The thing is, I am a not-native speaker with a score of 2000 (CR:710, M650,W640) and I found out about SAT like one week in advance…
My university counselor told me that with my 45/45 IB I stand a good chance for most of the ivies…YET, when you read the threads here, it seems as if everybody had super high score (yet, often they do not get in where they wanted)
Another issue is…most of the people here told me (or I read) that being an international means my chances are smaller…but are they? I am from an underrepresented country, I think it’s the opposite.
P.S. I personally talked with the admission officer from Duke, Dartmouth, Stanford and Yale, and they ALL told me that as an international student, they do not really care about the score, as long as I reach a certain treshold (which 2000 obviously is, since around 2050-2150 is often the 25th percentile…)
so my question is, are CC users just overachievers and that it is easier for INT students to get it (as long as they are from a small country)?
@ARTPOP Although many people on CC are coincidentally very good students and high scorers, a lot of non CCers with these scores also do not get in. It is quite usual for very high SAT scorers to get rejected from top universities. And contrary to popular belief the SAT is not just a threshold or checklist that gets marked off after you have reached a certain score. A 2300 is different from a 2000 regardless and it will be taken into account. If that was the case, many students would not try to improve their scores as long as they were above 2000 or a certain threshold. As an international student, I think you do have to deal with more competitiveness as you are competing with the rest of the world for a smaller amount of admissions than just the U.S for a larger amount. Would you mind telling me what country you are from? All the best.
The competition is actually harder for Internationals and I doubt that an SAT score as low as 2000 (low for the ivies, but good overall), especially when there are many HIGHLY qualified international students, is above the threshold. Take a look at the results threads here to see the stats of those who have gotten rejected or accepted.
@Brajia that’ts exactly what I am saying, here on CC there are plenty of students with high SATs (taking the test 3 or more times, and yes, that’s what being an overachiever is), and the do not get it…for example, I think I stand a good chance for Upenn, the very nice guy I was talking told me not to worry, they acknowledge that English is not my first language and given I am from a tiny Eastern European country, while having full IB (I think I am the only one in the school), + international competitions, I am very likely to get in…
I understand I may not be good enough for Harvard or Princeton, but I think I am good enough for Upenn or Duke.
@HollaChalla and yeah, it is for sure different, 2000 and 2300, but what I am saying, they will see my SAT and my IB, they will read my essays, ECs etc. and , with all the modesty, I know I am the most outstanding student applying there (from my country),…and yes, you are saying I have to deal with more competitiveness… well, not really, in the Eastern European pool (and for a fact I know it exists at some universities) I will be outstanding (I really dont want you to think I am bragging or that I am super confident, with all the modesty I know that my life story, academic and volunteering achievements can weight out “mediocre” SATs…maybe I am just reassuring myself, who knows…I will let you know in April, tho
Thank you both guys for your opinions, I hope I get into one of my top choices and I hope you too (if you are applying this year) Have a happy new year
P.S. If the university I am applying to will reject solely because I made 4 more mistakes than the average american kid who has been preparing for it for months/(even years, if you think about it), then it is definitely institution I want to go to + I have a learning disability that affected my writing and math score so I hope they will recognize it (I wasnt accommodated during the SAT test,tho).
It doesn’t matter that you think your chances are opposite of the norm. It only matters on how the schools admit, and currently, they don’t admit a lot of “average” students at the top schools. There would not be enough seats at those schools. It doesn’t matter that you are from a small country. There are a finite, limited number of seats at the ivies. These are not schools that have 30K to 40K students. These are small schools, which most international candidates don’t seem to understand.
@ARTPOP yeah man good luck. Also, you won’t really be compared with other east european applicants. Since there are a lot less east european applicants, it would be unfair for other applicants from more competitive countries like Korea and China. I’m thinking you’ll be competing with all international applicants. You do not compete geographically but it will be more focused on your ethnicity when applying(asian/white/etc.). It is a very competitive pool for internationals. I am near certain you will not compete with other east europeans, but rather all of europe as a whole. Anyway good luck and happy new year.
@“aunt bea” I understand that and I do have a respect for them, what I am saying is that if they are truly exceptional institutions, they should know that SAT doesn’t reflect academic ability, especially if you are an international.+ I have been told by some of the Ivies’ admission officers (in person) about the threshold thing…the Upen officer said, (that’s a quote) “Of course we do not look at your SAT scores the same way we look at the scores of american students, you just need to score a certain threshold to have your application reviewed”
@ARTPOP Although SAT scores are not the only thing that determines acceptance, they are still VERY important to these selective universities regardless of whether people feel they reflect academic ability or not. And notice how it says “to have your application reviewed” that doesn’t mean acceptance, a low score can still hurt in such a competitive applicant pool. Only 12% of Harvard acceptances go to Internationals.
@Brajia I hope that my other academic achievements will outweigh it…plus, I have got 800 and 750 in subject tests, so who knows…of course I dont really hope to get into harvard, but I do hope I will get to either Duke or Penn…do you think I stand a chance?
I know that Ivy league schools are “top tier” and everything, but it would be a huge mistake to refuse to look at any non-Ivy colleges. Ivy Leagues don’t have a corner on the market for amazing academics. If you want to get an awesome US education, there are many great schools out there, even at such a high level. Explore CC and take a look at some of the other prestigious top-tier American universities, and see which ones might be a good fit for you. Don’t limit yourself to the Ivies.
@Brajia well, I do not really have an GPA, since I am taking International Baccalaureate, but having 45/45 easily equals to 4.5GPA, so that’s why I am aiming so high…
Of course they know that the SAT doesn’t reflect academic ability. Give the Adcoms some credit! The truth is there are just too many applicants and not enough seats, so they have to pick who they consider the best applicants for their finite number of seats. Each school builds a class. If your stats don’t fit their idea of a candidate for that class, then it’s their decision. Arguing and trying to convince and influence people, on a college info website, won’t change how they admit. You posted the thread for information, not, I hope to debate your need to be at the ivies.
Additionally, these schools were developed to educate American students who are backed by federal US dollars; international students are guests. They don’t have to admit any international candidates if they don’t want to; there is no law stating that they should.
Also, the schools have a lot of needs, and one of those needs is to please their US alumni who donate millions of dollars.
@“aunt bea” I am studying at an international school, and trust me, they must, if they want to keep their education valuable for diversity is crucial…I think that being in a multicultural environment will teach a lot, and most importatnly, It will teach you something that no professor can. .but I understand your point, they have no obligation to accept international students, yet it look good at stats that they have a great international population @Waiting2exhale no, but I am pretty sure I will know the person you have in mind. I am studying at UWC tho
FYI: At my children’s HS, we had 87 languages spoken by students- some immigrant families, and some students who have inherited and continue to speak their mother tongue. The US schools are not short of multicultural, diverse and physically-challenged students.
