<p>Hey guys
I am an international student intending to major in computer science. I have an average of 19.3/20 (#3 in 75), I scored 800 on both Math II and Physics SAT Subject and am still waiting for the SAT results (hoping for 800 math and maybe 650 cr and writing). I didn't take any Honors or AP since there are no courses like these in Portugal, however I am enrolled to two courses (Math and Physics) offered by universities. One weekend a month, 16 hours fully focused on the study of these contents (university level).
I participate on EYP sessions. It's like MUN but from the european parliament and I have even been selected to represent Portugal in two international sessions (Belgium and Latvia). I have developed lots of skills with the project, mostly posture and argumentation.
Alongside with the scientifics course, I am in a music conservatoire, also taking a high school course. Currently I am on the senior year (8th grade), playing classical guitar. I am submiting an arts supplement of me playing.
Due to my deep studies on math and science, I have earned a place on the national final of both chemistry and math olympiads.
I also have received a WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) certificate of merit in the category of design for a project I've made on the 9th grade. I work frequently with digital arts. I also programme.
My recommendations were given by my english teacher (responsible for eyp) and my maths teacher, so I can asure they are very good.
I also play tennis (3 hours a week), completing the well-rounded student profile.
I tried to reflect my creativity and love of creation on my essays. The common app essay is about a music festival I've been to, where I can compose and improvise due to the ambient that surrounds me. I've also included a bit of my philosophy on perfectionism on it. On the Writing Supplement essays I constantly try to describe an experience I am having this year. I lost the student council elections as president of my list, however I didn't give up and I am forming an independent association that will promote events and several other initiatives among the regional schools (concerts, dances, workshops, newspapers, lectures, debates,...). I think this can elighten my entrepreneur side.
Lastly, as almost every other Ivy applicants, I volunteer. 1 hour a week, 40 weeks a year. Humble initiatives, most of them at school or regional level.</p>
<p>So basically I would like to have your opinion on this. I currently have 10 universities that have a good major on computer science and are available to offer me financial assistance. I have already applied to Harvard under EA, but I am not with great hopes since I missed lots of points on the app. I will also repeat the SAT and take the TOEFL in january. The opinion I am asking is basically which universities should I apply to. I don't want to write writing supplements for all 10, but I still want to enter the best university possible. For example I won't just apply to Princeton because I know there is a high chance of not entering as I won't just apply to Cornell because I may not be able to receive full financial assistance as I won't just apply to NYU because I believe there is the possiblity of entering a better university.
Basically the list is this (in order of preference):
Stanford
MIT / Harvard (tie)
Princeton
Cornell / Yale (tie)
Columbia
Chicago
Caltech
Penn
New York University</p>
<p>Thank you guys!</p>
<p>Just stressing that Harvard, Princeton and Yale will not base my admission in being an international student asking for financial assistance. Cornell and NYU won’t either however they don’t assure me they will offer me full support according to my need. The other universities will offer me full support if I enter, but they will base my admission in the fact that I am asking for aid.</p>
<p>You might want to make this easier to read, maybe try listing your ECs instead?</p>
<p>To clarify: your English is fine, but people might not want to read through big paragraphs</p>
<p>Nvm. We can’t really chance you since you don’t have your SAT score yet.</p>
<p>Good luck OP, you sound very motivated and enthusiastic! I am sure you will bring many contributions wherever you end up.</p>
<p>You will probably want to adjust your list according to selectivity. If you are determined to study in the US (sounds like you are) and you have financial resources to do so, you should include some less selective schools on your list.</p>
<p>Think of it this way. Pardon the silliness of the analogy but it does make sense. You are in a gymnasium with basketball hoops all around the walls and given 10 balls to shoot. You get to pick the hoops. Should you aim all 10 balls at the furthest hoops – which you have the least chance of making? Just because there are 10 of them doesn’t guarantee that you will make one.</p>
<p>But…how about if you shoot 3 that are really, really far away, 3 that are less far away, and 3 that are pretty close --ones you are sure you can make?</p>
<p>If you end up making it into one of the furthest hoops, great. If not, make it into one of the others and you still have a school to attend this fall. Better yet make it into a few and you get to make a choice (which you might need if financial aid is involved).</p>
<p>All the schools on your list have extremely low acceptance rates. Most of them less than 10%, the others less than 20%. I consider these very far away hoops.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about CS so I can’t give specific schools but you can research and cluster schools by acceptance rates. Carnegie Mellon for example has CS and a much higher acceptance rate than Harvard. In other words, a more reachable hoop! Factor in your SAT scores as well, and look for schools where your SAT I scores or ACT are in the top quarter of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>The financial situation was not really clear to me so I can’t comment much but it sounds like you need some aid, so that is a whole other component. There is a forum for that.</p>
<p>I hope you continue to visit this site since there are a lot of folks with great advice.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thank you momcinco, that was my impression. However, as I am leaving my country, looking for better universities, I really focused on the best ones.
I’ve then updated the university list. It’s not definitive, and I am asking your opinion to which should I apply to. Just to clarify, I need full financial assistance.
Harvard
Stanford
Princeton
MIT
Penn
Cornell (possibilities of limited financial aid)
Southern California
North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Michigan at Ann Harbor
New York University (possibilities of limited financial aid)
Rochester
I have 11 universities on my list as you can see, and I am looking forward to reducing this number to 7 or 8</p>
<p>As you asked, here is a list of my ECs
- 8th-graded classical guitar student at conservatory
- EYP participant (and EYP Portugal associate) with 4 sessions as delegate, 1 as head organizer and another as head of multimedia team
- Tennis player (3 hours a week, nothing special)
- Participant on projects Delfos and Quark - classes of mathematics and physics at university level (each session lasts a weekend with around 16 hours of classes). I’ve participated in like 20 sessions of Delfos and 6 of Quark
- President of a Cultural Association (I’ve explained it on the first post)
- Volunteer (1 hour a week, almost every week of the year, nothing special)</p>
<p>You really want to make it easier for the readers if you actually want to be chanced. Although most colleges wouldn’t base your admission on your financial needs, there is a limited number of international students they admit every year, and I’m sure lots of kids are applying from Europe or even from your country.
Because your test scores and GPA aren’t that great, I would suggest you aim a little bit lower as to your choice of schools.</p>
<p>As Spirral said, it’s almost useless to chance without knowing regular SAT scores, not just subject test scores.</p>
<p>It does sound promising that you will do really well on the regular SATs and I wish the best for you.</p>
<p>You sound like a very motivated student.</p>