Hi guys…
so today I got my 12th results and got around 87%…But I was a salutatorian in my school…So how does it effect on my applcation…
My SAT score is 2100…
I have not got good marks in my previous classes…but I have always been in top 2% of my class strength…
So what do you think guys…
I don’t think the rank will really matter. They’ll use it to compare your standing in school but it doesn’t mean much. An 87% is still an 87%.
Are you in the US?
Apparently the OP is from India based on other posts.
OP, yes your rank will help quite a bit. Different schools use different standards.
NavalTradition …yes I am from India…
Erin’s Dad …can you please tell me what kind of colleges look from rank perspective…
Of course your rank will factor in. Salutatorian with an 87% average = extreme grade deflation at your school at your school. For scholarship purposes, use the weighted average.
You can’t expect US kids to understand you country grading scheme. You are fine. You school will send a school report, right? They are used to US applicants?
Large state universities tend to have high average GPAs relative to their average test scores. So you may have better luck with smaller, private colleges (which are accustomed to applications from a wide variety of states, countries and school systems, and which are able to spend more time assessing each application “holistically”.)
Example:
According to its 2013-14 Common Data Set, the University of California at Irvine had an average entering GPA of 3.92, even though average entering SAT CR+M scores were below 1200.
In contrast, according to collegedata.com, Colgate University had an average entering GPA of 3.66, but its average entering SAT CR+M scores were above 1350.
The Secondary School Report will be crucial.
Your GUidance Counselor will need to indicate your rank quite prominently, BUT ALSO how your school’s grades translate when the students take national boards. Is an 85 a B or an A? If an 85 at your school translates into a 95 at national boards, that’s extreme grade deflation. If an 85 at your school tends to result in a 90 at national boards, then there’s grade deflation and the -5% average needs to be clearly indicated.
Also, if that 85% is compared to national performance, that 85% at your school would like place a student in… the top 25% nationally? the top 10% nationally? the top 5% nationally? the top 2% nationally? …
well…I am from ISC board and it is considered tougher than CBSE and State Boards…But I don’t exact;y know how much deflation is there…I was wondering anyone here could tell me…
@tk21769 I do want at least 75-80 % schalrship…so I think I will be better of with private institutions…can u suggest me some…
@MYOS1634 our school doesn’t have a guidance counselor…And could please explain “how your school’s grades translate when the students take national boards.”
If you’re looking for need-based aid, then have a look at the following lists:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2014/09/15/colleges-and-universities-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need
http://www.desperateguide.com/us/top-25-financial-aid-colleges-in-us-for-international-students-need-aware
The 2nd list probably is more relevant to an international student, but the numbers may be a little out of date.
For any college that interests you, the latest (and most authoritative) information on aid to internationals would be in each school’s Common Data Set, section H6. Also, run the online net price calculator for any school that interests you.
Notice that many colleges in the 2nd list are small liberal arts colleges. Many international students are not too familiar with these schools. This can work to your advantage, since it means less competition. One trade-off is that most of these schools won’t have very good name recognition, especially outside the USA. They also generally don’t offer engineering or other pre-professional programs.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-professors-send-their-children-to-college/
@tk21769 I saw the both list’s so…And the first one has more reputable colleges…So what colleges will you suggest…My current SAT score 2100 and I can Increase it up to 2250…Thanks very much man…
^ That first list has many more national research universities, which may be more familiar to students in India. All of the ones marked “National Universities” are very selective; most would be reaches for an Indian student even with scores as high as 2250. You have to understand that, once you cross a certain threshold in your numbers (which can be around 2100-2250 and top 10%-5% depending on the school), your stats may not matter as much as other factors (such as your essays, ECs, and demographic profile.) Many thousands of Asian students all want admission to those same famous national universities, so that fact will work against you at those schools.
One university on that list where I think you’d have a relatively good chance is Boston College.
Only 5% of its enrolled undergraduates are international students, which should mean you’d have less competition from other Asian applicants. Also, the percentage of BC students who ranked in their HS top 10% is only about ~81%; this, again, is a lower percentage than the 90% or more you’d see at the Ivies (other than Cornell, where it’s about 87%).
UNC and UVa are the only two public universities on these lists.
UNC and UVa apparently do not award need-based aid to internationals, so you’ll probably want to avoid them.
In my opinion, the schools on the second list are quite good, and may offer more consistently high-quality undergraduate classroom instruction than many universities on the first list. Forbes ranks Bowdoin College #14, ahead of 3 of the 8 Ivies, UChicago, and Duke. Bowdoin’s average need-based aid to international students is over $40K/year. Yet only 5% of its students are internationals.
@tk21769 I think if you see my EC’s you might suggest some better Univ’s…
- cracked NCO (By SOF and 12 and technolothon ( organised by IIT Guwahati).
2.I have 8kyu.belt in karate. - President of Computer Club at my School.
- I was appointed in my school’s student Council twice.
5.Did community work at my city’s School for Deaf and Dumb - I headed my high school physics project team .
7.I tutor 2 kids in my building for free(Obviously because they are not able to pay for it)
8.Won various national Level Robotics Competitions organised by IIT’s in their Technical Festival.
9 Various online courses from Coursera,Udacity and EDx .
10.Learned german in 9th and 10th(Of course I know remember nothing of it now)
11.I have very good LOR’s from my teachers in my high-school
12.Have Always been in Top 2% of my school.
13 Kind of interned with my school’s Counselor for 1 month.She helps students with the psychological problems. (She is NOT College Guidance Counselor,)
I think that’s all … Not what do you think can I get into some good Universities with the desired Financial Aid.
My intended Major is Computer Engineering with Psychology as A minor.
I think Psychology will help me because it teaches us how people think and what they think and react.So this will definitely help in Career …
Schools that appear to have strong computer engineering programs and award aid to international students include:
Cornell
UPenn
Duke
Northwestern
Johns Hopkins
Rice
University of Southern California
All of the above offer need-based or non-need-based aid to internationals. At USC (and possibly some other peer schools) only merit aid is available to internationals. You can expect the awards to be very competitive at these schools.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public university with strong CS and computer engineering programs. It does offer some merit aid to internationals (although the average grant was only about $11K in 2013-14.)
The University of Alabama offers full tuition merit scholarships to out-of-state students who have at least a 1400 on the SAT CR+M (or at least 32 ACT) with a minimum 3.5 GPA. I believe these are available to internationals.
Try running the online net price calculators on some of these colleges.
@tk21769 I think that the online net price calculators are not for international’s …Also I think that getting into UPennof Cornell is useless…For my credential they won’t even consider me…Leave alone Financial Aid…I researched a bit on USC, Rice, Duke , NorthWestern I think they are somewhat likely to be Admit me with a decent amount of financial Aid Do you know anybody with credential just like me and who got into these Universties.
^ No, I don’t (not that that means much, since there are so many colleges in the USA).
Your qualifications look very good, but again, you’re up against a lot of competition.
Only 6 US colleges are need-blind for internationals, and you need quite a bit of aid.
So if you want to attend a US college, you’re right to not pin your hopes only on the most selective schools.
USC, Rice, Duke and Northwestern are all excellent; your challenge is to find good, less selective back-ups that also offer a decent amount of aid to international students.
Check out Lehigh Univerisity. Last year it offered aid to 74 international students, averaging about $35K per grantee. Other possibilities: Boston University and Case Western.
@tk21769 I saw the Boston University unfortunately it does not offer need-based admission to international…Then there is Brown University…which does give need-based to international but is very tough to get in…What do you think of my chances at Brown…
@tk21769 Also can you chance me for U Chicago,Rice Duke,UMich…And (I know its impossible to get but)Yale…It would be a great help man…
You have almost no chance at getting into any of the schools you listed. You also need to improve your English. Aim lower.