Chance an Intl. for HYPSM + Caltech

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographic: Female, Asian, International (from the UK)

GCSE: 10 9s and 1 8 (in music) achieved - equivalent to 11 A*s (roughly top 0.05% nationally)

A levels: Maths, FM, Econ, Physics. Expected predictions are A* A* A* A*

Intended Major: Math or Math and Econ double major

Awards and extracurriculars:

County young singer of the year

UKMT SMC and IMC gold (kind of like AMC 12)

LAMDA public speaking g8 distinction

Play guitar, piano and sings in a band that has done multiple paid concerts across the country and posts on instagram with multiple videos with 200k+ views. We’ve also done charity concerts to help local organisations.

g8 ABRSM singing distinction (I think roughly beginner conservatoire level)

Tutoring

Work experience (only 1 student a year) at a commodities trading firm where I had conversations with the lead of the UK office and heads of multiple departments.

Work experience at the ECMWF (major european government organisation that handles international weather data) and how they use their supercomputers and PDE’s to process, manipulate and distribute weather data and potential customers for specific data ie. how stock brokers use weather data to predict market trends

COMPOS - an online selective Oxford Physics and Maths course that teaches content in the A level curriculum at an accelerated speed while also delving into non-high school topics later on in the course

Yet to enter/ complete:

BMO1 - the first round of the national Olympiad (somewhere between AIME and USAMO) it’s in two weeks! I don’t think I’ll do particularly well though

Ritangle - it’s a group/team math competition that’s about halfway through, they release questions each week and you collaborate with others in your team to get answers. Once you have answers, you get a code for each correct answer that is the used in a problem in stage 2 to complete another series of problems. Theres another stage beyond that, and if you get there you get a mention on their website.

M3 Mathematical modelling challenge - Its in February but it’s about using Mathematical models to simulate real life economic situations. Also a group challenge.

Tom Rocks Maths Essay competition - run by an Oxford professor to talk about an interesting Mathematical question/idea and write stuff, idk how much better I can explain it you write a math essay

Leader of school choir (1 year)

When the current leader graduates I hope to lead Math Society in my school (roughly 40% of the cohort participate), we do math puzzles. Also thinking of having an integration bee but idk if that will be possible this year.

Independent math research is being worked on

Also STEP foundation modules and maybe a MOOC

Havent taken SAT yet but should get around 1550 or so based on past performanc, wanted to do it in the summer but ended up flying out of the country

Applying also to Imperial, Cambridge and LSE but those are more dependent on interview and TMUA/STEP so I don’t think a Chance me post is appropriate

2

You don’t mention your budget. Are you hoping for significant need based aid, or can your family fund these colleges?

Re: your chances at HYPSM and Caltech…it’s impossible to chance an international student for these colleges. The acceptance rate for internationals is low single digits meaning it’s a very high reach for all international students. At these colleges, more than 90% of students do not get accepted, and that %age is even higher for international students. IOW, many many many well qualified international applicants do not get accepted. So…you can apply and see.

It also sounds like you have at least a couple more years of high school left. Could you clarify that?

Regarding the things you haven’t done yet…really…not much can be said about them as you haven’t done them yet. And you have no idea how you will do. That includes the SAT.

What is your country of citizenship? Is it the UK? You need to make sure you have sure things for acceptance in your home country.

I’m very unclear what year you are in high school…please clarify that.

Are you guaranteed an affordable acceptance at any of these colleges?

3

Expect to pay $400k for a 4-year undergraduate degree. That’s just the university price. It doesn’t include airfare, transportation, dorm supplies, toiletries, health insurance, spending money etc. Your student visa will restrict your ability to work and will just begin to cover daily expenses.

The US colleges are having a bit of a time with government funding; it is being pulled or denied and international students are having a rough time of it because multiple issues. Visas, for international students, have a number of hurdles.

You should be set on your SAT/ACT reportable scores, if you were planning to apply this season. It does sound, however, that you have options in your country.

Remember, that the elites in the US are very different. No two are alike. They are all over the place with very different “personalities”, climates, locations, elevations, food options, living arrangements, plus, some schools need to be a “fit”, or you will not feel comfortable residing there.

4

I hope this poster clarifies, but I think they are in their second to last year of HS, and will graduate in spring 2027.

5

So you’re in Y12 - the US equivalent of 11th - which means your “expected predictions” are your own wishing and hoping.

Without SAT, and without official predicted A2 scores, it’s hard to be realistic other than to tell you that as an international, your chances are in the 2% range as they are for all internationals.

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I don’t believe any of those specific ones can be guaranteed, but if that is the calibre of university OP’s stats are aimed at (on face value they are), they can add a couple of other unis to the UCAS application where they should be certain of being admitted on stats. There is a cap on UK tuition and I believe these three all charge the same (maximum), assuming OP is eligible to for home tuition status.

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No, OP’s expected predictions on their A levels are issued by their teachers based on their performance in class.

Predicted grades – what you need to know for entry this year | UCAS

8

Shouldn’t OP expect to pay what the schools’ Net Price Calculators say? I do not believe any of the schools on OP’s list have stopped meeting full financial need.

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This is an international student. The net price calculators are very often not accurate for international students.

Plus, the NPCs are currently set up for students entering college fall 2026, and that is not this student. Financial aid formulas and aid awarding policies do change sometimes, even at these very well endowed colleges.

10

OP, consider applying to Warwick. It’s a top UK schools for maths and their maths degree is unusually flexibile. They also have a degree in MORSE (math, operations research, statistics, economics) which might interest you.

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Sure, but there’s no reason to expect them to suddenly go from being committed to meeting full financial need to not giving any financial aid whatsoever.

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Agree…but the fact that this is an international student could very well render the NPCs as a very rough estimate only.

The 2027-2028 academic year will be based in 2025 tax year info…and they will also need to project what that is for the remainder of the year.

HYPSM and Caltech are NOT all need blind for admissions. If this student needs significant aid, it might affect admissions.

13

I know what predictions are. However, OP has just begun Y12 and has a year to go until applications are submitted. The quality of predictions before end of year exams is suspect at best.

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“I want to try my hand at applying to an Ivy/ T20 University. Would be applying no Financial Aid. Currently in y11 / 10th grade at a British grammar (not private) school. . .”

From post on Jan. 2

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15

Money isn’t an issue and everyone pays the same amount for domestic universities. I’m also a junior/11th grader/y12.

Also idk if this makes a difference but in two months my father is moving to New Jersey?

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We get “predicted predictions” in November that are revised in March and then June before being sent off to UCAS. The grades cannot move up or down more than 1 letter grade before then - stupid I know.

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So you’re wealthy enough to afford $400k for your bachelor’s degree? In that case consider applying without seeking aid to need-aware institutions like UChicago (world class in both math and econ at the undergrad level).

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It doesn’t

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Are you moving with him? Will you have permanent residency status in the U.S.? If not, your dad moving makes no difference.

Are you talking about UK universities?

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20

Yes sorry I’m a domestic applicant for the UK unis so they all cost the same

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