This is not a chance me, but I just wanted to come on here and say good luck to everybody applying! Please don’t stress yourself out and take a deep breath. Cheers

I am an international student, and my mother's financial situation is extremely difficult. Most of our limited income goes toward my mother's medical treatments and medications. Because of the exchange rate, the SAT fee is a huge expense for us, and I genuinely cannot afford to take the exam. My mother's medical expenses are our priority right now; we simply don't have the budget to cover the SAT fee on top of everything else.

If I were accepted to a university in the US with sufficient financial aid, I believe I could manage some of the living expenses with help from our relatives or family friends by that time because we and the doctors are thinking she will be great by then. However, while my mother is facing such significant medical expenses, I don't feel comfortable asking them to help pay for my exam fees as well. My school doesn't offer AP or IB courses either, and I cannot afford to register for those exams independently either.

I'm my school's valedictorian, with an average of 98/100. I have national and international honours and ECs, and my recs are really good, but I lack standardized tests. I will apply to universities with SAT optional, but Brown and Harvard are my dream schools, and they require the SAT. I'm wondering if they have SAT required, with possible exceptions for students who lack access to standardized testing, and would still consider my application if I fully explained my circumstances in the Additional Information section. Would my academic record, essays, recommendations, and other achievements still be evaluated, or could my application be considered incomplete or ineligible without SAT/ACT scores?

I genuinely want to understand the policies for international students facing severe financial barriers to testing. I'd be very grateful for advice, official policy information, or experiences from students who have faced similar circumstances.

Thank you!

Demographics: Female, mixed (black/arab), Michigan, competitive

Intended Major(s): neuroscience

ACT: I took it twice and got a 30 both times but my super score is a 32 (my best science score is a 32)
1st: (30M 26S 26E 34R)
2nd: (34M 32S 28E 27R)

UW/W GPA and Rank: 3.9 (school only does uw, doesn’t do rank)

Coursework:
Junior yr: Ap world (4)
Senior yr: ap bio chem lit and ab

Awards: Idk if this count but i have a varsity letter idk if i’m gonna put it in the common app tho.

Extracurriculars:
4 years:
-varsity swim
-club swim
-band (concert+marching)
-jazz band (not audition one: 4 yrs, audition one: 1 yr, but jazz band happens in the spring sooo)

Sophomore-Junior year:
- job at fast food place

Junior year:
- Did research about addiction (neuroscience not like from a humanities standpoint)

Junior-Senior year:
-Treasury of a health advocacy club
-NHS

Essays/LORs/Other:
Essay: I’m actually struggling with this rn but i was going to write about my room but idrk rn.

LORs: junior yr pre calc and english teacher, my mentor for research (she’s not doing research anymore tho because she’s like the associate dean of research now soooo)

Schools:
Wayne state
MSU
University of Michigan
Boston University
UChicago (yes ik it’s a reach but still. i’m gonna ed)

Demographics

Gender: Male

Race/ethnicity: Asian

Country: India

Hooks: None

Intended Major: Math+Philosophy

Academics:

Grade 9 (CBSE): 93.5%

Grade 10 (CBSE): 96.8% (100/100 in English)

Grade 11 (AS-levels):

Mathematics – A

Physics – A

Chemistry – B

Computer Science – A

Further Mathematics (self-studied) – B

Grade 12 (A-levels) predicted: 2A*3A

SAT: 1570 (780 RW; 790 Math)

Awards & Honors:

1. John Locke Essay Competition – Very High Commendation (Top 1% globally) - Philosophy Category
2. IRIS National Fair (science fair)– National Finalist (Top ~5%)
3. NSUCRYPTO (cryptography contest) – International Rank 1
4. INYPT (physics research competition) – National Finalist (Top 5)
5. Masters' Union AI Hackathon – Grand Finalist (Top 15/3000+)
6. USACO Gold

(gonna keep only 5, not sure which one to remove)

Extracurricular Activities:

1. Conducted independent research on low-cost IMU calibration, designed and built a hardware prototype, and presented the project at the IRIS National Fair.
2. Conducted interdisciplinary research in physics and computational mathematics on the dynamics of a flipping toy; qualified as an INYPT National Finalist (top 5)
3. Selected for the Non-Trivial Research Foundations Program (2026) (~1% acceptance rate).
4. Completed the Stanford Quantum High School Program (2025).
5. Volunteer tutor with UPchieve (40+ hours), providing free academic support to students.
6. Vice-President of STEM & Coding Club
7. Developed an algorithmic trading bot using quantitative strategies and historical market data.
8. Class Representative for two terms (Grades 9 & 10).
9. Self-taught musician for 9+ years (guitar, piano, flute, and vocals), several performances.
10. Participated in Debate and Model United Nations, earning multiple awards.

Essays:

Personal Statement - 10/10 (rlly wholesome story abt family and birds)

Amherst Supplemental - 10/10 (funny piece abt panda dung tea)

(got both checked by an AO and acc to them its among the best they've ever read)

Hi, please be kind, this is hard for me to write.

I'm looking for a counselor who would be willing to review my profile privately over DM/meet and help me figure out where I really stand and where I should apply early.

I'm not posting my stats here for privacy, but I have everything ready - my profile, stats, essays, and college list organized in one doc so I won't waste your time.

A little about why this matters so much:

I come from a very small village where we didn't even have a school that offered science. Studying science was my dream since I was little, but there was just no way to do it there.

I'm now in an IB school in the city, and we are barely managing the fees. To make this happen, my mother quietly sold her gold jewellery.

I'm the first person from my village and family to come this far for education. If I don't make it, it's not just a rejection for me, it's my family's entire sacrifice going to waste. I carry that with me to every class.

I am not looking for sympathy at all. I have worked insanely hard to be worthy of their sacrifice. I just need one experienced person to look at my profile honestly and tell me if am I aiming right? Where should I apply early where I have a real shot + aid?

If you're a counselor / mentor who has helped students like me before, please DM me 🙏. Even 15 minutes of your guidance would mean the world to me and my mother.

Thank you so much for reading till the end. It means a lot.

Hello everyone! Im an international Ib student currently considering whether or not to apply ED2 to Swarthmore, from based on what i heard I really feel inclined towards it. Im interested in studying data science/computer science with a minor in astronomy. Realistically, as an international student requiring atleast 90% financial aid, what are my chances of admission?

Aid: ( UWC student so davis funding remains an option )

SAT: Taking in December

IB predicted: 40/45 (hopefully)

Subjects: HL: Physics, Economics, Global Politics / SL: English l&l, Math AA SL, SSST

Awards + EC's:

•⁠ ⁠Internship at the national government space Division( Developed national STEM engagement program for youth)

•⁠ ⁠Student Instructor for international exoplanet research STEM program across three schools in two countries teaching amateur computational astronomy skills in technical bootcamps + light curve photometry research of exoplanet transits + Presenter in national and international conferences and festivals

•⁠ ⁠Co-curriculum developer + media manager for national youth STEM initiative partnered with national youth development organisation

•⁠ ⁠Internship at the national environmental trust fund

•⁠ ⁠Team leader and finalist for E-Yantra School Robotics Competition - Organised by IIT Bombay

•⁠ ⁠Harvard Sustainability Summit, "Most Impactful Team" award + scholarship to attend a -conference at Harvard.

-National Chess competition 1st runner up

•⁠ ⁠Participant in the Moon Camp competition Organised by the European space Agency, ESERO’s, Airbus Foundation + Participant in the 2025 CERN Beam-line international particle physics competition for high school students. (Organised by CERN, European Laboratory for Particle Physics.)

Leadership: Astronomy CAS ( club) founder and coordinator, Fundraising + events management CAS (club) coordinator, Campus meeting facilitator, Residential assistant

Volunteer: Worked with local NGO's for women empowerment, unofficial volunteering with women and children in villages, Human trafficking advocate and runner to fundraise for antitrafficking NGO's.

any insight will be helpful thank you so much!

asian male, out of state (new york)

UW gpa: ~97 (school dosent provide) W gpa: 100.4 (top 6-7%)

SAT: 730 eng | 760 math

APs: 5s: lang, physics1, psych, stats 4s: seminar, research, csp, taking this yr: calculus bc, lit, spanish, gov, macro, bio

Major for GaTech: Either neuroscience and then transfer bme or just straight up bme (give me advice)

Major for UIUC: neural engineering

activity list:

-computational neuroscience project (fMRI analysis) which is submitted to regeneron STS

-open-source contributor, GitHub (ge-fieldmap-fsl), NeuroStars Forum (bug fix presented to cosmic pathways among 30+ undergrad & phd speakers)

-physical therapy internship at orthopedic center over a year and half (got to work directly with patients)

-tutor for pre-ap bio

-lifeguard all year round (big time commitment)

any other school recommendations plz share (no financial aid, trying to pay <60k / year)

So my main plan is to go to mit but as long as it’s a good engineering school that’s need blind that’s out of Egypt I don’t care so here are projects and accomplishments I made at 13 in Egypt

-I made a robotic exoskeleton that uses emg sensors to help stroke patients move their leg and hand
-im the founder and leader (basically teacher) of an electronics club where every year I teach them (c,python,electronics,how to design pcbs,and what hardware is made of and how to understand it)and at the end of every year we invent something that helps patients disabled people or a certain field of science
-I’m c1 at English
-I made a programming language from c and python
-I know 8 programming languages two of them I made
-I made a robot that’s like an ai assistant but it follows you with a motor and wheels
-I made a head tracker just cause I wanted to I was testing lasers and stuff
-I designed a pcb like the hacker rf one with more things if I explain it it’s basically a whole essay and I’m too lazy to write an essay for a Reddit post
-I have 2 recommendation letters from an English and math teacher I hope to get a recommendation letter from an mit alumni
-and I worked at an engineering firm for 6 months when I was 11 sure it was illegal but I gained skills that help me when im working with a team

So that’s it I think it’s not enough people win Olympic medals for math and don’t get in there so I’ve basically got no chance for mit I’m hoping to get into electrical engineering and be mainly on embedd systems engineering so I’ve gained teamwork skills leadership skills I haven’t competed in a championship of electronics and things since I struggle making friends outside of my electronics club and I’ve been trying to do more projects since I was 9 to get in currently I’m 13 in 8th grade it’s the second term do I have a chance at mit I also other than leadership and community skills I helped people solved actually problems and I still have 4 years to do more if I continue in the same path will I get into mit

(Disclaimer: if there are any typos it’s because my finger is broken and I’m writing with only one and it’s hard to correct it that’s why)

Demographics: white, middle-income, northeast, tiny private school

GPA: (weird grading system so this is an estimate) 3.8-3.9ish

APs: (my school is small so these are the only ones offered): 5 on Calc BC and CSP

SAT: 1580

ECs: school band, alpine skiing, soccer, model un, various school leadership things

Programs: one of PROMYS/ROSS/SuMAC/MCSP

Projects: designed/wrote programs for a dynamically scheduled CPU in Verilog

LORs: 8.5-9/10 math program, 8-8.5/10 math teacher, 7.5-8/10 english teacher

Colleges: MIT, UCLA, Dartmouth, UChicago, Williams

What are my chances, and is there anything I should try to improve on?

(EDIT: intending to study in pure math, wrote about this in my essays)

Demographics: Gender, race/ethnicity, state, type of school, and hooks (URM, first generation, legacy, athlete, etc.) |
Asian male, low income, highly competitive public high school, first gen college student. Very severe medical circumstances, I was hospitalized for months through grade 9 & 10 dealing with chronic illness, which significantly impacted my GPA and grades. My grades showed a really positive trend, although my junior year I did have an 89 in CS 2

Intended Major(s): Cognitive Science/Developmental Science/Psychology

ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1570 SAT, 800 M 770 R

2.85 UW, 3.67 W

Coursework: 17 AP's, 1 DE
9th: AP Human Geography
10th: AP World History, AP Psychology, AP Seminar
11th: AP Biology, AP English Language & Composition, AP U.S. History, AP Art History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Precalculus, AP Statistics
12th: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Environmental Science, AP European History, AP U.S. Government & Politics, AP Macroeconomics, DE World Literature

Awards: Purple Comet Runner up

Extracurriculars: Include leadership & summer activities:
1. Founder of Student Academic Reintegration Initiative

Founded a multi-district educational support program for medically absent students. Designed individualized academic reentry plans, coordinated counselor referrals, and supported 80+ students across multiple school districts.

1. Independent Psychology Researcher

Developed an exploratory adolescent adaptation of an established psychological threat framework. Modified said framework to support adolescent factors. Investigated social environments, perceived threat, and adolescent recovery. Authored a 12-page research paper reviewed by the T15 prof, and framework's creator.

1. Independent Education Researcher

Surveyed 60+ medically absent students (through reintegration initiative), conducted statistical correlation analyses, and identified associations between teacher closeness, academic security, and reduced stress. Published a research paper addressing gaps in existing literature.

1. Invited Research Presenter University Medical Research Center

Presented independent psychological research to researchers at a said T15 university medical center. Presented 4 new papers over 8 weeks.

1. Aerospace Startup Expansion Representative

Worked with a large aerospace startup on manufacturing expansion. Contacted 20 state legislators regarding incentives and infrastructure, narrowed potential manufacturing sites, and helped secure multiple locations.

1. Co-Founder & Research Lead, Youth Mental Health App

Developed an Apple Watch biometric monitoring system designed to flag possible episodes of acute psychological distress. Built caregiver and therapist dashboards; collaborated with three physicians on clinical considerations.

1. Co-Owner, Student Civic Media Organization

Co-managed a student-led civic media platform covering education policy and local issues. Organized two statewide awareness campaigns, reviewed 20+ student submissions, and reached 350K+ viewers.

1. Founder Online study group (discord server LMAOOO)

Founded and managed an online community of 230+ members. Supervised moderators, organized social events, and created dedicated spaces for academic collaboration, gaming, and discussion.

1. Video Game Speedrunner

Achieved a top-20 LOZ speedrun on a global leaderboard among 12,000+ others. (speedrun.com)

1. Volunteer Teen Court Juror

Served on teen juries for adolescent misdemeanor cases. Evaluated testimony, considered circumstances, and talked with fellow jurors to determine consequences

(Activities altered heavily for privacy reasons)

Essays/LORs/Other: Optionally, guess how strong these are and include any other relevant information or circumstances.

LOR's:
AP Lang teacher: 9/10, she knew me super well, had her class post hospital and she vouched for how hard I worked regardless of how I was feeling.
AP Seminar teacher: 9/10, she also knew me really well, had her class PRE hospital and she talked about how even though I wasn't always in class for long stretches of time bc of the hospital, I was still a capable student.
T15 Prof: 10/10, me and this dude became legit best friends over the past couple years, my guy, wrote a very lengthy and detailed letter about me (at least he says LMAO)

Schools: List of colleges, ED/EA/RD, etc

ED Columbia
RD: Brown, Harvard, Stanford, UChicago, UMich, WashU, NYU, GTech, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UT Austin, UT Dallas, + some safeties

I'm a very odd case of an applicant, so ik its going to be hard to chance. I'm not on here to let comments run my life, just a little insight!! Regardless ty for reading!!

Chance me for UW–Madison (current HS junior)
Hi everyone! I’m currently a high school junior and UW–Madison is one of my top choices. I’m interested in pursuing a healthcare-related major and potentially going into medicine. I wanted to get some feedback on my current stats and extracurriculars and see how competitive I might be for UW–Madison.
Stats:
GPA: 3.9 UW / 4.10 W
SAT: 1550
Class rank: Unknown
Awards: None currently
Extracurriculars:
President of my school’s Diabetes Club — Lead a student organization focused on diabetes awareness and education. Help organize club activities and work on initiatives to educate students about diabetes and its impact on individuals and communities.
Science Fair Project on Diabetes — Conducting a science fair project related to diabetes to explore the science behind the condition and develop a deeper understanding of its effects and potential approaches to addressing it.
Biotechnology Internship at School — Participating in a school-based biotechnology internship to gain exposure to biotechnology, scientific research, and practical applications of science.
Nursing Home Job — Work at a nursing home, gaining professional experience in a healthcare-related environment and exposure to working with older adults.
Volunteering — Approximately 100 hours of community service.
Taekwondo — Participate in taekwondo as an extracurricular activity, developing discipline and consistency.
Musical Instrument — Play a musical instrument as an extracurricular activity.
Awards/Honors:
None so far.

I’m planning to continue developing my extracurriculars and get involved in more opportunities throughout junior and senior year.

Gender: Female

Race: Black/White (Mixed)
School: Public Arizona School, 191/365 in state
Personal: Both parents are absent, one is homeless, the other makes around $2500 a year, my aunt whom I live with makes less than $25,000 a year
Intended Major(s):
Public Health, if not available, Biology (Want to double major or minor in journalism or similar major/minor)
Pre-Dental track (Will be a certified dental assistant when I graduate HS)
ACT:
22
16 math
22 science
25 english
24 reading
9 writing
UW/W GPA and Rank:
UW 3.4/ W 3.7 | 50/274
GPA isnt the highest since I was raped by one of my peers and he harrased me constantly etc; I was also in a shooting which led to a PTSD diagnosis, on top of working 14+ hours a week to support my family since 9th grade, as well as not having consistent electric, water, or wifi.
Coursework: 
AP World (2)
AP Pre-Calc (1) (Didn’t Submit Anywhere)
AP Bio (2)
AP Lang (3)
APUSH (3)
AP Gov (Current)
AP Lit (Current)
Honors: (I literally have NOTHING)
National Honors Society Officer (12)
African American Student Recognition for 4.0 GPA (9, 10)
OSHA Healthcare Certification (12)
Extracurriculars: 
Newspaper
Founded podcast; Revise & edit articles for 10+ students weekly; Head photographer; Social Media Manager; Transitioned advisor; Recruited 3 reporters.
ORG: The *** (Online School Newspaper) | Link to profile
POSITION: Article Editor (10, 11, 12) | Podcast Host (12)

Chuck E. Cheese
Host parties for 30+ kids; Monitor them on trampolines; Perform birthday songs; Take orders for, prep, & serve food; Lift 50+ pounds; Sanitize store.
ORG: Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment
POSITION: Party Host | Cashier | Game Room Attendant

Cheerleading
Demonstrated stretches, kicks, cheers & dances for 25+ members; Lifted/thrown 90+ lbs. into the air; Shot senior banners; Photographed team for promo.
ORG: *** High School Varsity Cheerleading | 2nd in Arizona Pink State 2025 (D3 Varsity Show Cheer)
POSITION: Stunt Base (10) | Stunt Front Spot (10, 11, 12)

Photography
Shot 25+ school/sport events, senior banners, birthday parties, nature, dances, & babies; Social Media Manager (4 Accounts); Documented life at ***.
ORG: Link to Instagram Account
POSITION: Head Photographer | Account Manager (10, 11, 12)

Teen Lifeline
Answer crisis calls; Trained in emotional regulation, coping skills, de-escalation, & hotline numbers; Train new counselors; School representative.
ORG: Teen Lifeline (Suicide Prevention Peer Hotline)
POSITION: Peer Counselor (11,12)

NHS
Present informational presentations on college applications for 25+ students; Mentor underclassmen on college application requirements.
ORG: *** High School National Honors Society
POSITION: Member (10, 11) College Readiness Specialist (12)

*** Link Crew
Created/led 5+ games for groups of 15 students; Led students on a campus tour; Created shirt design; Documented Freshman Orientation for newspaper.
ORG: *** High School Cougar Link Crew
POSITION: Freshman Orientation Leader and Mentor (11, 12)

STUDENT COUNCIL
Designed 25+ posters; Ran booths for 3 events; Contacted staff for paperwork; Filed paperwork for 3+ clubs; Extended school spirit to include staff.
ORG: *** High School Student Council
POSITIONS: Member (11) | Poster Designer (11)

CULINARY CLUB
Social Media Manager; Prepped & sold baked goods to 1250+ peers; Managed meetings and selling events; Budgeted funds between ingredients and transport.
ORG: *** High School Culinary Club
POSITION: Secretary (9) | Treasurer (10) | President (11)

BOOK CLUB
Kept track of keynotes in meetings; Communicated important meeting info to 30+ peers; Planned selling dates; Managed staffing for selling dates.
ORG: *** High School Student Book Club
POSITION: Member (9, 10) | Secretary (11)

GUITAR
Learned and performed 5+ pieces per year. Traveled to 5+ schools to perform for 100+ students and staff. Received 2nd place in Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) Solo and Ensemble competition in 2025.
ORG: *** High School Advanced Guitar-Orchestra
POSITION: Guitarist (Intermediate 9, Advanced 10)

Extra:
Dental Assisting course senior year, will be a certified dental assistant by graduation
Door Dasher (May 2025-December 2025, Made $75 total w/ 10+ deliveries, extra cash for necessities)
Cat Foster (January 2025-June 2025)
Camp Cronkite (June 2025)
AP bootcamp (June 2024)
Summer School for Acceleration (June 2024, July 2026)
Manager of 4 school social media pages (Tennis (11, 12), Culinary (10, 11), Newspaper (10, 11, 12), Podcast (12)) (Can provide Instagram link if needed)
Humanities United Club (11)
Black Student Union (11)
Youth on their Own (9, 10, 11, 12) (Program for students who are close to or are homeless, or not living with their parents)

Colleges:
(I’M APPLYING TO QUESTBRIDGE, IF I DON’T BECOME A FINALIST/MATCH, THESE ARE THE COLLEGES I’LL APPLY TO) (And yes, I qualify for 95% of these fee waivers)

1. NAU (Admitted!)
2. UCSD
3. UCLA
4. UCI
5. UC BERKELEY
6. Boston College
7. Boston Uni
8. Brown
9. Columbia
10. Cornell
11. Dartmouth
12. Duke
13. Harvard
14. John Hopkins
15. Northeastern
16. Northwestern
17. Penn State
18. Princeton
19. Sarah lawrence
20. SDSU
21. Seattle Uni
22. Spelman
23. Stanford
24. Syracuse (Perfect double major program 4 me)
25. U of Maryland
26. Washington Uni
27. Umass Amherst
28. Upenn
29. USD
30. Yall
31. Pitt
32. Umass Boston
33. USC
34. UMich
35. UChicago
36. Uni of Oregon

Demographics: Female, Junior, Somali-American, Midwest, FGLI

Intended Major: Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences (Pre-Med)

Academics:

ACT: 28 (Retaking Dec; Target: 34)

GPA: 3.5 UW / 3.8 W

Extenuating circumstances for lower grades in freshman and sophomore year (Medical and family issues)

Coursework:

AP Cal AB, current

AP Bio, currebt

AP Lang, current

AP World, current

APUSH, 4

APHUG, 5

APES, senior

AP Calc BC senior

AP Stats Senior

AP chem senior

PLTW Aerospace,

PLTW Env. Sus.,

STEP Emergency Med

Certifications: Licensed CNA, EMT in progress

Awards:

2x HOSA Int'l Qualifier (Biomedical Debate)

5th BPA State (News Broadcasting)

2nd BPA Region (Health Admin)

Local media feature (Winona Post)

Extracurriculars:

Founder/President, Medical Opportunities Club - Connecting low-income students with healthcare internships and resources

Go4Brains Summer Neuroscience (<7% AR) - UMN CMRR program; mentored research review on spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1)

Independent Algae Biofuel Research - Science fair project optimizing nutrient ratios for lipid yield in Spirulina

Part-time Barista (25 hrs/wk) - Balancing work alongside full AP/Magnet schedule

Clinical Shadowing & Healthcare Camps

- Shadowed GI specialists at MNGI;

attended Winona State Scrubs Camp & Rice NeuroCamp

Link Crew Leader - Freshman orientation & mentorship

Tutored kids at school through a tutoring program

Speech & Debate / Student Council - Active competitor and school governance member

Hopefully by senior year I'm a speech Captain and BPA MN State officer...

Schools: QuestBridge CPS, NYU, WashU, Northwestern, UCLA, UPenn, UMich, UMN Twin Cities (In-State), UChicago, Case Western Reserve University, Boston University, DUKE.

Please give me any advice! My plan for junior year is just really locking in and getting a 4.0 to show growth and to also have real locked in numbers for my medical club!

Demographics: 

Gender: Female

Race: Asian/White

School: Private college prep school, 2nd in my (pretty rural) State

Intended Major(s):

Polisci

ACT/SAT/SAT II:

1550 ss

UW/W GPA and Rank:

UW: 3.81—most of the lower grades are in STEM classes, freshman year was a 3.95 then, a 3.64 in sophomore year, and a 3.92 in junior year.

School does not weigh GPAs

No Rank

Highest course rigor available

Coursework: 

AP Calc BC (10th) (4)...got a B first semester

AP Statistics (11th) (4)

AP Chinese (12th)

My school only has around 4-5 APs offered

I did take Spanish 3-4 from 9th to 10th grade without reaching AP, then switched to Chinese 4-5 from 11th to 12th. I'm taking the AP test this year though.

Awards:

Ranked 1st in my state for debate and ranked second-best speaker in the state. Also ranked 3rd and 2nd in other years.

2x semifinalist at TOC-qualifying national tournaments

Top 20 seed at 2 national debate tournaments

Ranked 1st in the state individually by the National Speech and Debate Association

Congressional Award Silver Medal (200 hours of volunteer work, 100 hours of personal development, etc.)

National Speech and Debate Association All-American (top 2%)

Scholastic Regional Gold Medal for the Critical Essay category

Legal Eagle Bee court case competition (1st in my state)

Extracurriculars: 

Captain of the debate team—I help teach novice debaters skills through drills and other activities. Participate in travel tournaments as well as local ones. Co-founded the middle school debate program, and I give the students weekly lessons.

Interned for a State Senator—Wrote policy briefs, bill notices, took hearing notes, for a short session at my State's capitol, around 8 weeks during the school year.

Volunteering—Volunteered as a speech and debate judge, as well as at various food banks across my city

Michigan Summer Debate Institute—one of the most selective institutions, attended for 5-7 weeks for three years

Writing—I write essays about critical literature and current events.

Varsity Chess team—5th board

Piano—around 10 years playing

Science research—2nd in my school's science fair and qualified for regionals.

Northwestern is honestly my dream school but no one with a GPA as low as mine has gotten in early decision from my school, so I'm trying to weigh some practicality in here. I'm also considering Emory and NYU, but not sure if a NU ED1 and Emory ED2 is far too risky.

UW is my dream school and one of the best schools I actually think I have a shot at

Demographics: white, male, middle class, in state applicant

Intended major: electrical and computer engineering

Unweighted GPA: 3.88

SAT(doesn’t matter for app but I’ll put it anyway): 1420, just retook and could get slightly higher

ECs: 4 years tennis(JV captain), 4 years club soccer, started a band, volunteering doing hiking trail maintenance, hosted a Japanese student and participated in Japanese exchange program, guitar lessons for 4 years(I think this counts as an EC right), joined robotics this year so 1 year of robotics.

Course rigor: took all dual enroll classes throughout junior and this senior year, hopefully will earn AS. Taking math through linear algebra + diff eq, and physics through calc based physics 3.

I’m honestly doing this out of curiosity lol. I think I’m average stats wise but it’ll be interesting to see what y’all on Reddit think.

Demographics: Low income Black girl in small(~1000 students) Title 1 high school in the South

Intended Major(s): Political Science or Public Policy

SAT: 1340(Taking again at SAT school day)

UW/W GPA and Rank: UW 3.8/ W 4.0
5/227

Coursework: AP HUG(4), AP CSP(taught myself)(3), AP WH(taught myself)(4), AP AfAm(5), Currently: APUSH, AP Precalc(teaching myself), AP Lang, and AP Macro. On track to have 12 in total by my senior year

Awards: Scholastic Art and Writing Awards(Silver Key), College Board National Recognition, Principals List, and Honor Roll.

Extracurriculars: So, my EC’s are wired since I had to transfer after 9th grade(so I have nothing there…)

Mock Trial- Defense Attorney(10th), Defense Captain(11th)
Recruited 10+ new members through conversations and an interest meeting
Top scoring attorney for my school at first tournament
Engaged in legal analysis, discourse, and practice

SkillsUSA- Member(10th), President(11th)
Currently organizing community service activities(Know Your Rights Workshop, Financial Aid Night, etc)
Competing in Prepared Speech(Hopefully placing this year)
Demonstrating knowledge in Criminal Justice careers

Student Government- Grade Secretary(10th), Founder and Head of Civic Engagement Committee(11th)
Organized homecoming, pep rallies, and other school spirit activities
Fundraised $300 to support students in hardship during Christmas
Educated about a dozen students on midterm election races

Board of Education Student Advisory Council- Delegate(11th)
Represents over 50,000 students on AI, expansion, and other policies
Served as the student representative during the public work session, promoting transportation expansion
Working with the district to expand transportation to make extracurriculars more accessible to low income students

State Youth Justice Coalition Chapter- Founder & President(11th)
Recruited 6 students to organize school wide civic events
Hosted a civic education phone bank that made over 2500 calls in 2 hours
Organized a field trip to the state capitol for all members

Schools:
University of Georgia
Occidental College
University of Maryland
George Washington University
Howard University
Spelman College
Clark Atlanta University
Princeton University
University of Virginia
Duke University
Georgetown University
Tufts University

Note: When I say taught myself, my teacher was/is a first time AP teacher and didn’t/doesn’t give us any work. So I gave/give myself work :)

Demographics:
- Gender: Male
- Race/Ethnicity: Asian/white
- State: South Dakota
- Income: $300-400k/yr

Potential Majors: Data Science, Statistics, Economics
(bonus question, are these good fields to get into?)

ACT:
- 34 Superscore (33M, 31S, 34E, 36R)
- 33 Composite (32M, 28S, 31E, 36R)

UW-W GPA and Rank
Unweighted: 4.00
Weighted: 4.19
Rank 1/46

4 AP Classes
- two tests I scored a 4
- two tests I scored a 5

Extracurriculars
- 4 years of Quiz Bowl: Team captain senior year
- 1 year of Track and Field: Team Captain
- 2 years of drama
- ~120 service hours
- 2 years Student Council
- 2 years of science bowl
- 3 years of NHS
- 2 years of school newspaper
- Worked a job the summer between my junior and senior year

including liberal art colleges (looking at t35 only)

sat is 740 r&w 780 math

applying niche humanities

great essays, good ecs, decent awards, generic rec letters

female, attending a competitive public high school in eastcoast

especially looking for suggestions on ed1 and ed2 (aiming at a 1560+ sat for ed2)

thanks guys!

This post is NOT a joke (maybe the title but im actually looking for real feedback).

Demographics: Male, Senior, Asian, Midwest, Public SUB-Urban High School, no hooks. Second gen SEA from 1.5 gen SEA refugee parents and 1st gen grandparents escaping the war in Laos; grandparents started as factory workers to blue collar jobs.

Intended major(s): Double major in Public Policy+ Biology

Academics: SAT: 1490. I know that my SAT is technically “low“ by standards and I know people on this sub like to maul people who don’t have a 1550+ but I did increase my SAT score by 120 points and my school‘s average is also like 1220 so chill on me bc holistic/contexual review exists. This post also lowk salty cuz i was getting literally slapped across the face for having 4.00 but “struggling to break the 1400s”.

Class rank: 12/817 GPA: 4.00 UW, 4.23 W

Coursework: 6 APs so far, but genuinely this is near max course rigor at my school. Taking 5 this year for a total of 11 APs by the time I graduate

APUSH (5), APWH (5), AP Psychology (5), AP Bio (4), AP Calc AB (4), AP Lang (4), taking Physics, Gov, Micro Econ, Stats, and BC this year

Awards (in order):

1. Future problem solvers (Inter/National)

Won 1st in state for GiPS (Global Issues Problem Solving + also the most compy and populated topic in my state) team. Competed at the international level. 

1. Kendo Nationals (National)

Won second place in the senior boy’s team at the AUSKF (All United States Kendo Federation) 2026 National Tournament. 

1. Business Professionals of America (State)

State finalist in the medical research presentation category (arguably one of the most compy topics in my state). Orated on practical solutions to current medical topics such as pediatric cancer and animal therapy. 

1. Statewide non profit competition (State)

2nd place winner. Competed against several, already competitive and experienced teams. Awarded $1,000. Created a composting non-profit to combat climate change. 

1. Regional Science Fair (Regional)

1st in my region for BMED (Biomedical and Medical Sciences + is one of the most populated topic in my state). Conducted groundbreaking research on machine learning models and their applications to marginalized groups. Advanced to state.

Extracurriculars (In no order) :

1. Kendo captain

Youth dojo captain

Directed pre-practice suburi and stretching warmups, organized opening and lineup commands, cared for lower ranked and younger members, competed at national level tournaments. Several regional wins and places. 

1. Tennis captain

Co-captain and Varsity Player

Guided less experienced players to improve. Competed against other schools. Advanced with the team to State Competition after winning Sectionals, breaking a 25 year drought at my school. 

1. Debate and speech

Co-Captain, Varsity

Wrote base cases for novices. Hyped team up before tournament. Mentored younger members. Took responsibility for managing team with outreach and talent development. Competed at state 3 times. 

1. Business Professionals of America

Competitor in Medical Research Presentation, Website Design, and Economic Research Team

Orated on various pragmatic medical topics. Designed website in teams. Analyzed complex economic trends. Performed best in Medical Research Presentation (again, hella compy in my state).

1. Science Fair

Regional Competitor, 1st place winner in BMED

Created models to help marginalized populations choose correct treatment. Authored paper on predictive machine learning project. Presented a project to judge to advance to the state level. Planning to submit paper to Regeneron.

1. Future Problem Solving

National competitor in GiPS

Generated novel solutions to potential future problems. Cooperated with team to write effective action plans. Competed at highest level (International).

1. Composting non profit

CMO

Created Instagram for non profit. Created a novel composting solution against climate change. Managed logistics and solvency. Worked on outreach to increase composting level in the city. Wrote emails and organized meetings.

1. Stem access non profit

Co-Founder and Co-President

Founded the first student led organization at school to help students more effectively compete at science fairs and expand STEM interest. Designed powerful and informative slideshows. Directed weekly meetings for students. Mentored students 1-1 on topics and research. 

1. Review paper

Author of novel Regenerative therapy review paper (publication pending, only manuscript for now)

Worked with a mentor to consolidate information on different regenerative therapies into a research paper. Examined effectiveness of different regenerative therapies. Grew existing literature on novel therapies. 

1. Cosplay

Cosplayer

I don’t really know what to say for this man this is just a joke ec lowk.

College list:

• Amherst College
• Brown University
• Carleton College
• Duke University
• Emory University (Debating ED)
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Rice University (Debating ED)
• St. Olaf College
• Stanford University (Debating REA)
• University of Michigan
• University of Southern California (EA)
• Vanderbilt University
• Washington University in St. Louis (EA)
• Yale University

Mostly just curious with wha ppl think about my stats now. thx for reading this and plz don’t kill me.

I applied to Texas A&M on Oct 7, and application showed as complete and in review on the 9th.

Major: Applying to Aerospace Engineering (General Engineering) as a freshman for Fall 2027. I’d be very happy with TEAB if not offered direct admission. I am not interested in Galveston as I want to join the Corps.
 
Status: Out-of-state (Georgia)
 
Rank: School does not rank. A&M placed me in the 2nd quarter.
GPA: 91.4 (UW/100 scale), 93.24 (W/100 scale); approximately a 3.6 UW / 3.7 W on a 4.0 scale.
Grades dipped in 10th grade, but 11th grade was my best year (95.0 and 98.3 weighted).
 
Test Scores: ACT 31; I just took the SAT yesterday because the school offered it for free, so potential for a better score there
 
Additional Coursework:
- Dual enrollment: US History, Sociology, English Comp, Economics/Financial Literacy, Psychology and Public Speaking. 6 hours completed, 18 by graduation.
- AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics
- Honors English 9-11
- Math/science for 12th: Precalculus and Physics (standard track, so no calculus before graduation)
 
Extracurricular Activities:
- Shop technician at a family-owned mechanic shop (10th-12th).
- Young Men's Service League: Vice President (12th), Philanthropy Chair (10th/11th).
- Principal's Advisory Council student representative (11th)
- JV and Varsity football (10th-12th)
- Track & field: pole vault and 1600m
- Lifeguard, 2 summers
 
Honors/Awards:
- Principal's Advisory, 1 of 5 juniors selected by the principal
- JV regional champion in pole vault and Pole Vault Coach's Award
- Scholar Athlete every year
 
Other:
- Recommendation letters from my 11th-grade math teacher and the principal

Thanks!

Hi guys, if you could chance me for McCombs for Fall 2026 that would be great. I am a current Junior, so I have some time before I actually apply. If you could just let me know my chances and what I could improve upon, that would be great.

In-State Application

Weighted GPA/Rank (6.0 Scale) 5.2420

Unweighted GPA (4.0 Scale) 4.0 (school district had retesting to a 90 until this year)

Rank: top 8 percent of a >400 class, pretty competitive high school

\-Will finish the year with 11 total APs, 6 previous and 5 now, will have 16 total by the end of high school career. of 6 AP Exams, all 5's including AP Stat, Precal, HG, WH, CSA, and CSP

\-SAT score: current 1480, trying for 1520+

\- 3 Month Business Development Internship at an AI Startup

\- Director of Finance for a Non-Profit with chapters in \~15 countries, $1M+ of economic impact

\-Co-Founder of TSA Chapter at my school

\-Planning to get a part time job after December

\-Founder of student social media financial literacy account, 10k+ following

\-Learning Machine Learning, and will build projects for a portfolio after becoming good with it

\-Volunteer Intern -> Volunteer Coordinator for a local volunteering non-profit

\-VP of Service League Chapter Near Me

\-Over 200 Volunteering Hours

\-Member of DECA and BPA, hoping to make nationals or atleast state for either of them.

I'm a current junior in a magnet highschool.
Intened major: public policy or political economics
Instates : applying NC STATE and UNC chapel hill
Out of states:

Yale REA

Georgetown

Brown

Columbia

Cornell ED

UChicago

Duke

Penn

UNC Chapel Hill (in-state, Early Action)

NYU

George Washington University

Wake Forest

Michigan

UVA

American University

Fordham (NYC)

Syracuse (Maxwell School)

Indiana (O’Neill + Kelley)

Academic stats

by the end of junior year i will be UW 2.98 W 3.67

1600 SAT

by the end of junior year i would have taken 2 dual enrollments 11 AP classes 14 honors classes

extracurriculars.

various debate awards locally and nationally
school debate board
run a mdddleschool coaching program for debate with over 300+ middleschoolers in it

deca board at school
placed deca state level qualifed for ICDC

Job at pathforge learning stem place

Additional info

my freshmen year my mom had a severe heartattck and was bed rested by dad travels for work so not rlly home have a little brother my sophmore year i spent second sem mainly bed rested or in the hospital bc i got diagnosed for epilespy my sophmore year until then from freshemn year until second sem sohpmore year i had seizures i just didnt know i had them all my bad grades were freshmen and sophmore year

FURTHERMORE

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO BUILD UP MY ECS I KNOW I DONT HAVE ALOT RIGHT NOW

Texas resident
Indian male

intended majors:

1st choice: mechanical engineering

2nd choice: chemical engineering

GPA: 3.98 UW 5.2 Weighted

SAT: 1520: 740 Reading 780 math

Rank: 27/761 (3.5%)

18 AP's by the end of senior year

- 5’s: Human geography, world history, environmental science, chemistry, physics 1

- 4’s: Computer science principles, calculus BC, Statistics, us history, ap lang

AP’s this year: ap biology, ap physics c mechanics, E&M, macroeconomic, us government, ap lit, comparative government, psychology

Extracurriculars

1. Fortune 500 internship at a power plant: Supported engineering teams in the operation and maintenance of power generation systems and assisted with technical projects and process improvements in the north houston area.
2. Rocketry club team lead: Prototyped fin designs for reducing drag, helped train new members on softwares that we use (Fusion 360 and Open rocket), helped streamline rocketry assembly process and reduced assembly time by ~25%
3. Scientific research: Developed a water filtration prototype for developing countries that reduced the risk of cholera by 60% at a price point 30% lower than similar water filters on the market. Also designed a super capacitor prototype with new nano materials to improve energy storage potential (almost led to a research opportunity but was turned down because I was too young 😭). Presented research and won a district science fair award two years in a row.
4. Electrical sub team member in robotics (FRC): Helped organize wiring layouts for a competition robot and conducted analysis of 15+ opposing teams' robots for forming future alliances
5. Taekwondo: Trained for 8 years and received a third degree black belt. Instructed over 10+ purple and blue belt students on footwork and sparring drills.
6. Community involvement: Partnered with a local organization to help coordinate outreach on linkedin and create promotional content on instagram and Facebook, which lead to over 50+ new signups. Also helped to design email templates on mailchimp to streamline communication.
7. Volunteering: volunteered for over 30 hours helping donate books to low income children.

Awards:

AP Scholar with distinction

2nd and 3rd place at district science fair