Chance Me / Match Me Yale REA, Cornell RD, Columbia RD [US citizen outside the US, IB predicted 41/45, 1260 SAT, political science or environmental studies]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • US Citizen graduating abroad in a international school
  • Private International HS
  • Not first gen, no legacies, not an athlete

Cost Constraints / Budget
Applying for need based aid and FASFA

Intended Major(s)
Poli Sci / Environmental Studies
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
IB Diploma: Predicted 41/45 ,
SAT: 1260 submitted , 700 EBRW, 560 Math
no GPA because of IB, no class rank

List your HS coursework
IB Higher Level; Global Politics, English A Lang and Lit, Geography
IB Standard Level; Math AI, Environmental Systems and Societies, Spanish B

Awards
Yale Young Global Scholars Program, Honor Roll Grades 9&10, Student of the Year and Leadership award grade 11

Extracurriculars

Co-Director at a Climate non profit- 2 years full time

  • manages a social media account of 16k and does live interviews
    Student Council VP- 1 year
  • raised over 1.7k and changed uniform policies, hosted 30+ events
    2 paid summer internships (sustainability and gov.)
  • created 20+ marketing packets and managed a 100k budget
    President of MUN
  • hosted multiple conferences, went to international conferences, mentor 20+ students
    President of Newspaper Club
  • designed 20+ magazine covers and edited 20+ issues
    DEIJ Student advocate
  • got my directed videos on the new 2 years in a row
  • hosted multiple advocacy sessions
    Created the core values for my school
  • worked with Staff and faculty to created schools core values over 2 years
    Communications Director for Women Abuse NGO
  • raised 3k +, organized multiple fundraisers
    Staff writer at student led politics journal
  • writes articles monthly
    senior class events planner
  • wrote 3+ proposals, planned senior prom, fundraised money,

Schools
Yale REA
Cornell RD
Purdue EA
Northwestern RD
Stanford RD
Columbia RD
Tufts RD

2

You should not have submitted that SAT score.

3 Likes
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I don’t see any acceptances but you never know.

I’d add to the list.

Good luck.

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I only submitted it for Yale and nowhere else

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I am not all that familiar with the IB grade scales, but from what little I know this is a very good score.

This is good in general. This is however low for Purdue, and very low for everything else on your list. I see that you only submitted this to Yale. Yale is going to see this as very low.

I think that Purdue is a reach, and everything else on your list is a very high reach.

Your math SAT score also scares me a bit in terms of making me wonder whether any of the schools on this list are going to be a good fit for you. Is there any “will not repeat” reason for your math SAT score? The issue I see is that you will be competing in your classes at most of these schools with students who got 700’s or in some cases 800 on the math part of the SAT test, and there is at least some overlap between whatever the SAT test measures and whatever it takes to do well in classes.

You need to apply to other universities where admissions is far more likely.

1 Like
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My two cents is I suspect that very selective holistic review colleges like most of the ones you listed may be concerned about the lack of evidence of high level math and science ability.

Purdue might be an exception, though, and in fact a 1260 would be above their 25th composite (1210), but below their median (1330). Unfortunately, a 560 Math would be below their 25th for Math (600).

So assuming you are not applying for engineering, and also that you know you can actually afford Purdue (I hope you checked that), I might see Purdue as an appropriate harder Target/softer Reach sort of college.

Then one problem I see is I don’t think Purdue usually releases EA decisions until January 15. By that point, a lot of RD deadlines will have passed, or might even be expiring the same day.

So if you don’t get admitted to Yale REA, it seems to me you should strongly consider submitting some other Likelies and Targets, preferably ones where a 560 Math would normally be considered competitive.

Edit: By the way, correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is Maths AI SL is considered the easiest of the four IB Maths options. If that is right, that is part of the problem I identified.

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Aside from the affordability issue, the other problem is that Purdue is test required.

2 Likes
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That is an extremely important observation. I probably would have advised submitting anyway, but the OP has no choice in their case.

1 Like
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So how much aid do you need each year? What can your family pay. By completing the FAFSA, the maximum federally funded aid you will get is $7500 in Pell Grant if you qualify for a full amount, and a $5500 Direct Loan. That $13,000 or so total will not fund your college education here.

Do you qualify for need based aid? Have you completed net price calculators to get an estimate of your net costs?

Your list is a very reachy list. And Purdue doesn’t meet full need for all accepted students. You would be paying the out of state cost to attend. And as noted, your SAT is required at Purdue. @momofboiler1 might have an opinion about your chances of acceptance at Purdue.

I think the rest of your list is all reaches (reaches for everyone, not just you).

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I would need about 40k in aid each year. And I can meet the full cost of Purdue as I have IN residency

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Thank you so much for your feedback! Yes, I had to submit for Purdue. But for all of the other schools minus Harvard I am not required to submit SAT. Math is not my strong suite and after taking the SAT 3 times I could not break 600 in Math and I take the ‘easiest’ math in terms of the ones offered by IB but I am going to poli sci as my major so I don’t think math is looked at as much . What other colleges should I apply to that would think my SAT is above average

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I’m less familiar with the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue but it’s an easier acceptance than many of the other schools within Purdue.

That said, I think IU has a stronger program for the OP’s intended major.

I would also clarify with the university that you would be considered instate since you are in school abroad. My understanding is that you would need to have been physically in state for the year before before starting at Purdue.

2 Likes
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I also wondered how you would be considered an instate resident for Purdue.

1 Like
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For IB math, AA is for those needing more math in college, while AI is for those not needing more math. Each has an HL and SL version, with HL being harder and more advanced.

US universities often give subject credit for one or two semesters of calculus for AA HL. AI HL may get subject credit for a semester of calculus or business calculus.

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Maybe Purdue as others have said. The rest are slim but stranger things have happened.

I would consider adding SUNY-ESF and Indiana U Bloomington.

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As an example, Hobart and William Smith, which offers a notably strong environmental studies program, posts a median SAT score of 1290 on its CDS (with 27% of its students having submitted SAT scores). This school would view your entire application favorably, with or without your SAT score.

Nonetheless, in general, your IB score should keep schools of fairly high selectivity accessible to you.

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So just to briefly orient this discussion, in the US system what is sometimes called your general education is expected to continue into college. So, most colleges in one way or another expect you to keep doing some math no matter what you choose to major in. And the most selective US colleges are usually expecting their students to keep doing some math at a reasonably high level.

This is quite different from how “unis” work in most of the world, which actually explains why in systems like IB or A Levels and so on, it is pretty common for students not to do Maths at the HL/A level. Whereas in the US, applicants targeting the most selective colleges are typically advised to keep doing Math classes all four years of high school, and indeed to follow the standard math sequence as far as reasonably possible for them. Even if they are not intending to major in something in STEM.

But I don’t want to suggest a 560 in Math is actually bad, or similarly that only doing AI SL means you are bad at math. It just may not be what the most selective US colleges are typically hoping to see. Which leads me to . . .

What other colleges should I apply to that would think my SAT is above average

So there are many different sorts of colleges that could be suitable for a person with an interest in Political Science. Of course you need to watch affordability too. On the other hand, aside from this math issue, I think a lot of colleges would see you as a very attractive sort of student. So there are really many different ways you could think about that question.

But assuming you are able to get in-state for Indiana, I would absolutely check out IU.

I’d also suggest looking at Michigan State. You’d have to confirm affordability was possible, but they do have some OOS merit, and a good Poli Sci department. They are also located in a state capital, which can be nice for experience opportunities (although obviously you are not limited to looking there).

Another sort of college you might be interested in checking out are Jesuit colleges. I am a fan of their undergraduate educational model, and I think they are often very well networked in ways that make sense for someone interested in politics. Again, all this is subject to affordability, but I would consider looking at colleges like Marquette, Loyola Chicago, Loyola Maryland, Seattle University, St. Joseph’s (Philly), and so on.

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You probably want to have a solid understanding of statistics in order to understand things like polls and elections.

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