Would I have a shot?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Amherst College
1

<p>I am an international student applying for financial aid</p>

<p>Intended major: Biology (or Biochemistry), or Economics+Sociology</p>

<p>9th grade GPA: 8.0/10 </p>

<p>10th grade GPA: 9.2/10</p>

<p>Junior year GPA: 4.0 (unweighted, my school does not have weighted GPA)
No ranking but I think I am in top 5%</p>

<p>Repeated junior year to fulfill graduation requirement at a really rigorous private school (I changed school this year due to visa problem, long story)</p>

<p>Grarde Junior year:
AP Cal BC: B
AP Physics C:Mechanics: B,
Spanish 1: A+,
English 11: A,
Biology: A,
Choir: A,
Wind Ensemble: A.</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
AP Lit: B
AP Physics C: E&M: B
AP Bio: A
Spanish IIe: A
China/Japan (fall) + Economics (spring): A-
Choir:A
Band: A-</p>

<p>AP Cal AB: 4
AP Cal BC: 5
AP Physics C Mech: 3</p>

<p>SAT: 2000 (CR:630, M:710, WR:660) Will study more over the summer then retake.
Bio M: 700
TOEFL: 109</p>

<p>Extra curricular:
Soccer team of class: 6,7,8,9,10
Soccer Varsity:grade 11, 12
AFCVN soccer club: grade 10 ( cannot continue due to moving to US to study)
News translator for Arsenal Fan Club In Vietnam: grade 8,9,10,11, 12
Tennis ( varsity is super competitive, ranked 16th in the country): grade 11 (JV), grade 12 (varsity)</p>

<p>Choir:grade 10, 11, 12 (All-County Choir, grade 12)
Piano class:8 years
French horn: 3 years</p>

<p>Young leader club:grade 10 ( cannot continue due to moving school)
FIRST Robotics: grade 11 (cannot continue due to moving school)
Community service club: grade 11, 12
Community service trip to Costa Rica: grade 11, grade 12</p>

<p>Awards:
Silver Medalists of National Spanish Exam: Grade 11
Semi-finalist of Cornell Essay contest: Grade 11
Best GPA at school : Grade 10
Best final exams record: Grade 10
First Prize at School’s English Olympiad: Grade 10
Victoria scholarship: grade 10
High honor roll: grade 11
Best Physical project in Science Fair:grade 11
Highest honor in Chemistry:grade 11
High honor in Maths:grade 11</p>

<p>Leadership:
Chief Secretary, School’s Youth Union: Grade 10
Chief Secretary, Class’s Youth Union: Grade 10
Class’s Vice President specialized in academic: Grade 10</p>

2

<p>High reach.</p>

3

<p>Is there anything I can do to reduce the “reachness” ??</p>

4

<p>improve the sats</p>

5

<p>Oh definitely. I am gonna work to improve my SAT to at least 2100 if not 2200.</p>

<p>Not considering SAT or any essay, do you guys I will at least pass the academic requirements of Amherst ? I mean that I understand that a successful application is a combination of many elements. However, I think I have to at least show the school that I am able to survive the academic rigor there.</p>

6

<p>NNS91,</p>

<p>As an Amherst Class of 2014, I think I have an insight into your chances. I don’t think Amherst really cares about SAT’s as long as you are around 2100 or above, which would be fairly easy for you to reach if you study this summer. Looking at your courseload and grades, I think Amherst would want you to take a more rigorous load. The question that all top flight schools ask is “are you taking the most rigorous classes that the school offers?” I am sorry to say that your intended eload for your senior year may not impress. </p>

<p>BTW, I don’t have any class this morning because I have an AP exam this afternoon.</p>

7

<p>I am already a senior so this is actually my current workload. The thing is this is the heaviest workload I could take. There is none of the APs offered I can additionally take. I am not qualified for AP Euro because I did not take World History. At my old school, I took US History (no AP US offered). I am done with math as I took Calc BC in junior year. Sciencewise, I am taking AP Bio and Phyiscs E&M and took Physics: Mechanic last year. The only course I am not taking is AP Chem, which I cannot fit anywhere into my schedule.</p>

8

<p>I’m not sure nnnn is quite right… higher SAT scores are always better, and with the rest of your application being what it is, you’ll need as big of a boost as you can get.</p>

9

<p>I’m a bit confused. You are a senior, so when are you thinking of applying?</p>

10

<p>I am thinking about applying next year. I am an international student who get rejected by almost every school that I applied to this year.</p>

11

<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>where did you get accepted/rejected this year? I’m international as well with similar qualifications, I’m wondering what my chances are.</p>

12

<p>I did not get accepted anywhere. I got rejected by Bowdoin, Brandeis, Lafayette, Franklin and Marshall, and Depauw (they kinda accept me but they said that I need to prove that I can pay the rest for them to officially accept me). I also got waitlisted by Union (NY) and Quinnipiac.</p>

13

<p>The odds of getting into Amherst are quite a bit longer than any of the schools you listed. I wouldn’t put too much energy toward getting in next year. If you’re really attached to the idea of going to college in the US and you could pay, you’d have lots of options. Needing aid as an international though puts you at a disadvantage at most schools. True, Amherst, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and MIT are need-blind for international students, but they are some of the very hardest colleges to get admitted to in the entire country even for the strongest students. Great to shoot for and hope for a lucky break, but not a practical back-up plan.</p>

14

<p>Oh yeah, I understand that I am in one of the toughest pool. I am considering Amherst as one of my high reach so definitely it’s not my back-up plan at all.</p>

<p>I guess my question is: Are my credentials ok enough to “shoot for and hope for a lucky break” ?</p>

15

<p>There’s no definitive answer to that question. You could look back at past threads about admissions decisions and try to get a sense of where you’d fall on the spectrum of admitted students – but it’s always just going to be a guess. I don’t see anything in what you’ve posted that would absolutely rule out the possibility, but it’s up to you if you want to put the effort into improving your test scores, focusing your essays, improving your ECs… or whatever other effort you want to put into it all. I would guess that the vast majority of students who do not get accepted also have nothing in their applications that rule them out.</p>