The point is that, based on your SAT scores, you would not be able to keep up, academically, with students at those schools.
It’s not just about taking tech and CS courses. You have to take courses in English, science, history and math in an American system of education. You have to “fit” what the schools want in their class. That’s your issue: fit and academic preparedness.
Do you have the time or opportunity to take the SAT again or the ACT and get the scores rushed to your target schools? Will any of them accept updated test scores at this late date?
Aunt Bea, you might not know what’s the level of the Mathematics Scientific French Baccalaureate.
It is way harder than you think: only the top students of the school can do this program.
We start school at 7am, have two short breaks (a total of 1h 10min) and end at 4:30PM.
This doesn’t end here - we typically study until 9PM and until 12AM whenever we have a test the next day.
This is why sleep around 3-3.5 hours per day (startup work).
Let me give you an example of a very close friend who moved to the states two years ago.
She was in the Lebanese Baccalaureate (same level as the French Baccalaureate), and had around 11-12 over 20 (which is a 72 on a scale of 100) - teachers put two grades on the exam paper: one over 20 and another one over 100.
She’s in the States now, she got accepted into GT, Umass and four other colleges.
Why? Because she had the highest average of her class (98/100) as she did all the program three years ago in school.
I lived in the States for a year in 2006 and I was offered to skip a grade because I knew all the material (we studied them in school in Lebanon).
Typically, when students from the Lebanese and French Baccalaureate graduate and want to go to college, they enter as a Sophomore and not a Freshman - thus, we get to “skip” a year of college.
But given the differences in the US, no matter our highschool “degree” (IB, French Baccalaureate or even highschool graduate), we all go into the same freshman year.
This freshman year is our 12th grade in Lebanon.
mamadefamilia, most of the colleges accept January scores.
It doesn’t matter how hard your school is. If you can’t get better test scores, your chances are very low.
It’s not about the school, it’s about the program.
You’re right, even though SAT scores are useless.
My opinion:
Anyone, literally anyone could ace the SAT if he studies for it - if I study for the SAT I can boost my scores up to a 2000, but I don’t have time.
My presentation skills are very good, my english is great as well (PS: you can’t convince a VC with a bad english) and I public speak in English very often.
Hence, I believe that the SAT shouldn’t be a norm to decide a student’s capability to succeed in college.
Oh, and the irony:
If you’re booksmart, you’ll get into any college.
If you’re booksmart, you’re most probably not going to succeed in life - unless you’re going to be a doctor or if you’re going to work in a company and having orders and tasks to do.
Colleges’ “vision”: create and build the students of the future.
I absolutely agree with @intparent.
So your friend entered as a sophomore in college, it’s not uncommon with US high-achieving students. Big whoop. All of my kids entered as sophomores, at their universities, based on their APs and community college-equivalent classes.
If you have taken the SAT three times and can’t score above 2250, you are not competitive.
If your school system is so tough, academically, why not continue your education in your home country? It would make more sense, and you could continue in the same vein, receiving a similar tough post-secondary education. Our US universities wouldn’t satisfy your needs.
Have you researched international acceptances in these colleges? How the different scoring and testing is handled?I would call at least one college to see what kind of guidance they can give you. You cannot be the only person in the world who has been in this situation.
By the way, did you apply to all those universities? Have you heard back from any?
Whenever I read something like:
“…my company is now worth 1.5M$, with 7 employees, 3 board of advisors from world known
…”
from an underage kid, especially with stats much less spectacular, I take it with a grain of salt. I suggest the rest of us do the same!
The students getting into most of those colleges don’t need to study to get their scores to 2000. With study, they are at more like 2300.
Yes I applied to all these colleges RD @cardinal2020mom
It sounds like you really want to go to college. There are so many to choose from, but others are right that are need to broaden your search.
Finally one user that agrees with me! @CheddarcheeseMN
Too late, I already applied to these colleges though
To those saying that OP should eschew going to college since he appears to be so successful without it, you should know that a $1.5 m valuation used for a second round of funding is pretty small. It doesn’t mean anything like OP is doing $1.5m in annual sales or earnings or whatever people might be thinking. Good luck with your college acceptances . I think schools like Stanford and Cornell are going to be long shots but whose to say it won’t happen?
You’re right that being booksmart won’t exactly mean you succeed in life, and that is why Ivy League institutions and other top institutions look at extracurriculars and leadership and recommendations. They need to know if you are likable, have charisma, have the ability to lead others.
I understand you think that it is stupid that good standardized test scores are needed, and yes, in many ways it may be so. But your goal is to get into these colleges, so you need to play the game. You might get in solely on the fact that you have these wonderful extracurriculars, but when they choose applicants, they choose students who demonstrate that they can handle the rigor of the courses, which yes, means kids who are booksmart.
So even if it sucks, if you don’t get in this time, take the stupid standardized tests and ace them. I mean obviously if you’re a founder and ceo of such a startup, you proved that if you try, you can ace them. I get you don’t have a lot of time, but if you really want this, you have to make time.
Anyways, I’m sure you do have a chance, as many colleges say they have no minimum scores they want, so don’t give up hope.
Thanks for your support and thanks for understanding me! @Falcon1 @helewidis1005
@Falcon1 : Totally true - 1.5M as a valuation for a second round of funding is not that amazing, but it is a pretty good start I believe!
I’ll definitely won’t give up! And anyways, I have already applied to these colleges 
I wish you lots of luck @Stevenz - nothing wrong with reaching for some of these schools, so long as you can afford it and can handle rejection. I admire your interest. Keep us posted!
Thanks a million @SouthFloridaMom9
I have faced a lot of rejections and losses - from investors, to competitions, to skepticism from people…
Unlike others, failures, obstacles and rejections don’t intimidate me anymore - I believe this is mainly because I have already faced them and taught myself how to overcome such things.
Will keep you guys posted for sure.
Best,
Steve.
Humm… No.
I offer as evidence the literally millions of American students who spend years preparing and thousands of dollars in test-specific tutoring and training and the vast majority of them don’t “ace” the SAT.
It’s designed to be an aptitude test (that’s what the “A” in SAT originally stood for). Studying only gets you so far.
Damn I mean hell if my company is worth $1.5 million (assuming this is legit) at the age of 17-18 I would work my ass to grow to company to $10-20 million sell it, life a good life.
But in all seriousness, people go to college to get degrees and make money. If you are making money why go to college? Just my thought.