Hey guys, I graduated in May 2014 in Thailand and got my International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma there. I had 40/45 for my predicted and had many offers from many prestigious universities around the world. However, I crippled my final exams and received 27/45 for the final score. Now, I am currently studying in a private business school called SP Jain School of Global Management in Singapore as freshman. Its my second semester there soon but I am planning to take SAT exams (i,ii) and AP exams til May 2015 to get into top US universities and other prestigious universities around the world. I am planning to achieve at least 2200 for my SAT I by this may and 700~800 in 2 subject tests and 4~5 in AP Stat, cal BC, World history, us history, env science, english lang/com, micro, macro and japanese if possible. Can you guys please give me any suggestions about my plan til may 2015 and please tell me when will I have to apply for US/other universities? Thanks a lot!
Those are a lot of AP’s to handle in one year!
Anyways, how is your financial situation? That is probably one of the most important things for international students.
Hi, I think my family can handle it. I saw some of my friends getting rejected by many US colleges ever since they asked for a financial aid. BTW, how hard is NYU stern and do you guys have any idea about the average NYU stern profile?
You have a lot of plans, OP, but as you learned when you took your final exams things don’t always turn out according to plan.
I suggest you do some research and then come back to us with some more specific information. Even saying you’re only interested in prestigious schools, and then combining that with your plans for SAT scores, is too vague for us to be much help.
You might start your research by responding to the questions posted here:
Make sure you speak to your parents about your plans and their ability and willingness to pay full fare at an American college, which can amount to $60,000 each year. Saying “I think they can afford it” is of no help to you. Students are often surprised to learn a) what colleges cost and b) what parents are willing to pay. Talk to them about real dollar amounts they will offer you each year. As @QwertyuiopPro notes, you might find that their response will allow you to stop your search right then and there.
Few American colleges will offer ANY aid to international students; here are some places to look for colleges that will offer some:
http://www.educationusa.info/financial-aid.php
Despite your plans, you simply may not be able to afford an American college.
Your grades and planned SAT scores are not such as to make you likely to get a lot of aid from an American college. There are just too many applicants to prestigious schools with better scores and outstanding extracurriculars. You may find you have to go below the most prestigious colleges in order to get the financial aid you need, and these less prestigious colleges are even less likely to produce all the aid you need. This is what your friends found out, despite their plans.
I am not trying to puncture your plans, but there is a reality to applying to colleges and colleges live only in the real world. It really is time for you to do something to make real your plans.
Thank you for your suggestion. I will carefully consider what you have suggested to me 
You might for instance take a look at the automatic merit schools and high merit schools listed on CC’s financial aid and scholarship forum. They’re in the pinned threads at the top of the forum. Remember, most of these schools will not offer money to internationals, but some of them, like Alabama (I believe), will.
Let us know how else CC can help, okay?
OP is attending college and will thus be a transfer applicant. Depending on what s/he means (Ivy league only? Top 25 universities and LACs? State Flagships?), “prestigious schools” may not admit transfers at all, or only a handful doing a “lateral” transfer (ie., from a top US college to another). In addition, the 27 on the IB WILL count and WILL NOT be totally offset by APs (where OP is hoping to get 5s).
OP, can you retake the IB exams/subjects that you bombed?
Finally, for top schools, extra curricular activities take primary importance. Make sure to stay involved in the activities you did in secondary school, and show a higher level of responsibility, leadership, and achievement than you did as a high school student.
The AP scores will not be available until the end of the summer, so if you are applying to transfer for fall 2015 don’t waste your money on AP exams this year.
Your IB scores aren’t what you had hoped, but as a transfer student your grades at your current university will be important for your transfer application. Work on those.
good catch, @MYOS1634, thanks.