Chance an American from International School, Diplomatic background, IBDP, Biology/Public Health/PoliSci [44/45 IB, 1530, 6.7/7, <$40k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Heyy, so I know I’m pretty delusional, but my dream is Columbia, another Ivy, or Georgetown. I’m hoping I can tell a compelling story of wanting a career that involves science in effective policy-making, despite having weak ECs and Awards compared to US applicants. I’m kinda optimistic cause I’ve seen people in my school get into Ivys with the same as I have, being stats and local ECs/Awards, BUT they could pay full tuition and I def can’t… Applying from out of the USA, I would love to know where my application actually stands in the context of Latin America cause I have only been comparing to US applications. I’m also wondering if with recent political circumstances, if being an American but applying from outside will be favorable to AO since its harder to get international students.

I appreciate any matches, too, for schools that fit my interests of good Pre-Med Bio and Political Science programs as well as my finances of a hard $50k max. Thanks!!**

Demographics**

  • US citizen/permanent resident (Colorado), but applying from an international school/upbringing. I’m also half Colombian but don’t have citizenship
  • Type of high school: Wealthy Private American International School in Latin America
  • Other special factors: Legacy Georgetown, international upbringing, moved frequently, US Embassy

Cost Constraints / Budget
<$40k/year hard max at $50k

Intended Major(s): Want career in Science Diplomacy so Biology, BioChem, PoliSci, Public Health(minor maybe), Global Health, Biology in Global Health(Georgetown)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 6.7/7 (HS doesn’t calculate)
  • IB predicted: 44/45, 4 HLs
  • Class Rank: They don’t tell us, but the counselor says it in LOR, I’m estimating top 3-5% out of like 120
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1530 (740, 790 Math)

List your HS coursework

IB Coursework:

  • IB English LL SL: 7
  • IB Math AA SL: 7
  • IB Chem HL: 6
  • IB Bio HL: 7
  • IB Global Politics HL: 7*****
  • IB Spanish B HL: 7

9th,10th coursework (My school only offers 1 AP, which I took, but the AP grade is separate from course grade; the rest are standardized exams in Math Standard/Advanced Levels, 10th grade Sciences are split by semester with different grades)

  • English: English 9, English 10 [7, 6 respectively]
  • Math: Advanced Math 9, Advanced Math 10 [6, 7 respectively]
  • Science: Science 9, Chemistry 10, Physics 10 [7, 7, 6]
  • History and social studies: US History 9*****, AP Human Geography [7, 7, 5 on AP exam]
  • Language other than English: Spanish Advanced (9th), Spanish Bridge (10th, more advanced) [6, 6] – these are learner courses for non-native Spanish speakers
  • Visual or performing arts: Band 9, Band 10 [6, 7]
  • Electives: Food Design, Coding and Robotics [7, 7]

*****Indicates I won the class award out of everyone who took it that year

Awards (Very weak/local, only one int’l MUN award for the region of other American Schools)

  • Multiple MUN awards, including Best Delegate (3x) / Outstanding Delegate (3x) Honorable (3rd place) at several conferences (3x), School MUN Leadership Award (2 years in a row)
  • South American Arts and Athletics Best Delegate (1/20 among 7 international schools)
  • Academic subject awards (US History, Global Politics)
  • Commitment to the Arts Award
  • AMISA Global Citizen Recognition (Basically, outstanding service for American Schools in Latin America),

Extracurriculars (this is considered good for my school because of leadership but ik its average in the US)**

  1. Model United Nations — Social Media Manager → President**
    Led weekly trainings, mentored delegates, helped plan school’s first hosted conference; won 10+ international awards; helped school rank 4th nationally; and 2nd internationally in NAIMUN.

2. Wish Factory (Make-A-Wish affiliated club) — Social Media Manager → Treasurer
Raised $900 for a child’s cancer-related wish; managed club budget; organized hospital/shelter visits reaching 30+ kids per visit, supports child cancer patients from rural, food drive for struggling families

3. National Honor Society — Vice President
Led weekly meetings for 28 members; organized service events; founded event teaching elementary kids NHS values (30 kids per session); volunteer hours; restructured club’s internal organization.

4. Science National Honor Society — Member
Organized Science Teacher Appreciation campaign (7 teachers, 30+ student letters); led hands-on science activities for elementary students.

5. Public Health Research — Independent Research Project
Authored 6,000-word paper on equity in cancer immunotherapy trials; analyzed data from 5,000 US clinical trials; trying to get peer-reviewed publication.

6. Clarinet / Music Honor Society
7 years playing clarinet; first chair/soloist at international arts festivals across 3 countries; performed with professional symphony musicians too.

7. Founded an Embassy Club for other Expats like me — Founder & President
Grew club to 20+ members; organized Halloween event for 500+ attendees; ran toy drive (80+ gifts) and gift-wrapping event for children’s hospital (280 gifts).

8. Intern at the Embassy this summer
Not gonna say too much here

9. School Mural — Team Captain
Designed and led a 15-person team to paint the grade’s annual mural over 48 hours; managed materials, budget, and logistics.

10. Service club supporting shelter for teenage mothers— Member → Leadership Team
Volunteered directly with survivors of abuse; organized recreational activities and fundraising; supported ~30 mothers and children.

I’m also doing the dialogue portfolio thing from SchoolHouse, I saw online, but just like participating. I have some other low imapct ECs I could swap out but unfortunatly these are my strongest.

Essays/LORs/Other
The essay is about moving, but not cliché (I hope lol), about how moving has taught me to never wait for things to come to me, and to seek them yourself, as in fitting into my community again and again as a new student showing adaptability and leadership in unfamilliar setting, also sets out my career goals and story which is to include effective Scientific expertise in US Government Policy making (explains Biology-Political Science interest)

LORs are from my councelor and two teachers who know me well. Global politics teacher who gave me class award, claims I’m the best student he’s ever had in the class, sees me in Leadership in NHS, EE Supervisor, good relationship with him. 2nd is from the Bio teacher who I’ve had in 9th grade, seen me in Science NHS, knows me well

Schools
I’ve done net price calcs at all schools, I need a school under $50k, which is like a 50/50 chance with my families salery.

  • Assured: CU Boulder, University of Denver (in-state tution for Boulder and stats well above range)
  • Likely: Case Western Reserve, University of Richmond, American University
  • Toss-up: Georgetown (Legacy), Emory, Tufts
  • Low Probability: Rice, Notre Dame, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Duke

I want to ED Columbia or if not do EA everywhere that offers it, specifically Georgetown

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Just focusing on your Low Probability list: Are you interested in attending Duke, Notre Dame, Rice, Princeton, or Yale? You seem to be only interested in either Columbia or Georgetown. Also, are you classified as a Domestic applicant for every school on your list? You must for the Assured options in Colorado since you qualify for in-state tuition.

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You are an American citizen, not an international student. Please remember that.

If you live abroad, how are you a resident of Colorado? How will you qualify for instate tuition status in CO? Are you the child of a diplomat, or something like that? You don’t have to state that here, but in some circumstances this will give you instate status where you perhaps own a home or had residency. So check to make sure.

Does this mean you have completed grade 10, and have two more years of high school?

At this point you sound like a very strong student. I would suggest you keep up the excellent work you have done so far.

The net price calculators are set for students starting college in 2027. That isn’t you. You will need to do them again late summer before your last year of high school.

I will say, growing up abroad is a terrific thing for you!

And I agree with applying EA anywhere that it is offered. Just check to make sure it’s not SCEA or REA (I know a few of your reach schools are…and you would not be able to apply SCEA/REA and then also EA to other schools beside public universities.

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The poster stated they are an American living abroad. They would be a domestic applicant everywhere they apply. However, their applications will be reviewed with others from the region in which they reside.

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I am a rising senior, sorry for not clarifying! My IB coursework is what I took in 11th grade, which I will take in 12th, which is separate from 9th and 10th. I have only a year left.

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Yes I’m definetly interested in those schools too, I’ve done the research and am writing my supplementals to apply. I was born in Colorado and have my family home there which is why I am instate.

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Just making sure. Since you are a U.S. domestic applicant for each school, you’ll have a better chance of getting admitted than an international applicant - I would have suggested applying to a few more schools in that case (≈20). You list looks like a solid list of schools - you might be able to narrow it down to 10 or 12. You already have a nice SAT score in the low 1500s (with a 790 math score); I don’t think you’d gain much of an advantage with a retake. Columbia is reinstituting its testing requirement for the next admissions cycle (no more test optional), so a realistic expectation is to expect more low 1500 SAT admits. The IB Diploma is also a plus! AP, IB, and Cambridge AICE pretty much count as equivalent for advanced credit or placement whenever and wherever applicable. However, there are fewer U.S. students taking and earning IB credit & diplomas than ones taking AP since fewer high schools offer IB. For some schools looking to attract & admit more IB students (fulfill an institutional need), there could be an admissions boost (higher boost with less selective schools).

Where IB exam scores are being sent - Class of 2023

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If you’re looking to add another likely to tour list, this major at UMN might be perfect for you. Will be on budget and MN is a very easy flight from almost anywhere.

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You have a good profile! Of course, you have schools that are just impossible to predict but you wouldnt be wasting your time applying. Having strong test scores helps at many of these, and I’m assuming that with that high predicted IB, you have impressive SL scores already. Your international background will probably appeal to the AOs as you will be bringing a different perspective to campus (and one that may be harder to find now with fewer foreign applicants.) Personally, I think that your background also demonstrates that you can adapt and learn. Moving a lot has a special set of challenges, and meeting those and exploiting the opportunities that come with them is a great skill set to have honed.

The piece that’s not clear is your financial status. Are you applying for FA and if so, does the NPC indicate that these schools will be affordable with it? Or do you need merit to get to your budget because the schools expect you to pay more? If it’s the latter, you may need a different set of schools. Tufts, for example, doesn’t have merit and is known to be stingy with FA, but with an ability to pay $50,000 and with the rest of your profile, you would be in a decent position to be awarded the FA shown in the NPC (if that would work for you.)

Overall though, you are a strong candidate. Be thoughtful with your essays - you should have plenty to work with to ensure they are strong and reflect you.

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@Candid_Candle if this screen name is your real name, I would urge you to change it asap. Here is how:

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Make sure. I was born and raised in Ohio…and my family home is still there. I am not a resident of Ohio for tuition purposes. Just check and make sure. It’s very possible you qualify for instate status for tuition and admission purposes in CO…but make sure!!

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Agree that they should verify, but as OP is a foreign service kid, highly likely they are on top of this.

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I am not sure about all of your reach and toss-up schools, but at least many of them are need blind for admissions. As one example, Princeton really can afford to ignore your financial need when they are deciding whether to admit any particular student. Your financial need will not impact your chances for admissions at need blind schools.

However, they meet need as they define it. Have you run the NPCs and do they show that the schools will meet what you and your parents understand as your financial need?

Only apply ED if both of the following are true: (1) It is your top choice; (2) The NPC shows it as being affordable. I would be tempted to print out a copy of the NPC, and then if the offer comes in significantly less generous you have a solid reason to back out.

Your ECs are very good in my opinion. You are a high school student. You are not expected to have cured cancer while still in high school.

This is going to give you an interesting perspective on the world. I cannot imagine a school penalizing you for having a parent who works at a US embassy abroad.

If medical school is a possibility, then stick with your budget, and be cautious about your budget. You do not want to take the full cost of medical school as debt, and even half of the cost of medical school would be a LOT of debt.

If you do end up in medical school, the ability to speak Spanish fluently will be a plus.

Looking at your post, to me some sort of graduate school does seem like a real possibility. While PhD’s in STEM fields are usually funded, master’s degrees are not. Of course MD programs are not funded either and being a full four years (and then followed by residency) are expensive. You can attend very good graduate programs, whether for an MD or DO or PhD or master’s degree, with a bachelor’s degree from any school on your list, or a few hundred other universities and colleges.

I will sometimes look first at safeties, since it is important to have at least one solid affordable offer when the time comes. CU Boulder is very good. I am wondering whether you should also apply to Colorado State, but I may be biased since CSU is superb for veterinary medicine and I have a daughter who is a veterinarian (the undergraduate required classes for premed and for pre-vet are the same classes, so premed classes at CSU will have quite a few very good pre-vet students in them).

I think that you are competitive for every school on your list. I used to live near Tufts and like the location quite a bit. It also has all of a very good medical school, a very good graduate school of biomedical sciences, and a very good veterinary program (although these are at separate locations relative to the main university campus).

I think that you have a good list. It is a bit long. Make sure that the NPCs show the schools as affordable, and look for schools that you feel will be a good fit for you.

For ECs, just focus on what is right for you. Again the list is long. I think that having lived outside the US and having a parent in the embassy staff is an interesting background.

Best wishes. I think that you are likely to do well.

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