You need to check out thread on Reddit for advice on how to best prep for the SAT or ACT. Practice tests are crucial. You dont study for them; you practice and prep for them. And some people are just better suited to the ACT than SAT.
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Perhaps @skieurope can talk to this. I believe it’s been addressed before.
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Will do! Also, I am in an IBDP online school pilot. Which means that I got admitted to one of the first online IB diploma schools.i am not sure what universities will think of it. Do you have any idea? Do they dislike online schools?
No, I do not think they will like that. But it is too late to change. This makes a very high standardized test score even more important.
Do you attend an in person high school, in addition to the online IB program?
You have to realize that most US kids applying with very high GPAs and very high SATs still do not get into Columbia, a few more get into NYU but it is still extremely competitive. Especially if your IB is online, you have to give them some concrete data points, like the SAT.
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Applying with predicted grades is typical for international applicants. All universities know this.
That said, a strong SAT in addition can only help. The OPs counselor is incorrect in saying they are unnecessary if IB predicted is high enough. Even for test optional colleges, high SAT scores can only help.
The reality is that bring international is a huge disadvantage at most universities. The applicant really needs to present the strongest application possible. Unless there are no SAT centers in the country (or for small countries, a neighboring one), test optional isn’t really an option for international applicants anymore
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If you would like to study in the U.S., consider applying to colleges across a range of selectivity, such as might be represented by, say, Amherst, Middlebury, Colgate, Oberlin and Allegheny, of which all offer strong programs in neuroscience.
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@Bug78 will you need financial aid to attend college here, and if so, how much?
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Some financial aid would he helpful. If a college is 80k a year (including tuition and boards) then 20% would help.
I have a friend whose son has 42 as well and is Canadian citizen applying from Hong Kong. He got in UCSD, USC, UBC(Canada) and McGill(Canada). I would say focus mainly T15-30 and a couple in reach.
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Thank you! Will look into them.
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Btw - the following schools are need blind for international students.
Amherst College
Harvard University
Bowdoin College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Brown University (*beginning in 2025)
Princeton University
Dartmouth College
Yale University
Best of luck.
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Thank you sm. will do!!
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Just know that need-blind colleges get a ton of applications from international applicants due, in large part, because they are need-blind. To put into perspective, Amherst received 5700 international applications and accepted 138. That acceptance rate is far below the overall acceptance rate.
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Thats a super good point. Thanks!!
The above listed schools are the ones that are BOTH need blind for admissions and meet full financial need for all international students. Their admission rates for international students are 5% or lower.
There are other colleges that are need aware but might provide an international student with excellent aid if accepted.
There are some colleges with limited financial aid for international students.
And there are some that provide $0 in aid to international students.
Look on each college website.
Thank you! I am fine with need aware colleges, as I said, I don’t need that much aid so I don’t think it would be an issue? Im not sure how the whole process works though, so i might be misguided.
Columbia and NYU have been my fave’s for a while now, you think i should try with my stats? Or is it kind of pointless?
Also northwestern seems like an awesome school.
Northwestern, NYU and Columbia are very selective colleges. Apply and see.
But if you want to study in the United States, I do not see a sure thing for admission on your current list…only high reaches.
Do you have some sure things in your home country?
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And also make sure you have a career path in your home country post-graduation. There is no guarantee you will be able to stay on in the US.
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Now is the perfect time to do some research on how financial aid for international students works. This should be done BEFORE you build your college list. You also need to figure out your budget with your parents.