<p>Stats
Romanian, fairly good high school.
9.82 GPA on a 1-10 scale.
SATs: 2360: 760 CR, 800 Math, 800 Writing.
SAT IIs: Math 2, Physics and Chemistry 800
Cambridge CPE with an A, TOEFL iBT 111.</p>
<p>ECs
Good results at national olympiads: physics and informatics. Two first prizes, two hon. mentions. No international olympiad.
Apart from that, hardly anything. Some school projects, almost no volunteering whatsoever.</p>
<p>College choice
MIT
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown</p>
<p>The responses in this topic actually made me laugh…</p>
<p>Alright, now realize that schools like you mentioned (not so much MIT, but the rest) want to create communitites. They also, however, want to be accredited for teaching very smart people. In a sort of balancing act, these schools love seeing social beings that are also very smart, but they will pick some solely for their “genius” ability (though in a smaller proportion). Solely based on what you’ve given, you seem to be leaning towards more of the “genius” category. You are international (I think), which makes it more difficult, especially if you have to apply for aid. That being said, these schools see a group of internationals vying for maybe 200-300 spots per school. They’ll pick many in order to create a “worldly” community, and a few to add to the “smart” factor of the school. If you can explain what you’ve done in the context of where you live (as in, you’ve had other obligations, or the fact that community service has taken another form for you) you increase your chances.</p>
<p>All that being said, HYP are reaches, with MIT/Brown being lower reaches. You definitely have a chance, though. There is, however, a luck factor.</p>
<p>Good luck, indeed. I applied to MIT early action w/fairly good creds., including a 36 ACT, 800 MathII and a 800 US Hist, and I was deferred to regular decision. (As were 5,000 other applicants). </p>
<p>The upshot is, you shouldn’t place much hope in being admitted to MIT. But if you are, you should go!</p>
<p>You certainly have the scores to go to the schools you have applied to and you have decent ECs. Unfortunately, your lack of community service is not good. All of the schools you are applying to are very big on taking your education and using it to help others. MIT is huge on it- their motto is “Mens et Manus.”</p>
<p>You have a shot, but being an international and lacking in community service will make it tougher.</p>
<p>MIT- Reach
Harvard-Reach
Princeton- Reach
Yale- Reach
Brown - Not as Reach as your other schools, but still a Reach.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks for the help guys. I got rejected to all of them, if anyone is curious - not that I was placing much hope in getting accepted, anyway.
Probably because of mediocre essays, and the fact that there were some brilliant physics students from Romania applying as well - so my ECs weren’t all that good by comparison.</p>