Chance Me / Match Me [ Int'l student, chem, high need ]

jes1ca
Sat, 11 Oct 2025 10:15:57 +0000

Demographics
- International

Small Country in East Asia

Public High School. (Had to take a senior high school entrance exam, the school only takes kids that scored above National PR 98. One of the best public high school in the country.)

Cost Constraints / Budget
- Needs aid. Upper middle class in my country but around lower middle class in the states, can afford around 20K to 30K (which according to the NPCs should be around what we’ll pay if I do get financial aid.)

Intended Major(s)
- Mostly chemistry except Northeastern which I chose Business

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

UW gpa: 3.7/4.0, but my school uses a 100 point system, so this was converted. My original gpa is around 86/100, which is quite high (in the top 15% of my class, according to our school profile) as my school grades very very harshly. I will be reporting the original gpa instead of the 3.7 one.

Weighted HS GPA: none. Our school does not offer weighted courses.

Class Rank: none. School does not disclose.

ACT/SAT Scores: Was gonna take the October one but due to a string of accidents I couldn’t make it to the test. But will take one very soon in November. My mocks on bluebook are around 1550+ and mocks on the Princeton review is around 14XX. I am aiming for 1510+

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

Our curriculum is set, you can only select the track that you are on. I am in the med track which is the hardest and most rigorous. I am taking Mandarin, English, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Labs, Physical Education, National Defense and Home Economics this year. In addition to that, I also took writing comprehension, civics&government, geography history, data sci, comp sci, engineering through out my high school years.

I did not take any AP classes, but my all of the classes I’m taking is the hardest available. Our curriculum as my counselor will check on commonapp is “Highly Demanding” (second to the super smart kids that got placed in gifted class)

My math skill is equivalent to AP Calculus (unsure if it’s AB or BC, but when I graduate it’ll be equivalent to BC, as my friend that graduated said.) and all the AP sciences. But due to financial constraints, I will not be taking any AP tests.

Awards

1. Model Student of (My City) , selected from 2400+ and then was voted to by those 2400+ kids. [ Regional ]

2. Debater of the Year, only 2 selected every yr. [ National ]

3. 5+ Speakers award/Team award at debate tournaments [ International, National, Regional ]

4. Poster Acceptance in (name of an int’l conference) in clinical chemistry [ International ]

5. National Brain Science Training Program acceptance (selected top 20) [ National ]

Extracurriculars

1. Varsity Debate Captain, Team academic director and coach

2. National representative in NSDA (first non-american team to compete for my country)

3. Co-founder of an English debate community that empowers voices + deals with inequalities through offering free courses+hosting free workshops and giving open lectures in collaboration with professors from a government debate project.

4. VP + R&D leader of our school’s ambassador team that only 20 were selected out of almost 200 applicants after two rounds of interviews and test. Hosted various exchanges + two symposiums featuring Nobel Prize Laureate. (w/ one that I personally hosted for the day and his and his wife inspired me to study chem!)

5. Speaker of the student parliament, representative for all three yrs of high school. Voted to be the speaker out of 60+ representative

6. chem research that won school science fair (honorable mention + award of practical spirit), researched for a yr, revolved around solving the microplastic pollution in water.

7. Took a course on medicine at a university for a semester and took a course on semiconductors from an incredibly famous semiconductor company for a semester. Was invited to participate a female scientist trip that was all expense.

8. Data sci research ( only for a few months as this was more of a side project from my elective class), analyzing mental health and sleep habits through code.

9. taught free English lessons in partnership with the rotary club to kids from rural elementary schools.

10. self run an instagram dance account w/ my friend, has over 50k views.

Essays/LORs/Other
personal statement was talking about the creativity and curiosity that stem from building lego, how it shaped the way I react to problems and how I see them.

The why major essays was mostly about how the Nobel Prize Laureate and his wife (another scientist also!) inspired me, had me wanting to become a scientist that was unique (cuz most of my ecs were on communications so I wrote how I want dialogue with experiment etc.)

My current favorite school is UChicago, and both the quirky essay and the why Uchicago essay I think I did quite well. Both were proof read by my parents and friends, and the ones that understood it thought it was really good. The quirky essay was on creating a new idiom and it talked about how I don’t want to be restricted to one definition.

For LoRs,

I have my principal as my counselor, who knows me very well as I’ve been working with him to host the exchange programs and symposiums. I translated his rec letter for him and I think it was quite well! I’d give it a 9/10. (on a side note, he was originally going to be the additional recommender , but my homeroom teacher got into this huge fight with my homeroom and she told my parents she does not think I am a good student (??) so I had to find the principal instead.)

Then I have my English teach who’s also my debate coach, she knows me very well and me and my friends love chatting with her. Lastly, I have my chemistry teacher who was also my research advisor, because her mom (also a teacher at my school) knew me very well, so I was basically her guide to the school (?) and she said she likes me a lot.

Schools
I’m nominated for the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship at UofT. Although I’m 70% certain I’ll be admitted to UofT, I am not confident at all for the scholarship. But this is just for context of where I kind of place in my school. (one school can only nominate one kid for the scholarship and I was selected to be nominated )

Furthermore, I understand that policies and visa situations has make the international admission a lot more unpredictable and uncertain, so I am also studying for my country’s national college entrance exam. I don’t want to disclose the name of the university or my score as you will know my race then, but I am 99% certain that if I stayed I’d be enrolled to the top three university of my country.

Lastly, although my current ED school is UChicago, I’ve been seriously considering ED my second favorites, which are both need-blind unlike Uchicago, Amherst college and Brown. But I am stuck in the deadlock so please give me advice!!!

Reach: UChicago (ED1 for now), Brown, Amherst, Emory (Emory Scholars), Vanderbilt(Will apply for merit scholarships!), Tufts, Duke (Robertsons), Bowdoin, Williams. (this list may get longer but these are for now)
Match: [ EA ]Northeastern, [ EA ]Oberlin, [ EA ]Case Western Reserve, [ EA ]Purdue, UIUC
Safety: [ EA ]Miami U(honors), UMN Twin Cities

The reason why I applied to some of the uni is because they emailed and said it’s free to apply for me. But I do have to say it’s highly likely that I would end up staying in my country if I don’t get into my favorites!