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@Edarias18
0 answers, 1 vote
 • 5 years ago •
Admissions Advice

If I am an international student who was never lived in the US, do I have an extra edge when applying to top tier U's?
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I am from Venezuela, displaced by the political situation, currently living in Colombia, I have a 3.5 GPA, having taken 12 AP classes, speak perfect English, Spanish and learning French. with over 10 unique extracurriculars. When I take the SAT in October I aim to get in between 1400-1550 range, and I plan to get 120 in the TOEFL.

I am just curious to know if because of my race or nationality, plus my outstanding curriculum, I stand a chance at getting into the Ivy Leagues, even though I do not have a 4.0 GPA. Or is there something else I can do? Or if I'm in over my head, and if so, what universities do I stand a good chance of getting in?

Thank you,

Edmundo Arias

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Accepted Answer
@peacefulsloth3
16 answers, 83 votes
 • 5 years ago

Hi there! I'm so sorry that you are affected by the current political turmoil in Venezuela! :( It sounds like you've achieved quite highly, and your number of AP's is quite impressive. I do not think that you have an extra edge when applying to the ivy league because of any of the reasons you listed (race/nationality), but I definitely think that you stand a good chance because of your high number of AP's, the fact that you are bilingual (and learning French!), and have a diverse assortment of extracurriculars. I definitely think that you stand a very good chance at top universities, but your low-ish (it's still amazing, but not quite high enough to get into Harvard...) GPA may be an obstacle for you. A good idea would be to write about how the political situation has affected you, as you've managed to achieve so highly, but live in such turmoil. I think that you definitely stand a chance at getting into top universities, maybe not some like Harvard, but you might not be desiring to attend Harvard! I wish you the best of luck with everything, and please do not hesitate to reach out with further concerns!! I'm rooting for you!

1
[🎤 AUTHOR]@Edarias185 years ago

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your answer. I wish you the very best as well.

@aklmcasd5 years ago

Keep in mind that there are only 10 slots on the Common App for extracurriculars, so when it comes time to apply, it would be a good idea to look through each of your achievements in the extracurriculars and decide which ones you feel are the ones colleges need to see. Good luck!

[🎤 AUTHOR]@Edarias185 years ago

Thanks a lot, definetely something to keep in mind.

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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
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SAT: 720 math
200
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| 800 verbal
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