Chance Me?

MagicalMalik · 10-30-2009, 08:32 AM

So, I got my SAT score back and it's an 1820 (610 CR 590 Math 620 Writing). I raised by 90 points from my last test, which is nice, but I was hoping for at least a 1950. I'm taking the SAT next week (my final time), and I'm REALLY hoping to do a lot better. I'm wondering, if I don't do much better and my SAT score is still an 1820, how much will my score hurt me? I'm a international student - an African who is a US citizen living in Sudan. Born and raised in California for half of my life but now I live here. Was meant to move back to California 2 years ago but due to my father's heart condition we had to stay in Sudan.

My GPA is a 3.92 UW.

AP Classes taken:

Junior: Only 2 APs were offered last year. Took one - AP World History. Got As in every quarter, and scored a 5 on the exam.

Senior Year: Taking 3 at the moment (And the most possible APs you can take is 4. AP Studio Art is the AP I'm not taking). AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP Calculus AB. I'm one of the only three students in our school taking 3 APs. Then again, our school is small (K-12, 250 students).

Rank: No rank given here. Our senior class is small (16), but if we were ranked I know that I would be tied for #1 with my twin brother.

Subject Tests: 730 on World History. Taking ML2 and Chemistry in December.

EC: Being a small school located in a war-torn country (in some parts, anyway) like Sudan, the school has always been unable to truly provide in the EC department. We're a very small school, so we hardly have any teachers who could set something up. So the only EC in recent years has been Model United Nations, which I have done since the 10th grade now. I was the Secretary General of our school's MUN, the highest position attainable. I organized and chaired our school's first ever MUN conference. I also went to Singapore and Jordan for two separate MUN conferences. Also I'm part of Community Service, which I'm one of the heads of. There's simply not much else to do in our school for EC. I guess the only EC I could've done is playing Basketball or Soccer for our school's teams but I was too focused on my studies to spend a few hours a day having practice.

Also, again, I live in Sudan. Being a country sanctioned by much of the West, many things typically offered and found in schools in the US and Europe are completely unavailable to us.

So what do you think my chances would be? Would my SAT score hurt me much? Or would the damage of the SAT lessen due to my high GPA?

jewels03 · 11-05-2009, 11:04 PM

I think your background gives you a definite edge - your circumstances are extremely unique. Your GPA is above average for their typical unweighted too.

MagicalMalik · 11-07-2009, 09:46 AM

Thanks a lot, really appreciate the post jewels. Anyone else?

Taxi1113 · 11-08-2009, 10:17 PM

If you were living in America I would say it's probably unlikely, but since your story is extremely unique and interesting I think you have a really good chance. You also seem like an intelligent student who's working hard to challenge himself in the environment that he has been placed in. I would be sure to mention everything that you mentioned in this post on your application. If you do, I'd be surprised if you didn't get in. Good luck.

MagicalMalik · 11-10-2009, 04:48 PM

Taxi1113, thanks a lot for the encouraging words. I do intend on mentioning everything I stated here on my app, and my essay will revolve around how a certain experience led to my realization that Sudan isn't the hot boring country I assumed it was and how I began to embrace the country, instead of trying to reject it. Thanks you two for giving me hope, since my pessimistic view has been bringing me down as of late. USC is definitely my #1 choice. I would be ecstatic if I got into it's Computer Science (Games) program, since that is the main reason why USC is so appealing to me.