What are my chances in T-20 Universities? [international, 20/20 GPA, 1530 SAT, 102 TOEFL, IMO bronze, need full financial aid; math, computer science, applied math]

To be thorough in your search, you may benefit from researching the colleges that appear in this topic: For Students Seeking a College Strong in Mathematics. Also, for your combination of interests, you might consider emphasizing schools with an available major or minor in data science.

They have a limited internarional budget and are need aware but can afford to meet 100% need. Odds are slim for s.o who needs a full ride but they like IMO competitors and Greece is under represented.
Slim chance but not zero, otherwise I wouldn’t suggest it.
(@orelig2006 They’re Pomona’s STEM twin :wink: - they want powerhouse STEM thinkers who also love to read, think about the past, like speaking foreign languages
 think 21st century’s Leonardo da Vinci.)

Northwestern also has a special Math-intensive stream for IMO students so that might work in your favor (look into it and mention how your skills match what they offer and expect for that specific option.) They, too, are need-aware.

Amherst College would be the ideal combination, being high-level, with opportunities at UMass Amherst, and need blind/meet need for internationals.

Btw OP your guidance counselor will need to check the commonapp box for “qualifies or would qualify for waivers under federal guidelines” - I imagine you already did.

Better odds if you apply for math or data science than if you apply for CS (which everyone international and their cousin is applying for - joking, but you get the idea. Math is your strength, leverage it for admissions).

This is the kind of questions colleges will ask themselves: “how do these ECs benefit us?”
=> try to answer it below.

Get your essays reviewed by CC reviewers here
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/follow-these-instructions-to-get-essay-help/3640959/

Will your recommendation writers be able to say you’re one of the best students they’ve had in 10, 20, 25 years, and provude examples (anecdotes) of your academic and personal qualities?

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Hi!

As for LoRs, I think (hope?) that they will be quite stellar, as I have very vivid experiences with most of my professors at school (plus a university professor I have asked, too; he was the president of the Hellenic Math Society and we have developed a close relationship - he mentioned he would highlight the leadership positions I had in tutoring + the role model figure the Society has based on me etc etc). In fact, they have all mentioned that they will make it clear I am one of the best students they ever had - no, I don’t want to show off, oops


I will definitely aply for math; in fact, in all of my applications I intend to put math/applied math/math & cs/etc (math plus something).

As for the ECs, I think that my involvement in math communities in leadership roles, my involvement in math and chemistry clubs and the articles in diverse topics such as latin/history/chemistry could be an
 asset, I suppose?

As for the specific colleges you mentioned, I’m glad I would be a fit for them. I am hoping for an Ivy though (slim chances, I know), or one of Cornell/Duke/Caltech/NYU/Upenn/MIT.

Thank you for your reply!!

You know that Cornell and UPenn are part of the Ivy League
right?

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Oops
 My excuse is that it’s 3am in Greece :frowning:

Work on that wording. (Im serious. I know it seems self evident and it feels like bragging but this matters. If you can word that clearly, perhaps 3 or 4 ways you’ll uniquely be an asset, someone that fits an institutional need or can be displayed in promotional materials
 it’ll help you get it through mote easily and it’ll help us help you, too.)
They need to read the description (separate the activities) and immediately think of the way that will fit with what they need.
Is their Putnam math team winning? Well, how would you fit in with the team, do you understand the way they work, their culture
? (have you reached out to them and thus can you state that you will fit in well because you’ve been in discussions for 6 weeks, get along well and have worked on peoblems wit XY current freshman
). Is their Putnam math team struggling - how can you help without seeming like the know-it-all whiz kid?
It’s harder to show you understand what they need for a mathematician than for a trombone player when the college orchestra needs a new trombone player but it’s the same basic idea. With one advantage: the orchestra rarely advertises that they need a new trombone player. At least you’re going in blind.
=>
You need something succinct and convincing.

Btw, American students prepare sth for their recommenders called a “brag sheet”, which is a misnommer since they don’t brag , they give the tools to their teachers to brag about them. You write your most vivid memory about the subject you want to study, a defining moment from that teacher’s class, etc. Then the teacher has more stories to tell in their letter :).
The letter of recommendation needs lots of concrete evidence of your creativity, intellectual curiosity, maturity, kindness, ability to mediate for others, 
(whatever applies to you, those are just examples).

Most do not give much (if any) financial aid to those who are not residents of their states. Full ride scholarships are possible at some, but would be very high reaches.

Be careful not to overlook the University of Chicago.

You may want to check whether they have high enough level math courses for your interests. Math majors who have completed math higher than single variable calculus in high school may want to do graduate level course work and research as undergraduates, so many liberal arts colleges and others without graduate math programs may be limiting to them. Amherst does have a cross registration agreement with University of Massachusetts - Amherst, which does have a graduate math program and courses.

Hmm okay, I get your point.

Actually, most of my essays didn’t really focus on math competitions and such - at some of these universities I did mention my possible involvement in specific programs/seminars/competitions in which I could contribute, thanks to my prior experience, and also highlighted how my collaborative nature could help the university reach new levels of academic excellence.

However, I really developed my interdisciplinary philosophy in learning, providing examples from seminars and projects relating history and chemistry or latin and mathematics in school clubs and all these.

I also paid attention in highlighting the cultural heritage appreciation I have earned through participating in international contests and joining international problem solving and problem setting groups. I provided a very specific example, which was a part of one conversation I had with some international contestants in an IMO, which shows how much I value diversity and respect for other cultures.

Moreover, I suggested that in my alma mater I could be an ambassador of my country’s heritage, spreading it through my classmates, by engaging in a fraternity or by joining the University’s Greek Councils or similar institutions.

Lastly, another point I brought upon - which is a bit quirky, I know! - is my appreciation for weird but useful things that people tend to overlook - and my example was napkins, with which I’ve had a passion since my years in the local arts club.

Are these
 decent enough?
As for LoRs - I’ve done that! :slight_smile:

Good point. At school, I didn’t attend a class higher than single variable calculus, however I have studied advanced concepts myself, so that’s an issue I should adress (not that I have many choices to chose from for now, haha)

bump, for my last message!

How would you feel about taking multivariable calculus and linear algebra as a first-year college student? In other words, when you look at the content descriptions for these courses (at schools of potential interest), does it seem that you already have substantially learned this material?

I’ve studied linalg and a bit of multivariable calculus myself, but I think I would be fine formally taking three classes.

Then liberal arts colleges with strong math departments (e.g., Amherst, Haverford, Pomona, Williams, Hamilton) may represent appealing options to consider when researching schools.

Thank you!

How much competitive is Williams fof a math major?

Williams does not admit by major. If you are admitted (~10% general acceptance rate), all of its majors will be open to you.

What do you mean?

(Williams is a Little Ivy. It’s in the same class as Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. The resources are unbelievable, as is the alumni network - same thing as Amherst. The big difference is that Amherst is need-blind/meet need and is located in an area with over 60,000 college students in 5 colleges whereas Williams is the classic New England college away from cities and offers a year at Oxford as a fully integrated student. So, Williams is really hard to get into for anyone, especially RD.)

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