Chance Me: Intl Student (Mongolia) — EE/CE, Full-Need Aid Required
Demographics: International student from Mongolia, male, attending an English-curriculum (Cambridge/IGCSE) school. Rising senior.
Intended Major: Electrical Engineering or Civil Engineering (deciding between the two)
Coursework:
**• IGCSE: ESL, Math, Physics, Biology, ICT, Global Perspectives**
**• Regular: Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, Social Science, Mongolian, Literature, Traditional Scripture, PE, Health, IT**
**• Advanced: Math, Physics, Chemistry**
**• School does not offer AP or IB**
Stats:
**• SAT: 1520 on most recent practice test (770 Math / 750 R&W); sitting for the real SAT Sept 12, 2026, targeting 1550+**
**• Unweighted GPA: \~98-99/100**
**• A\* in IGCSE English as Additional Language and Mathematics**
**• IELTS: expecting 7-8 band**
Extracurriculars:
**• Basketball team since 10th grade (will likely earn athletic diploma in basketball, possibly volleyball)**
**• Student council since 9th grade — co-organized events, community service (not president)**
**• Building a solar-charged outdoor basketball court lighting system prototype, tracked on GitHub — personal project inspired by an unlit court near home**
**• Intern at a STEM-focused NGO for youth education, under my biology teacher (a scientist with a master’s degree)**
**• Intern in Mongolia’s energy sector under an automation engineer in a senior/high-level position**
**• Scouts (8th-9th grade) — Morse code decipherer; won National Gold at “Ikh Duudlaga,” a national mountain endurance/orienteering competition**
**• Math Olympiad since 8th grade — leading scorer for school every year; qualified for nationals once (8th grade)**
**• Contributing the electrical/energy component to a friend’s hydro-energy science fair project (friend is building the physical model; project is in progress and on track to be completed)**
**• Volunteering: animal shelter (10th grade), “Modod-2024” tree-planting event (500 trees planted), elders’ home (fundraising, clothing donations)**
Personal Statement:
Awards:
**• “Best Student” (9th grade) and “Most Intellectual/Smart Student” (11th grade) — national honor-society-type awards**
**• Bronze medal, National English Language Olympiad (9th grade)**
**• Placed 10th in district-level Advanced English Language Olympiad (the 12th-grade-level competition) as an 11th grader**
**• 1st place, team English speech contest (9th grade) — team later presented at “Gan Zam” palace**
**• 2nd degree diploma, Kangaroo Math competition**
Financial Context: Need full-need/need-blind aid as an international student — family can only contribute ~$1,000 total.
School List:
**• Princeton University**
**• Dartmouth College**
**• Amherst College**
**• Bowdoin College**
**• Smith College**
**• Bryn Mawr College**
**• Brown University**
**• Notre Dame**
**• NYU Abu Dhabi**
**• University of Rochester**
**• Union College**
**• Lehigh University**
**• Lafayette College**
**• Tufts University**
**• Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)**
**• Caltech**
**• Vanderbilt University**
**• Duke University**
**• Northwestern University**
**• Cornell University**
**• Washington University in St. Louis**
**• Swarthmore College**
**• Rice University**
Would love honest chances given the aid constraint — I know need-based aid + international status makes everything a reach, but trying to gauge where I’m competitive vs. wasting an application.