Can a high GPA and good extracurriculars compensate for a low SAT?(1150/1600) I’m an international student applying to clark, brandeis, colgate, fordham, nyu, hofstra, USC and a few ivy leagues.
I’m sorry to say that with your SAT score, you won’t really stand a chance at Colgate, NYU, USC, and the Ivies. Do you have any hooks (legacy, first gen, athlete, etc.)?
Clark and Brandeis are test optional, so you don’t need to submit SAT scores if you don’t want to.
Since you are an international student, you really really need good SAT scores and to send them. Are you a Senior or a Junior?
Apply to test optional colleges.
What region of the world do you live in?
A GPA can compensate for a low SAT score at many colleges - but the ivies and top tier schools are not among those. Hofstra will take you, and Fordham probably will too - and those are great schools for an international student, as they are in a really diverse metro area with an interesting student body and close to NYC.
You may want to add a couple safety schools to that list, however- the ivies will be a no-go. NYU, USC, and Colgate will be pretty close to a no-go unless something REALLY stands out.
STF4717 - do you have any insight about Hofstra ? A decent enough population that are not locals? Is it a suitcase school and any knowledge about the safety of the surrounding area? I’ve been hearing Hempsted is not good.
Are you an international student who is studying at a US high school, or are you a true international who is studying outside the US in a different educational system?
Is English the language of instruction at your school? How long have you been attending that kind of school?
Do you have national exam scores or IB scores to report in addition to the SAT?
All of those things can affect how your SAT score is evaluated when you apply to college here.
You can google test optional colleges. There are many terrific schools that do not require SAT/ACT scores. There are advantages to the schools in terms of admission stats, and GPA correlates better to college success than test scores.
How about the financial side? Will you be requesting financial aid? Financial aid tends to be limited for international applicants. If you will require significant aid, you might also to google colleges that meet full financial aid. This won’t always be the case, but at least it provides a list of the schools where you would more likely receive sufficient aid. If any schools look good, you can see what they say about aid for international students. Good luck!