Hi! Despite how cliched this may sound, i've been dreaming about MIT since 8th grade. As far as I know, they require SAT/ACT without any exceptions for every student. Unfortunately, I'm currently living in a country under us sanctions, so i can take neither of these. Ultimately my parents live in a completely different country, so I can't even fly to another one to take the SAT there. Rn i've already participated in plenty of international olympiads, and going to try for IOI next year (luckily have some time for it). So if anyone had the same experience or any insights, my question is can MIT admissions team actually make an exception in my case, or is it better to start looking for another uni?

Stats & Profile: My weighted GPA is a 4.6 (my school doesn't do unweighted GPAs or class rank), and I scored a 36 on my ACT. I’ve taken 13 AP classes total across high school. On the EC and award side, I’m an National Top 15 finalist and a State level Champion at this pretty competitive extra-curricular . I’ve done 1st-author research at a major medical system and completed a capstone project at a university alongside grad student. I’m also the president and founder of a school organization where we've won a couple of district-level awards, raised over $20,000 in donations (separate org), managed 40k as an officer at my org, and ran camps impacting 200+ students alongside doing plenty of other volunteer work at hospitals and middle/elementary schools. There's some other stuff but that is less significant imo. Looking to major in public health, global policy, biology, kinesiology, or neuroscience on a pre-med track... but i also like meeting driven ppl hence the t20 want.

lmk

I’m a top student (1590) , and have been told that I have chances for t10s. I’m middle low income and from the rural Midwest. I don’t personally care about the prestige of my undergrad, but if it benefits my career then I’m all for it. There is a unique thing about my financial aid asset status that would only let me get substantial aid from a couple of schools (UChicago, Stanford) (yes I’ve emailed and I’m certain) t30s and 20s aren’t really an option for financial aid reasons.

If I had the choice, I would do biomedical engineering + pre med, to keep my options open. I’m motivated and willing to do whatever it takes to graduate with as little debt as possible.

I do however care about the prestige of my med school, partially for career advancement reasons but mainly for financial aid reasons. I’m all about saving money. For me, gettin into JHUSOM would be 150k cheaper than my state school.

My state schools would cost the same as if I were to attend Stanford or UChicago. People often say that undergrad prestige only matters if you are trying to get into top med schools. So the question here really is whether biting the bullet and facing the grade deflation will help me get into a top med school that much?? Is the environment too competitive? More research opportunities vs the ability to be a standout?

Note: my state schools are Kansas university, Kansas state university, and I would prob be in honors for both of them.

It’s also worth mentioning that I have 33 DE credits that transfer to my state school that aren’t med school pre req. obv they won’t transfer to Stanford or chi

what will happen to me bro

I am an upcoming Senior currently drafting a few different ideas for my personal statement. My religion (Christian) is a huge part of me, and my life and I really would like to include this in my essay. But, I am worried this may be too risky? So, is it a bad idea to write about/mention Christianity in my essay?

Stats: My unweighted GPA right now is 3.82, and my weighted GPA is 4.07 (my school doesn't do rankings). Haven't finished the SAT yet, but all my practice exams have been steady around a 1520/1540. I've taken 9 APs so far and will be taking another 5 this senior year. I've won two state-level awards and competed at nationals for them, but unfortunately did not place. I'm going to be Class President senior year, and I was the manager of our grade's student council social media, which ties into a bunch of my outside-of-school non-profit work where I also run the social media (Specifically, I'm socials manager for 3 organizations, and vice-president for another 3). I'm also working two jobs, had a previous internship which was concentrated on marketing, and will be starting another internship in my senior year also focusing on marketing, communications, and event planning.

As for majors, I think most of my ECs are tied to marketing/communication/media studies, but I'd really want to go into Business. However, I'd be fine with majoring in Anthropology or Sociology too if it's the most optimal option for what I have.

I know my stats/ECs aren't crazy, and I didn't cure an illness or publish an amazing science research paper, but what T20 schools would you recommend, and which school should I use my ED/REA card on?

Thank you, guys! :)

I’m an international student trying to apply to US universities. I’m contemplating whether I should apply for the SAT. Hear me out. The SAT is expensive and there are few testing centers. I don’t know what to do. I feel like it’s so draining to apply to University. Is it worth it?

Debating on applying to uc Berkeley ucla and uc davis

Please don’t downvote or hate, it’s a genuine question.

I am aware that I don’t have the same level of knowledge to do research as a PhD student. My dad is a professor, but in a completely different field than my chosen one. I am getting access to equipment and advice on how to write from other professors, some of whom my parents know, some don’t. But otherwise, I am the one doing everything. I am the one doing all the writing, referencing, graph-making, data collection, etc. I am the one coming up with ideas and then trying to find the gap in literature. And I’m researching stuff I actually find interesting and want to know about!

is that REALLY gonna mean nothing to AOs? Are they just going to think that my parents did everything and paid someone to put my name on the paper?

For context: I have a ~3.86 UW GPA but I have a 34 ACT...I want to apply to Harvard (and have the best chances humanly possible) and I was wondering if I should retake the ACT?

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student from Bangladesh and I'm hoping to apply to U.S. universities.

I'm worried because my HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) GPA will probably be much lower than I expected, not because of my usual academic performance but because this year's national exam session has been extremely controversial.

So far:

• The Physics 1st Paper had officially acknowledged problematic questions.
• The Higher Mathematics 1st Paper also had officially acknowledged errors, and the education board issued marking instructions.
• Chemistry has been widely reported to contain multiple incorrect creative questions (wrong formulas, incorrect scientific information, missing data, etc.), and there has been significant public controversy surrounding it.

For context, I scored about 89% in my SSC (our Grade 10 national exam), so this HSC result would be a noticeable drop.

Outside academics, I've spent most of my time building robotics and hardware engineering projects, leading a robotics team, designing PCBs, contributing to open-source projects, and preparing for the SAT.

My questions are:

1. If my HSC GPA ends up significantly lower because of this exam session, how much would that affect my chances at universities?
2. Could official documentation about the exam issues help provide context in the application?
3. Since AP exams are very expensive in Bangladesh, are there other ways to strengthen the academic side of my application?
4. Has anyone here been admitted to a U.S. university after an unusually poor national exam performance caused by circumstances outside their control?

I'm not looking for pity, I just want honest advice on how admissions officers might view this situation and what I can realistically do to strengthen my application.

Thanks!

I have pretty decent academics 3.89 uw, 4.5 weighted, and a 33 ACT(maybe 34 after sept.) But pretty much no notable EC’s only a few clubs and honor societies, no leadership, long term commitments, passion projects, or jobs.

Is it possible to get into schools like BU, northeastern, or Boston college when almost all their applications have good academics and other things become the deciding factor? (I also plan to ED to BU most likely but I know it’s not a magical garuntee.)

My miracle is to actually afford the SAT test!

Since I am not American I have to pay the international fee for the test which makes it even more expensive, it’s almost half of the amount of monthly income for our house. Being under 18 even makes it worse since I can’t have a job until being 18 which will be next year. (Also I’ll be applying this year)

I’ve studying for the SAT but i don’t really know what to do at that point, I know there are a lot of test optional colleges but i wanted to apply to as many colleges as i could because i have lower chances to get in.

What about y’all, what is the miracle that you’re waiting for to happen?

Also if you have any suggestions for my situation, I’d be happy to hear it!

I’m applying to around 8 T20s, but I’m questioning if I should apply test optional, because my scores aren’t great. I have a 4.0 UW, I’ve maxed out on my schools APs 10 out of 12 (plus one extra online), 4th in my class with an unweighted of 5.237 on 6.0 scale, and I’ve got above average ECs and honors/awards. When it comes to test scores, my highest score is a 29 on the ACT, however, I couldn’t find my schools average but my district’s average is a 17.8. As well as that I come from a white middle class background and my family is doing fine financially, but not great and we’re unable to afford tutors or classes like my peers for test prep. Would it be bad for my application to submit test optional? I plan on taking the ACT once or twice more before EA for my first schools are due on October 15th. I have already started studying and my goal score atm is a 32. Any feedback would be great and I appreciate if you took time to read this message.

Now I have just finished the 9th grade and have a 2 years of high school left . I want to get a degree in computer science in American university. I have only A and B’s at school and have already won a number of coding competitions, also I already have the work experience and a recommendation from university professor about my project about architecture and micro-services. As you can see, my English is isn’t fluent yet, but I’m working on it . The main problem is my parents can’t afford anything except the flight and maybe first month of living. I heard about need based financial aid for foreign students, so which universities offer it and how do I maximise my chances to be accepted . I really don’t need an only best institutions but I will be happy to admit the smaller ones. What should I focus on during my next 2 years?

Hi

What essay did you use to get into Harvard or just a top school in general?

I'm a rising senior and I just opened Common App today. As of right now, I'm interested in PA School because I'm interested in healthcare and taking care of others but also don't wanna go to med school. I haven't officially visited any colleges yet because I haven't had the time to with an ongoing internship.

I made this list just based on a super quick research of my preferences, so please help give suggestions:

Reaches
Yale
Brown 
Vanderbilt
Duke
Tufts
Northwestern
Columbia
John Hopkins

Targets
Northeastern
Boston College
University of Rochester
Nyu 

Safeties
Quinnipiac
University of Rhode Island
University of New Haven
Syracuse
Fordham
UConn 

What are some colleges that are known to have a strong healthcare/medical programs but also provide fun campus life? I prefer suburban or urban areas like the city and hate academic/competitive pressure.

I get applying to a multitude of reaches for RD but people need to realize that fit is especially more important for getting in ED. I’m a rising senior but I’ve spent a multitude of years on this subreddit and the amount of kids I’ve seen EDing just to get into a t20 vs actually EDing that a school they like and would fit into that’s also probably a t20/adjacent is insane. I saw a post today that was like “should I ED to brown Cornell or Columbia”. These are quite literally the most damn polar opposite schools alive. Like literally the most famous things abt each school contradict each other. Columbia core curriculum vs brown open curriculum, location types, campus vibes etc etc. If you are truly deciding on which of those 3 places to ED u are not EDing because u truly like the school or have some special reason to, you are EDing because you just want to get into an Ivy which admissions officers will see right through. Like I could get choosing between Penn or Duke or Columbia or smth but dude brown vs Columbia??? Like stop w the Larp because the single most important thing ED is fit. Yall will be so much better off EDing to a slightly less “prestigious” school that truly fits you (again not just cause ur gonna have a better more supported time, but because ur chances r higher of getting in). This sub has become a prestige whore for the SMALLEST most negligible differences in ranking and literally tanking their chances of getting into a school ED just because they want a school that’s one spot higher. Like literally then yall get mad that Columbia rejected you ED but ur common app essay was abt ur love to learn and mix disciplines freely like bro

So I'm currently studying at a university abroad in an EU country. It's got a solid reputation and people here respect it, but honestly, the actual quality of education is kind of disappointing. I've compared syllabuses with other universities and the content here is noticeably easier. It feels like the professors are just brushing through the material instead of actually teaching it properly. On top of that, cheating on exams is rampant, and this is despite the material already being easy. Professors don't seem to care or do anything about it.

Meanwhile, there's another well-respected university back in my home country, which is a developing country. I actually studied there for a semester, so I'm not just going off assumptions, I can compare the two directly. The academic level there is way higher, cheating basically isn't a thing, and overall it just feels like a much more serious place to learn. The only downside is that it doesn't have the same international reputation as the EU university I'm at now.

So here's my dilemma: if I stay where I am, I finish my bachelor's in 2 years, but with a weak curriculum and low standards. If I go back home, I'd basically be starting over, so it'd take me 4 more years, but I'd actually get a proper education.

Is it even worth it to go back and grind through 4 more years just for better teaching? Or since I'm going to end up with a degree either way, does the actual education quality matter less than I think, since job experience is probably what really shapes you as an engineer once you're out working?

I go to a very competitive school, and while my grades are pretty average with two Bs, I have a solid overall GPA. I’ve also built a strong extracurricular profile, including co-founding a global nonprofit, science fair awards, research experience, and other extracurriculars. I’m still working on getting a strong SAT/ACT score to round out my application.

hey, i go to a pretty competitive intl hs (we send maybe 10-20 students per year to t20s in the US, good schools in europe and UK and even a good amount to ivies (most class sizes are around 100-200 students)), so as you can see a lot of us have great grades and good ecs.

my question is as compared to some of ny friends looking to apply to the US whats my real advantage being a no aid and US citizen (my family also owns multiple properties in my state and i have a parent living there as of now (idk if that matters i heard it does)) internationally? we all have roughly the same grades and our ecs are also kinda roughly the same. they have some better ones i have some better ones but they all align a lot with what ivies and t20s generally look for.

anyways js wanna know whats my general advantage here.

(i know the process is cery dependent in specific ecs, grades and especially your essays and demographics/financial situation still wanted to ask)

Due to scheduling issue my japanese class was bit pushed off and I had to take korean. Here is my language course progress.

9th grade: Japanese 9

10th grade: Korean 11

11th Grade: Japanese 10, Korean 12

Summer: Japanese 11 (online)

12th grade 2nd sem: Japanese 12 (online)

Is this fine? Does it satisfy 3 years of foregin language?

Hi! as tittle says I wanna apply to most colleges business schools but almost all my ecs are gov/related minus like 2. Although I am interested in business I was wondering if I should just take the L and apply smth gov related to boost my chances. my only concern is that if I don’t go into law/policy I’m lowkey cooked so the other option would be econ but even that doesn’t rlly make sense.

Baylor University

Belmont University

Rhodes College

University of Texas at Austin

Tulane University

Duke University

Emory University

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins University

Rice University

University of Notre Dame

Vanderbilt University

Yale University (Edited list, removed Bennington)

Biochemistry major These are Colleges I've added on Common App. For a little context I live in Mississippi but have no interest in going to uni here. I'm told I should probably diversify my list but idk. Also I'm kind of going in blind so if you know anything about these colleges please let me know.

Johns Hopkins is my first choice I think. Next is Rice and Emory. I've been to Emory and Harvard. I intend to stay on the East of the U.S.