Consigliere

Hi, I am a 19 year-old hispanic student who graduated high school a couple of years ago, and since I can't afford college in my country I thought that applying to a school in the USA was a good idea.

I've taken the SAT's already and these are my scores:
SAT Reasoning Test: 2230
CR: 760
M: 740
W:730

Bio: 770
Chemistry:780
Spanish:800

This is the rest of my info:
- Rank 1/40
- Founder of the science club
- President of the school
- National Youth Science Camp peruvian delegate 2009
- Captain of the soccer team
- Regional Youth Councelor Avanzada Catolica (Catholic group).
- Medical assistant for 30 months.
- First generation high school graduate and college student(hopefully).
- A lot of community service including 5 trips to poorest areas of my country bringing food, clothes and medical care (each trip 2-5 weeks long)
-18/20 GPA.
-Half orphan(is that the term??)
AP's and Honor Classes not available.
Work experience:
- Construction worker for 2 years
- Peer tutor since I was 12(this was actually a job because i got paid to do it, i think some people in the US do it for free, not the case)
- Basic science and math private tutor for 2 years
- Family annual income: < $6000

I am planning to major in Biochemistry and i will apply for financial aid, I would really appreciate if someone could chance me for the following schools:

- U.Chicago
- Columbia
- Rice
- Amherst
- Harvard
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Vassar College
- Stanford

I'm asking for honest opinions because i don't want to receive 8 rejection letter at the end of the process :/, I am aware that these top schools receive thousands of applications from outstanding students around the world but these are the only that offer need-based financial aid to internationals

Any advice (including other school options) will be welcome. Thanks in advance .

Bubbles37

I think your hook is that you are a Peruvian who has gone through experiences that most American high school students have not gone through. Your family is poor, yet somehow you find the energy to take the SAT and do community service, etc. So even though your scores are not really competitive, I think you have a shot because your life experiences make you unique, and colleges love that.

Please chance me back! My post is:
Chance A Canadian Aiming for Top Schools

Consigliere

Bubbles37, thank you very much for your reply. I'll chance you back right now.

Blank1234

I think your history definitely makes you standout and your scores are pretty good too (not necessarily for ivies), but again you stand out so you definitely have a solid chance.

Bubbles37

Thank you, Consigliere! =)

Make sure to write about your situation in your essay, so as to highlight it. Make sure that the admissions committee actually read about your background and what you've been through. Since the admissions process is sometimes random, admissions officers might be reading your application like "blah blah blah" and somehow overlook your hook.

Good luck!

Consigliere

Blank1234, thank you very much for your opinion.
Bubbles37, you are very welcome, i'll make sure to highlight my background because it looks like it is the strong point of my application, thank you for the tip !

Consigliere

Any opinion will be welcome!!!! chance me please.

Consigliere

Chance me please, I need help

flyingeagle

I believe you have a pretty decent chance too. Not only is your situation unique like people said already but you have a lot of leadership and extracurriculars, many of which are related to biochemistry. You should definitely highlight it in your essay like they said. However, I'm not sure how competitive the internationals are at those schools, but that being said I'd be surprised if you got rejected at all of them. They are all great schools so good luck!

If you can, chance me back, a fellow hispanic

MrSimpleSimple

I agree with everyone they all just said. Your scores are great. Your history is great. You're unique. It's not every year they get a Peruvian applicant with background like yours. It adds diversity to the school.

Consigliere

flyingeagle, thanks for reply, i hope that at least one of them gives me a chance, i'll keep my fingers crossed; absolutely, i'll chance right now .
MrSimpleSimple, I really appreciate your words, i have to write my essays, complete my app and hope for the best.

jennieling

Consigliere, thanks for chancing me. I think that you have a very, very strong likelihood of being admitted to any of these schools. Your SAT score and SAT subject tests are excellent (Harvard's 25%-75% for CR is usually around 700-800; for math- 700-790--so you are right in there; every single student admitted to Harvard does not have a total of 2350+!). I am not very aquainted with a grading scale of 20, but 18/20 sounds like you had the top grade in most of your classes. Also, your experiences will truly be a hook! You would have so much to offer any of these campuses with your experiences helping the poor in your country(sounds like you may want to go into medicine--me too!). I think that you could write a very powerful essay about one of your experiences, and that would really impress the admissions committees! Good luck!

pilsburydohboy

i think your specs speak a unique and interesting story. As an underpriviledged peruvian, you still scored well on the SAT, had good GPA, had good XCurriculars. As jennieling had said, if you can incorporate your hardship into a powerful and compelling essay, you have a good chance in every single schools. I think you have a legitimate chance of getting into Rice, Amherst, Vassar, and maybe U.Chicago

Consigliere

jennieling, thank you very much for your reply, i hope my scores are good enough for the schools to which i'm applying, about my GPA, it is actually very good because i took 13 classes and it was not only the best of my grade but of the entire high school, lol.
Yes, i want to become a physician some day! I was a doctor's assistant for over 2 years at local health center and during that time i had the most powerful and inspiring experiences of my life .
I know that the essays are a very important part of my application so i have to pick the topic carefully, thanks again.

Consigliere

pilsburydohboy, thanks for chancing me