What are my chances to get into ivies

MYOS1634
Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:33:48 +0000

That’s not how it works (“tiny bit underqualified”.)
All students are qualified (there’s a cut, a few students aren’t, but basically 90% students who apply to top colleges are academically qualified. Contrary to popular belief, average students don’t go through the thorough, lengthy application process just for kicks knowing they’ll be turned down).
However, each US college has institutional priorities. Applicants don’t know most of those ahead of time: a variety of backgrounds and experiences (rural, urban, North, South, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, heritage speaker of a language other than English, etc.) + institutional needs (the orchestra needs an oboist and you’re a cellist, the hockey team needs a left winger and you’re a soccer goalie, the debate team lost two specialists in the Lincoln-Douglass category, etc.)
In terms of the diversity you’re bringing, alas, being Indian means you’re “over-represented”, ie., many, many Indian students apply so you’re not a rarity, unless you’re, say, from Assam or Mizoram or a Dahlit (perhaps).
Then, there’s the issue of financial aid. As you know, very few universities are “meet need” AND “need blind” for internationals and those are the most selective. At all other universities that offer financial aid, your ability to pay will factor in. It means a student who can be full pay and scored 710 (can do the work) to your 800 (can do the work, too), will be picked over you since you need aid, and if you need less financial aid than someone else they’ll pick you over the other kid.
As a result, it’s impossible to chance you.
You’re, clearly, an incredibly talented young man or young woman but if you want to study in the US, you need to apply to university with merit scholarships for stats (unless you have excellent, affordable options in other countries).

How much can your family afford each year?

Carnegie Mellon => remove from list, no financial aid for internationals
Caltech
=> very little aid, very few internationals admitted (very small college)
NYU
=> very stingy with aid, but can throw money your way if your parents can pay 40-45K a year, which for most internationals is much more than their family earns in a year.
University of Washington => no financial aid (merit aid deadline has passed and is very, very limited. no full rides or full tuition scholarships)
Vanderbilt
[UC Berkeley] => no financial aid
(University of California - Berkeley - College Confidential Forums)

You need to change your list but before suggesting somewhere we need to know
1° how much your parents can afford
2° what their income is (roughly: under 65K, under 125K…?)
3° if you’re determined to go to the US even if the college is not prestigious
4° if you could take a gap year
5° what your alternatives in Europe, Australia… would be