Indian Applicant from Saudi Arabia - British System

Chance Me / Match Me
1

I’m in the British system, and want to attend an Ivy school. My grades, which are fairly decent are:

AS - AAAA - Maths, Physics, History and Geography. A2 predictions - AAAA - Physics, Geography, Maths and History, respectively. My GCSE’s were 7A*'s, 2A’s and a B (in drama).

My SAT scores however, are fairly weak

2150 - 750 CR, 720 WR, 680 Math (which is terrible - I know. Will this however be offset by my A* at GCSE and A at A level, as well as my A* prediction in Physics?)

Subject SATs - 780, 760 - In Literature and Physics respectively

I have alright ECAs:

I’m a Life Scout (working on Eagle) and am senior patrol leader of the troop. I’ve completed several survival expeditions with the scouts.

I founded and run the school’s astronomy club, which has now been allocated a budget, and has been given official status.

I lead the Eco Committee - under me we have implemented a recycling system that is highly unusual in Saudi Arabia (environmental awareness is minimal)

I help lead the school’s MUN, as part of the supreme council, and have won awards at national conferences.

I do a lot of sports - play on my high school volleyball, soccer and basketball teams. I’m also a 9 handicap at Golf.

I do volunteer work - charities, community service, boxing coaching.

Work Experience as an unpaid intern at 2 law firms, one in Islamic Law, and the other at Clifford Chance

I completed a research project on Human-Elephant interactions last year in rural India - which I actually wrote my essay about.

As far as recos go, I’ve read one of my teachers, which is pretty good, and my 3rd person - my scoutmaster, who talks about my leadership qualities. Haven’t read the other teacher or counsellors, but they shouldn’t be a problem - they both like me.

Do I stand a chance of getting into HYPSM? Or will my terrible SAT scores scare them away?
I’m going undecided, but I’ve said my areas of interest are history, economics, and politics on the App - STEM subjects that need stellar math scores.

Here are the schools I’ve applied to:
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Columbia
Stanford
Northwestern
Cornell
UCLA
UC Berkeley

Could you guys match me?
I know that they’re all really selective, but I’ve got an offer from King’s College in the UK, so I only applied to schools I’d pick over Kings

2

Your ECs look very good. However, your SAT is a little weak, especially because they expect more from international applicants.

Harvard - reach
Yale - reach
Princeton - reach
Columbia - reach
Stanford - reach
Northwestern - low reach
Cornell - low reach
UCLA - low reach/high match
UC Berkeley - low reach/high match

However, all these chances can be easily offset by great essays. Your ECs look phenomenal, so I think you still have good chances. I wish you the best and good luck!

3

You’re a below-the-line applicant for all of these schools and some are totally out-of-reach (Unhooked candidates with a 2150 just flat-out don’t get into Yale, Harvard, Stanford or Columbia).

You need to be looking a schools with a very different level of selectivity.

4

@soze What if I told you that one of my friends - who got a 2150 on the SAT - is currently studying Economics at Stanford? He’s an international, and completely unhooked.

5

I would say that he is hooked, just not admitting it. (or to give him the benefit of the doubt, he might not have been aware of it).

6

@soze that’s complete bs. i know someone who got into harvard last year with 2100. I’m in the UK, so for international students it’s supposedly harder, but he still got in with that score.

7

Again. I stand by my assertion despite your supposed anecdotal counter-example. Your friend had a hook, it might have been one they kept to themselves or not even realized they had, but it’s certain they had a hook.

8

@soze I’ve known the guy for 8 years. He’s not hooked. People like you who insist that you have to have some sort of “hook” to get into the elite schools with a score lower than 2150 amuse me very much indeed.

9

Be amused all you like.
It still does not make me wrong.

10

As an international you need to have SAT I scores > 2250 to be taken seriously. Good luck