<p>I don´t know of any `top´ university that does not give considerable weight to ECs. I think that is why they are known as top universities. Some top state universities such as Texas A&M might auto admit applicants with great scores, without consideration to ECs. Otherwise, your grades and test scores will guarantee serious consideration to your application and that is it. Please look at the 2016 thread for examples of kids with great stats who were not accepted to top schools.</p>
<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I am currently contemplating taking a gap year and applying to USA. My intended majors are Physics and/or Economics. </p>
<p>Could anyone please help me get started with the college short-listing process?</p>
<p>Junaid, Will you need financial aid? Is there a particular part of the US you want to live in? Have you taken the SAT, SAT subject tests? How are your grades/ class rank? What are you doing during the gap year?</p>
<p>perazziman,</p>
<p>O’ Level Grades: Nine A<em>s, one A and a B;
AS Level Grades: 4As
A2 Level Predicated Grades: 5 A</em>s - I think my exams went well; I put up a much more consistent performance in this session. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Intended major(s): Physics and/or Economics</p>
<p>Is there a particular part of the US you want to live in?
Umm…not really.</p>
<p>SATs: I have started my self-preparation drill for the SAT I. I have done a couple of practice tests on the Princeton Review. Math is easy; the writing section, excluding the essay, can be mastered easily with sufficient practice (or so I think); and Criticial Reading’s a bit tough - I am currently scoring in mid 600s range.</p>
<p>Financial aid: A big yes to that!</p>
<p>Junaid, in your case, the most important factor will be what you did during your gap year and why you did not apply to any colleges last year? Generally, kids take a gap year after getting accepted. This makes it easier to get accepted after a gap year. </p>
<p>I am not going to say it is impossible but I think most people on cc will agree, it is not easy getting accepted after a gap year at top universities. Remember most top universities don´t accept SAT scores from transfer applicants (who have finished high school). So, you will effectively have to be seen as someone who decided to repeat a year of high school, when they look at your standardized test scores. Therefore, make sure you have a powerful and compelling explanation for why you took the gap year. It is too bad, in my opinion, that you did not apply or atleast take the SAT last year.</p>
<p>perazziman,</p>
<p>WOW, that’s a bummer! So, what should I do know? Is there a way to go confirm whether colleges actually look down on gap-year students? I am not a transfer applicant, because I don’t intend to join a college in the next academic year. :|</p>
<p>Hey everyone ! M a pakistani and searching for need-blind colleges in USA. Can you pple help me out ??
– Looking for Aerospace Engineering .
— Must be SAT optional</p>
<p>Junaid, It is not a question of looking down on gap year applicants. They have a large pool of highly qualified applicants and very few seats. So, the question is, in your opinion, how will having a gap year make you more attractive? Therefore, it is a question of why you are taking a gap year? In addition, it is a question of comparing your standardized test scores with kids who are younger than you and less time to prepare for these tests.</p>
<p>Here are a couple of articles you may wish to read:</p>
<p>[When</a> Your Child Asks for a Gap Year or to Defer Admission](<a href=“http://www.petersons.com/college-search/gap-year-parents-advice.aspx]When”>When Your Child Asks for a Gap Year or to Defer Admission - Peterson's)</p>
<p>[Pros</a> and Cons of Gap Year - Ask The Dean](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000308.htm]Pros”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000308.htm)</p>
<p>In my opinion, if you do not have anything special lined up for your gap year to wow Admissions, then apply to many of the 30-60th ranked LACs. They should have funds to give you financing if your test scores, grades and interests are attractive to them. Then, make sure you do extremely well on the SAT and SAT subject tests. This does not mean you should not apply to some top elite schools. I am just saying be realistic and don´t forget to apply to the mid level LACs.</p>
<p>Shaheersinn, Here is a good list to begin looking for colleges that offer need blind admissions and meet full need:</p>
<p>[Need-blind</a> admission - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind_admission]Need-blind”>Need-blind admission - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Thanks for helping. Though i got pretty disappointed when i came to know that there are merely 6 need blind universities in usa .</p>
<p>^Yet you can go to last year`s thread and see that many foreign students got accepted to other schools and received full scholarships. So, do not limit yourself to just these seven. private schools can come up with the money if they think you are an exciting and interesting person, who can add something valuable to their student body experience.</p>
<p>@perazziman Im doing the same as junaid. Im applying next year. Im supposed to work on a healthcare awareness campaign and shadow a person in the UN during the gap. Do you think it will be enough to compensate for the disadvantage?</p>
<p>hi everyone. i’m from the class of 2016, heading for college this fall. it’s good to see you guys getting all revved up about college; you only need to see the posts on our thread from the March 29 to see how psyched we were.
i had a decent (5/13) success rate with good US colleges, so if anyone wants any help/advice, just send me a message. for now, just remember to NOT leave your main common app essay till 2 hours before the Yale deadline (December 31) because that is a seriously awful situation.</p>
<p>also, someone should add 4 into NYU, 2 into Macalaster, 1 into Oberlin and 1 to Reed from LGS Johar Town to last year’s list. Oh and about 11 to each of Drexel, Denison and Hofstra. I don’t think those count, even. :p</p>
<p>What kind of student would Macalester be considered a safety for? Anyone?</p>
<p>^My feeling is that Mac can be considered a match by foreign students applying to HYPS, who do not want to pursue engineering. It is a liberal school in a liberal state located in a beautiful and wealthy part of a large metropolitan city (like Aitchision in Lahore). Although, Carleton has slightly higher stats, it´s isolated location in the suburbs and less diverse student pop. could make Mac more attractive to some.</p>
<p>I’m interested in Int’l Studies/Econ. I am applying to HYPS. My stats are decent, I guess.</p>
<p>^Yep, I think Mac would be a good choice. Also, you many want to look into Columbia, Tufts and Georgetown.</p>
<p>My list of 15 has the following:</p>
<p>Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Stanford
Columbia
Penn
Wash U
Emory
UCB
UCLA
UMich
Amherst
Pomona
Middlebury
Macalester</p>
<p>Hi, guys. I’m from the Class of 2015 thread. I’m currently at UCLA by the grace of Allah. I’m back in Pakistan for the summer and will return in the fall as a sophomore I’A. So if anyone wants college app advice, essay proof-reading, etc. or specifically to know something about UCLA, feel free to contact me at <a href="mailto:ghazain.jamil@live.com">ghazain.jamil@live.com</a> or you could ask me here too</p>