Am I competitive enough for Ivy League universities?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Hi!

I’m about to enter my final year of high-school and I was wondering if I’m a competitive candidate for an Ivy League university. My school is international and follows a British-patterned curriculum. I got 8 A*s and an A in my IGCSE (Year 10-11) and am currently doing 4 A levels with predicted As. My extra-curricular activities/ achievements for the past 3 years include:

  1. Attending beach clean-up 2 years in a row
  2. I am a qualified diver
  3. I have designed the Yearbook cover two years in a row and participated in the Yearbook club
  4. I was a House Captain in Year 11
  5. Currently I am a Head Student (also a year-long role)
  6. I was awarded the Leadership Cup by my school
  7. I participated in the Forestry debate (FAO debate) 3 years in a row- twice as a helper in writing the speeches and once as a speaker and got the winning place.
  8. I led my team in an international competition for schools called the Tournament of Minds two years in a row and got placed first nationally.
  9. I've done a two-week internship in a biotechnological company and participated in the creation of a superfood-based product that substitutes proteins.
  10. I am about to do an internship in a institution involved with chemical engineering and Green Chemistry.

I want to do Chemistry in university but I’m not sure if I have enough activities involved with it because as far as I know Ivy League universities want to see dedication to your chosen subject. Currently I am focusing on reading a lot around the subject and exploring the specific branches that I am interested in.

Am I a strong enough candidate to be considered by Ivy League universities?
Should I keep 4 A level subject for my last year? My predicted grades would then be AAA*A
Is there anything I could now do in relation to Chemistry to further demonstrate my passion or have I done enough? My opportunities are limited as I am living in a foreign country where I can’t find actual work.

2

You definitely seem very qualified, one clarification as some of the terms you used to describe your EC’s are not commonly used in America, by head student do you mean you are the top of the class or is it like a proctor sort of role.

3

The competitive schools in the US will require two SAT subject tests. Take the chem subject test.

Your internships will look great so dont worry about your ECs. Focus on the standardized tests as that would be the last piece to your application.

4

Ivy league schools are nothing to stress over. Focus on your dreams, and find a school that fits you.

5

Unfortunately, without SAT/ACT scores, all predictions are worthless. However, if you can pull off top test scores, you are undoubtably a contender. Are you considering Oxbridge, too?