in Germany, he considered me the most qualified and also said so in his report. None of the other interviees got in.
Getting community work here is somewhat difficult; it is also not a necessity or really encouraged (I have never been asked or required to do any community service). But I should have been more proactive in that regard.
I don’t really get your first question?
The two unknowns are your essays and letters of recommendation. Given that German universities do not require LORs, perhaps your LOR-writers did not know how to write a convincing LOR.
Sorry, but that was your interviewer. Likely, he/he gave you a great report. The colleges value that “eyes on” view. But then turn to the rest of your app, itself.
About my first question: what do you do with your school? Are swimming, doing apps, etc, on your own? Because the non-UC schools will care every much how you engage with others. Sounds like you may have STEM interests? So what math-sci activities? Despite what many CC kids think- and despite the fun of doing apps- they are not a tip for that level of colleges.
Are you in a German school now?
@brantly Concerning the LORs: I specifically asked those teachers who did know how to write a good LOR. Furthermore, I walked them through the whole process (took about 4 weeks) and gave them supplemental material and example LORs. Moreover, I got to read all LORs and I am positive that they are not what kept me out.
Concerning the essays: the essays weren’t perfect, but they really showed my personality and background. I worked on them for ages; however, there is always the possibility that they didn’t really impress the AOs.
A 33 might get you in IF you had some amazing EC accomplishments. It isn’t just a bottom bar – it creates a hurdle you have to overcome by being amazing in some other way. Your ECs seem solid, but don’t have the sort of snap that gets the attention of admissions at those schools. My guess is honestly that you probably fall in the bottom half of their applicant pool – you were not close to admission, since they aren’t taking 95% of their applicants. I don’t think you understand how competitive admission to these schools is.
One reason they ask for every applicant’s financial info is because aid letters have to go out with acceptances. Since there is only a 1 month window to decide, and students also need to decide where it is worth their while to make accepted student visits during that month, they can’t wait to calculate aid packages.
I think you applied to too selective a set of schools. All would be considered extreme reaches for even the top US students without a hook, with somewhat of an exception for California residents for the UC’s. I expect you would have been admitted to at least one of the schools that are a little less selective like Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Emory, Vanderbilt, Rice, etc… , all that provide substantial need based aid.
Are you planning on practicing medicine in the US or Germany? You may want to do some research on the pre med forum. The question matters more than you think in terms of residency.
I have relatives who were born here but grew up in another country with an excellent education system (they are the opposite, they really are from the other country, their parents happened to be working here temporarily). Years ago One went to medical school in his country and then met an American and applied for residencies here. He had a bit of trouble getting one because he was considered an American who attended a foreign medical school. He is close to 40 now so times may be different. I think it all worked out but it was not as easy as he thought and he was not considered as highly ranked as he would have been in his own country. So this is something you may want to research. OTOH, I assume your german program is an admission to medical school. That is far from a sure thing even if you attend UCLA.
As a top student, even as a foreign graduate you will be fine coming to the US after medical school I would think. It is just something you may want research before you make a decision.
As for need, many people agree with you but I have a friend whose kid had good stats. They have some income/asset issues that require explanation. When she ran the NPC some schools would give her kid 30k in aid and others very little (for example those that considered home equity). So what she did was only had the kid apply for FA at schools that would give large aid and did not apply for FA at schools that would not have given much anyway (personally I think that was an idiotic system but I am not sure she thought it through). The result surprised her, the kid got in and waitlisted and rejected at a mix of schools. The results were similar and aid or no aid did not matter. So for example got in at Williams with full FA, got rejected at Amherst even though did not ask for money (NOT the real schools, I do not remember them). She was really surprised (and relieved because the school he ended accepting gave him aid). I think for top schools it really does not matter.
@lookingforward Oh ok. My school barely offers any ECs, so aside from the school orchestra and the app programming I do all ECs in extra clubs (so not really individual pursuits). Even the app programming I do with a friend.
I do realize that app programming is not that impressive, but I self studied everything at age 12 and invested a lot of time, so I thougth it was worth mentioning.
The chemistry shows, as well as taking CS courses at an university are my only math-sci activites. (It’s not like I had much time for anything else)
Yes, I am in a German school now.
@SeekingPam In Germany you start studying medicine right away; there is no such thing as a medical school. So if you are accepted now, you are guaranteed a medical degree (if you don’t drop out before).
Sorry I missed the dual citizenship part.
My younger daughter also applied from abroad as an American citizen. We moved from the States to abroad when she was junior in high schol. While abroad she also didn’t have a lot of ECs to get involved with. She had her ballet, photography, writing. We worked with a private counselor when she was applying to schools because I knew college counseling at her high school would be lacking. Without going into great details, the counselor helped her find ECs and volunteer work that would be of interest to her and would also help with college application.
@goldenmaster , it seems as though you will be going to college in Germany, and I am sure you will do well. Of course you are a good student, and I wouldn’t worry about research opportunities. I don’t think Europe is lagging behind the rest of the world in research. 
There is a good thread in the college admissions forum, the one your post is in. It’s called “The I got in without a 2000 SAT club” Have a sobering read of that. Literally hundreds of thousands of students around the world were disappointed on March 31, including my own kid. The difference is that she was 100% aware that her chances were almost 0%. She applied anyway, because you just never can tell how these committees will decide.
If you decide to try again next year, look up colleges with need blind admissions. There are many incredible colleges that aren’t called HYPSM that meet full need. They might really want a dual national like you. No doubt you have a good global perspective that many Americans are lacking. Good luck to you.
@intparent, if little brother also has the option of some good free German unis, I doubt that he needs match schools.
To the OP: what do you and little brother plan to do (little brother may not know yet). If it’s to practice medicine in Germany, then there was literally no reason to apply to American unis. If its to be a doctor in the US, many on here could have laid out a more realistic path for doing that.
Hey Goldenmaster - I know my post sounded abrupt and maybe a bit rude. I apologize. But I stand by what I said. A 33 Act score is well below what the Ivies are looking for. A 35 or 36 with everything else golden might not do it for an IVY. 33’s are standard in my upscale, NJ town where 99.% of kids are college bound and from wealthy families. My cousins are at a private school locally where a 33 would be embarrassing. Just sayin’. I do realize a 33 is somewhere in the 90 percentiles (low 90’s I’m guessing) but that, around these parts, is average.
But here is the thing. My dad went to an IVY medical school from a low tier, state school. He did well. He scored well on MCATS . He’s a sought after oncologist in NYC. So don’t worry. The biggeset thing for med school still is that you do well on MCAT’s. Know your professors and be known. You’ll be fine. The foreign piece won’t matter IF AND ONLY IF you perform well on MCAT’s.
Don’t sweat the EC piece, either. Every IVY realizes that being an American in Germany is EC enough:). That would have been a big plus and is probably HOW you got accepted into UCLA (?). IF you had been in any of the schools in my “county” no guidance cousenlor would have suggested wasting your application fee on an IVY. You would have been a strong, interesting candidtae at U of Chicago or Univ of Michigan or U of Rochester or UVA (University of Virginia). Maybe but probably not NYU. Maybe Wake Forest. Definitely not Duke. You could also transfer next year into A Williams type school - presigious but lacking diversity.
I hope you are not offended by my bluntness. Your school led you wrong. Now, if in Germany next year you do amazing research, discover something, build something, start something that has international meaning and importantance PLUS get perfect GPA - you might consider an IVY transfer or at least try. I still think you would be a hugely welcomed student at the places I mentioned and others that are just about as presigious.
Look - my aunt, uncle and sister went to Harvard. None of of them have done as well as my parents who went to college at schools you’ve never heard of ( that unpopular). You will be fine.
I don’t think you did anything wrong. The universities you applied to have far too many qualified applicants. Not all colleges care how enthusiastic you are about them. What they want to know is what you can bring to their community. When my older son interviewed at Harvard his interviewer asked him why he hadn’t applied single choice early action and he replied, “Because Harvard is not my first choice, I’d rather go to MIT.” I think Harvard liked that honesty and they were looking for more science/CS types that year because they were creating their engineering school and expanding the offerings. My best advice for applying to US school’s is what MIT says here: http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways
There is no real match school on the list. You should be happy to have one admission. Nevertheless, applying to schools without knowing the affordability is simply a waste of time and money. Are you sure any of these 7 schools are actually affordable to you?
On the other hand, your stat is just among average of applicants at these schools while ~90% of them got rejected anyway.