| I don't know of any college where they just lump internationals with US residents, whether or not they give financial aid. It may not necessarily be more difficult to be admitted, but they nearly always have a separate process for internationals, just because evaluating the credentials of internationals is so different. At most larger universities, there is generally an adcom handling international applications who is familiar with various countries eduactional systems. Most colleges don't allow internationals to apply ED for instance, which is often a big advantage in admission.
To a large part, you will compete against other international applicants not against domestic applicants. Even there, you may find the school is seeking some diversity in its international enrollment and will not admit all of its internationals from just a few countries. You will actually find that Europeans are generally underrepresented in the international applicant pool at the undergraduate level, which could be an advantage for you. I don't think many Germans apply to Caltech straight out of high school for instance.
Again, I don't believe your SAT scores will matter that much, especially the verbal part. In many countries, the average math and science level coming out of high school is significantly higher than the US. They are not really worried you won't be able to handle the work.
Assuming you are qualified (relative to your peers in Germany), your chance of admission may have more to do with overall policies regarding internationals. Remember, that in the US, "demonstrated interest" is often considered a factor in admission. Also, get some solid recommendations from your professors. Provide them with a listing of your accomplishments if necessary. Don't have them just list your grades and say you are a good student. The college will see that from the transcript. Have them talk about what you will bring to the college. If the college you are applying to has not admitted many Germans in the past, make sure they get a letter from your school principal explaining the grading system and giving an estimate of your rank in the class together with the transcript. In some countries, getting an A or equivalent is much harder than in the US. What looks like average grades may actually be in the top 5% of the class. Visiting some of the schools over the summer may be of great help. You could meet some of the faculty and people at the admissions office. You will also get a better feel for the schools you intend to apply to. With the current value of the dollar, it is cheaper for you to spend as few weeks in California than on the beach in Spain. |