What are my chances of getting into Stanford or Upenn?

Question

I'm an international student applying for Fall 2009. I have a GPA of 5.00 (out of 5). I was the valedictorian for Grade 11 in my school. My SAT scores are as following:

CR: 570, M: 800, W: 720 (essay 9/12), (2090 total)

Math Level 1: 800

Math Level 2: 800

Physics: 770

I'm taking IB Math HL and English SL. My TOEFL iBT score is 106/120. I have lots of international math contest awards (American, British, Canadian..) and I have medals in chess. I participate in lots of clubs and social services in my school. What are my chances of getting into these schools if I made early decision to them?

PS: I'll take the SAT once more in order to increase my critical reading score to something around 640.

Answer 1

Don't listen to jb. He is an idiot. He said the same thing to me about a similar question, because he bases everything off SAT scores. He probably didn't even go to a good school.

That being said, your chances like anyone are technically low. Not because you aren't good enough, but because there are a lot of people like you. I do think that your international experience will be a big plus and you do have an excellent transcript. Your teacher recommendations and essay will be your deciding factor i believe, so make sure those are excellent and i think you have a decent shot.

Answer 2

First of all, you can't apply to both Early Decision.  Early Action, yes, if they offer it, but you have to commit to one for Early Decision.  (And frankly, if you can narrow it down enough to know why one's better for you than the other, that'll probably help with your essays and interview.)

Second, aim higher with that critical reading score.  I know English isn't your first language or your primary interest, and the TOEFL will help, but you should really be in the high 600s at the absolute minimum, especially since your writing score indicates you're capable of better.

Take care of that, and...well, I still can't tell you your exact chances.  You'd definitely be competitive - maybe a little bit more so than the average applicant depending on how well-known those awards are - but it depends on who you're competing against and what the schools are looking for this year, and there's no way to control for that.  All you can do is give it your best.  Good luck.

Answer 3

I'd say slim. 800's in math are unfortunately a dime a dozen, and if you've lived in English speaking countries, your other scores won't be overlooked. Unfortunately these schools see a ton of "one trick ponies"--kids just strong in math/science. Your TOEFL score also does not say top student nor do your activities as you list them here. If math is your strength we would expect to see AIME and major science competitions. Also, no school wants to see both math I and IIC SATII scores and nearly all want to see one in the humanities.

Throw in an application or 2 at these reach schools but don';t count on them this year which will be the hardest in history to get into top US colleges. You need to look for schools where all of your scores are near the top of the school's 50th percentile as an international applicant.