<p>Many American students have military experience and many many have fought in war. You really won’t stand out. </p>
<p>Not taking the most rigorous courseload may be killer here. These institutions are looking for applicants who are excellent in every way. Your computer science course might help, but it will not make up for your high school performance. Your SATs are excellent, if you can get those scores. </p>
<p>You now need to decide where you want to work. Working at a major corporation isn’t even worth putting on your CV, if you only begin nine months before the application deadline. </p>
<p>I hope you realize that you are at a huge disadvantage due to being an international student and on top of being older than most other applicants. Being older will NOT help you, instead it will make it more difficult for you to get it. (Colleges try to limit the number of adult students, as they do not usually mix with ‘normal’ students.)</p>