<p>To alinhappyland:
He took the British A-Levels administered by Cambridge University, and the recommended courseload for these is 3 subjects. People do take more, but it gets very intense. One A-Level subject is roughly equivalent to what one would cover in freshman year at university (they are more in-depth than the AP’s and IB subjects, but limited to a narrower range). </p>
<p>Abhi0854:
Your EC’s are absolutely fine. If you do take a gap year, however, it is essential that you do something productive during the year and so it would be a good idea to build on them. Bear in mind though, that EC’s that look forced or appear to have been pursued simply to “pad up” one’s application rather than genuine interest can harm your application. Many students from India pursue activities with the sole intention of impressing admissions officials and such attempts are often seen through. Make sure your choice and commitment to your activities during your gap year does not point in this direction. It is better to pursue a couple of things with strong dedication and commitment (like you did in high school), than several haphazardly and with little passion. I just thought I’d point this out because it can be easy to lose focus when you have a whole year ahead of you and are trying to improve your application. If you focused on a couple of things and showed immense dedication to them like you did in high school, it could appear more impressive.
Also, since your A-Levels are restricted to such a narrow field try to expand your academic interests if you take a gap-year. Your SAT II tests are in the same subjects as your A-Levels–a slightly broader academic profile may help. You could take an additional one or two SATII’s in a language/literature/history or something to demonstrate your proficiency outside the sciences and math–or perhaps even sit for another A-Level in oct/nov? </p>
<p>Good luck with the wait-lists! I hope things work out. The fact that Amherst/Williams waitlisted you shows that they considered you to be well qualified but did not have enough space in their incoming class. If you consider reapplying after a gap-year, strategically an Early Decision application at one of these schools (if they are your top choices) might really improve your chances.</p>