An international student from South Asia
+High financial need
+GPA equivalent to that of 4/4 on US scale. (Seems great until you know, More than 11k students have the same)
+SAT 1520 (first attempt) ++ SAT II: planning not to take +++
+ECA :
–decent programming skills in multiple languages
—won several tech competition
----Published 3 research paper in reputed intl journals
------ Internship for two years at a Pvt. Tech company
------- President of two non-profit org (1 relating to tech and the other social )
--------- Taught at a local community school as a volunteer tutor
---------- Played football and captain for two years
------------- Organised 4 MUN in the school as the vice-chair and have taken part as a delegate in about
What are my chances to IVY league? Or other elite universities? {{Without SAT II much am I doomed? }}
What safeties should I consider?
There are no safeties for international students with a high need of FA.
What’s your GPA bases on your local scale? Don’t try to convert to a US scale unless the college specifically tells you to.
Some elite schools still require SAT subject tests for certain majors. It does seem to be a dwindling number though. If a school “recommends” the subject tests, you should take them if they are reasonably accessible where you live. You can look up the requirements for the schools on your list on their websites.
You will have to look on the web page of each college to find out if they require SAT II scores, but for STEM majors in particular, it is likely you are going to have to take three of them.
As skieurope said, there are no safety schools for an international student who needs a lot of financial aid. It is extremely rare to get a full-ride scholarship (and you will need at least $10,000+ to cover costs that no scholarship will cover (passport/visa/travel/local taxis/dorm supplies/cell phone/school supplies/laptop/fees) Realistically you need about $30,000 each year to study in the US, and that is with a significant scholarship and working during college within the allowances of your student visa. You can apply to see what happens, but you should have a backup plan to study in your own country and perhaps do a semester in the USA.
:)) Thank you all for the reply. I contemplate on that and maybe take a sat II then.