hbrad8002

hi, can you please chance me with conncoll?
I'm an international student currently studying in Singapore

Achievements & activities:
- Silver Singapore Maths Olympiad
- Bronze Singapore Chemistry Olympiad
- Third Prize Shanghai Maths Cup competition
- Third Prize Singapore Media Award (a video making competition for schools)
- I'm a Executive committee member of my audio+video club (ava club)
- 2 work-attachments (1 at a marketing firm, 1 at a bank)
- some community work

academic
-I jz took SAT a few weeks ago but I guess i did badly (expected: CR <550, Maths 800, 650<WR<700)
-SAT2 gonna take in June (expected: Maths1 800, Maths2 750, Chem 750)
-Secondary score (O level): Maths A, Chem A, Physics A, combined humanities A, English B, Literature C
-Expected score for Alevel: Maths A, Chem A, Physics A, Economics B, English C

major intend to take in future: Econs/Banking

Family contribution: <8k

other schools i also intend to apply to:
dream: grinnell, middlebury, vassar, swarthmore
reach: macalester, bard, conncoll, dickinson, gettysburg, kenyon
safety: kalamazoo, hendrix, wittenberg, hampshire

I choose these schools because i've heard these are quite generous in terms of aid to foreign students. I'm most concerned with 2 problems: my low critical reading score and my high financial need.
so what do you think?
thanks

VeryHappy

If English is your first language, your CR score might be a problem. If it's your second language, maybe not. But you'll also have to take the TOEFL.

Another observation: If you're male, you might be favored. (Conn is about 60% female.)

hbrad8002

thanks, Veryhappy
yea i'm male..
English is not my first language. but i dont have to take toefl because my Olevel score for English (which is certified and recognised in the British education system) should be good enough for me to be exempted from toefl.. i'm just afraid that my CR score is not that high, making my application unattractive. i intend to take SAT again in Oct, but i'm not sure if i can improve my score ultil then..
my another concern is that my profile doesn't look competitive in terms of leasdership and sports.. so i don't know whether those weaknesses are considered at Conncoll..
do you have any idea about finaid? with this profile, can i get in with a great amount of aid?

trinkid101

don't even worry about your SAT scores. Conn would much rather see a good transcript with poor SAT scores than great SAT scores and a poor transcript. i think they might even be SAT optional. I got a 530 in critical reading the second time (490 the first) and Im going there next year

hbrad8002

oh yea, SAT is optional for Conncoll
thanks
but is Conncoll good at econs/banking? i heard conncoll is the best in engineering?

woebegone

nice to see someone from Singapore (although i suppose you're originally from China?) who's interested in Conn! what jc are you from?

but engineering? as with most liberal arts colleges, conn doesn't offer engineering.. so i don't know where you heard that from?some of the standout departments include dance, psychology, environmental science, and maybe government. econ is okay, although you might find the lack of math-intensive econ courses a little disappointing if you're so inclined. but i think this is a "problem" with most liberal arts colleges, or even US colleges in general.. the tendency to apply a qualitative approach rather than quantitative approach towards econ (as opposed to say the british universities).

no offence but CR<550 is pretty bad if you're compared against the "singaporean pool"... it won't be much of an issue for Conn since we are SAT-optional (just don't submit your scores, or check ignore SAT I or something since your SAT-IIs are not bad... but it might become an issue when you're applying at schools that are not SAT-optional, or schools with a more sizeable singaporean applicant pool like your "dream schools" middlebury, swarthmore, grinnell, and vassar... do look into other SAT-optional schools (e.g. bates) you might have a better shot there.

i think your financial need won't be a problem at schools that pledge to meet full demonstrated aid. most international kids applying at these LACs are requesting full ride anyway. you'll probably get a boost if you're the 1 in 10 kids applying to LACs that don't require aid but i don't think it will count against you if you're just like most other kids requesting for a lot of money.

huskem55

no engineering at conn, but the econ graduates that i know have gotten fantastic jobs or into fantastic grad schools (wharton mba, columbia mba, etc)

hbrad8002

thanks woebegone and huskem that's what my friend told me.. he said conncoll is good at engineering or some engineering-related courses.. maybe he doesn't know anything either
@woebegone: I'm from SAJC but i'm not chinese. I'm vietnamese
I know my CR score is low (even compared against my vietnamese friends).. and i'm intending to take SAT again in Oct. but as you may know, from now until oct, i'll be occupied with prelim, Alevel... so quite hard to focus on SAT alone..
are you Singaporean? you seem to know quite well about singaporean apllicants..
i choose LACs partially because, from what I observe, Singaporean students applying to US are usually overachieving (like those RJC or HCI people..) and they usually like to try top ivies and top unis. so i guess LACs competition in LACs would be less intense
thanks for your advices

woebegone

oops sorry for being presumptuous, but I saw that you had a shanghai math competition so i assume you were chinese. anyway yes i am singaporean.. and i applied to LACs for pretty much the same reason as you did. i needed a full ride and conn's really very generous to international students even among peer LACs. good luck with your applications and exams.

hbrad8002

hi, may i ask
although the policy of conncoll is SAT optional, but is it wise not to send SAT score? will a lot of ppl choose not to send scores? will the officers undermine your application if you dont send SAT score?

VeryHappy

Not sending the SAT score will not be viewed unfavorably.