<p>I was a college counselor for 20 years, about half of them in CA. Many of my students were considered internationals. When intnls apply to elite schools, outcomes are even less predictable they they are for Americans. The number from each country is capped, there’s only a small amount of aid and who is in the pool that year is far more uncertain, especially years ago, so your own story is not surprising. One powerful family applicant from Singapore could have knocked all the others out at a school. It’s still this way at ivies.</p>
<p>But today 50% of intnl applicants get into Cal. They are competing with CA public school kids, a very different pool than at HYPS and their peers. These kids have grossly inflated grades and scores that are not impressive among top school stats. Berkeley, simply, is much easier to get into than you seem to understand, especially for intnls.</p>