From the 8th till 10th grade I had been at a public school but I was recently offered a scholarship at an International school in my country (it has 6 schools in different countries) to study the IBDP. I’ve never done the IB before and it hasn’t been long that I heard about it, but let’s say I ace it and I get good grades, would my chances be as much as domestic students to attend a university like, well, any of the Ivy’s? I specifically would like to attend Yale but people laugh at me when I say that so I’ll just generalize it to ‘‘good university’’.
I’ve done extracurriculars, volunteer work outside the country, worked jobs… Basically stuff that admissions like, but I don’t live in the US. I live in Spain.
Does prestige mean a lot to you? or are you happy with any school with good academic programs? If you want Yale just because it’s Ivy, your desire is misguided.
Because in the end, it does NOT matter. For one, I am an engieering major in #86 national rank(USNEWS rank) collge and a lot of alumni from my school say they earn just as much as graduates from ivy schools. No bashing here, just saying facts. USA has many schools that are not even top 50 and still offer great education. It’s up to you whether you exploit opportunities given to you.
If you are talking about ivy leagues or similary prestigious schools, your chance will be significantly lower than domestic studetns even if you have money, good grades, good Extracurricular, good essays, and good recommendation letter. It’s just the way it is.
What can you afford to pay?
The above is right: unfortunately, the biggest issue for international students is money. Good universities, even not-so-good universities, will cost you $50,000+ per year. If you can afford that, great. Many schools will accept you. If you need significant financial aid, that’s a whole other story. Then it becomes a difficult process of findings schools willing to give you a lot of money. It becomes very, very competitive.
You will need three 7’s q’and 3 6’s, (or a combination adding up to 38-40) + an activity that you push to the highest level offered in the country.
In addition, ability to pay is factored in at most schools.