<p>Take a breather.</p>
<p>Those schools are NOT safeties, not by a long shot. They aren't even safeties for full-pay internationals/Americans. Let me state this loud and clear: AN INTERNATIONAL REQUIRING A HEFTY AMOUNT OF FIN AID HAS NO SAFETIES.</p>
<p>You'll be fighting tooth and nail for an admission. Your stats are quite fantastic, I agree. But they do NOT guarantee you admission to HYPM. Look up the stats of ajayc and shruthibaskaran. They didn't get in. That should just prove how arbitrary this whole process is.</p>
<p>Apply to a broad spectrum of schools. I'm Indian, so I know how everyone's telling you to shoot only for the top because you have such great stats. That's a nice idea - in theory. Reality ain't so kind. Even though you have a kick-ass resume, it does not guarantee you admission to a top school.</p>
<p>So, here's my post summed up for you:</p>
<ol>
<li>You have a fantastic resume</li>
<li>However, this doesn't guarantee you admission to the top schools</li>
<li>As an intl seeking fin aid, you face stiff competition</li>
<li>An intl seeking fin aid has no safeties</li>
<li>Apply to a wide range of schools...applying to just the Ivies is SUICIDE. Look at some 'hidden gem' LACs which will provide you with a great undergraduate education that will prepare you well enough to go to a top grad school.</li>
</ol>
<p>I know, the prestige factor might be holding you back from checking out those 'unknown' colleges, right? Well, you gotta let go of that. THE most important thing to remember when applying to a school that no one has heard of is - it's your life, not your friends', family's and teachers'. So if you think that this is a school that you'd like to attend if accepted with sufficient aid - go for it.</p>
<p>(I'm sorry if you found my post a bit abrasive...I tend to write like that when I reply to threads like this one)</p>