I’m an international student from Bangladesh. I’m currently in Grade 11, and will apply at the end of this year. I need financial aid, so I’m targeting need blind ivies for resitricted early action. As for my desired major, I’m caught between economics and electrical engineering. I’m planning on applying to Princeton Electrical Engineering, or Harvard Economics, as restricted early action. Below are a few details of my qualifications.
SAT score: I gave the SAT once in October, and I got a 1520. I’m planning to apply with this score. I’ll sit for the SAT II, coming October, hopefully. Since I follow the Cambridge International Examinations O and A level curriculum, I expect to do well in the subject tests.
GPA: My high school grades consist of all A’s at least. My O level results are all A*’s and I’m hoping to get all A’s in my AS examination( board exam after 11th grade). So a perfect GPA, hopefully.
Extra Curriculars: I’ll list a few notable ones.
High School Valedictorian(Hoping to get good recommendations)
Founder and CEO of an organization that promotes Entrepreneurship In Technology, in Bangladesh. We’ve organized a workshop, and will launch a website that provides networking opportunities to potential tech entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. We promote potential tech entrepreneurs, educate them, and are planning to host a large nationwide competition. We’ve also sponsored a university Engineering event(the first youth organization in Bangladesh to sponsor any event).
Founder and President of the community Service club, that takes regular classes in an underprivileged school.
Co-founder of the Debate club.
5.COO of an organization that helps underprivileged students with university application in Bangladesh.
Novice Semi Finalist in the Asian Schools Debating Championship, 2015.
Silver Medal in Individual contest of IYMC(an international mathematics competition, comprising of 20 countries)
8.Other activities such as organizing interschool science fairs, 3rd prize in interschool entrepreneurship competition, participation in STEM fairs, etc.
I plan on applying for Economics for Leaders program, by FTE.
This is not an ECA, but I got Top in the World in O level Economics, as well as Best across 8 subjects in O level, in Bangladesh.( O level as in the Cambridge Assessment international examinations)
I apologize for the long post, but I would really appreciate all your feedback, as it’s difficult to get helpful advice with the available resources in my country. I understand that Harvard and Princeton are immensely tough to get into, so I would really appreciate any and all advice. Thanks!
A few additions:
I’ve been selected as the class prefect for two years in a row, till now, and have received a leadership award for being the best prefect.
With these qualifications, what are my chances of getting accepted, realistically?
Harvard currently has 1 undergrad enrolled from Bangladesh. Over the recent years, it looks like 1 person gets in about every two years. That is why is is impossible to give you a chance. http://www.hio.harvard.edu/statistics
Your chances are not good. They’re not good for anyone who isn’t the child of a billionaire or world leader.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. But you should also apply to schools that aren’t as competitive and that award merit aid. And you should also have a back up plan for study in your home country. The vast, vast percentage of international students either don’t get into the American schools they’ve applied to – or do not receive enough financial aid to attend.
Thanks guys, for your honest opinions! Also, I had another query. I hear a lot of people say that it’s easier to get into Princeton, than Harvard. Is this true at all?
Eeyore 123, when you say only 1 student gets in every year, is that an absolute rule or something? Or is it because Harvars found only 1 qualified candidate in two years?
No, but at Harvard, there are many many more qualified candidates than there are seats. For many top-tier colleges, there is a hard- or soft-cap on the percentage of international students for each incoming class of undergrads, generally in the 10-12% area. Similarly, the acceptance rate for international applicants at many of these colleges is roughly half the overall rate.
It is not a rule, I was just trying to highlight how few get in. There is only 1 student last year studying at Harvard as an undergraduate from Bangladesh. This is across all levels (fresh, soph, junior, senior). It looks like Bangladesh has been averaging a student ever other year. That doesn’t guarantee any future admission levels. This year could be 2 or it may be none for 5 years.
Princeton only had 167 international students from 59 countries. That is not very many from the rest of the world. https://admission.princeton.edu/how-apply/admission-statistics
Harvard has stated that 90% of their applicants are qualified to attend, but they only have space for 5% of their applicants. In practice, that means something in your application has to stand out against a crowd of applicants who are all the best and brightest in their local community. Maybe you have cured cancer. Maybe you are a close relative of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk or Russian President Vladimir Putin. Maybe you have a rare skill or hobby that Harvard would like represented on campus. Or maybe an essay or letter of recommendation caught someone’s attention.
It would be foolish to apply to these super selective universities and not play every card you got. That includes writing, re-writing and polishing your essays. Will it make a difference? Probably not, because your application will probably be rejected no matter what you do. But it might.
Basically, all candidates are stellar. You are definitely competitive and have what they’re looking for. Will you be THE student from Bangladesh who may get in that year (keeping in mind there may be zero)? No one can tell you. Among all equally qualified students from whatever group of countries Bangladesh is part of, one or two will be admitted. The hundreds others are highly qualified too. Youd never why that one and not the others - balance in the class, institutional need…
Since you got such a high score for Economics, I’d apply for an Economics major rather than Engineering. As for the choice between Harvard, Princeton, Yale, or Amherst, roll a die.
Apply to the high merit scholarship programs as soon as the applications open: UAlabama, Alabama Huntsville, UTD-McDermott, UNC Robertson, UMN TC, etc. Get that done early (and use these apps as run-throughs - you’ll see details that don’t work as you keep going so your last apps will be better).