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Hello!
I am a Chinese student from Singapore and am aiming (v hopefully) for Stanford/U penn/Columbia/Duke/Cornell.I come from a top junior college and am probably around top 20% in school (that refuses to disclose student rankings).Paying for college is not a problem.

Anyway,my SAT I : 720V 800M, SATII :writing 780, math IIC and physics probably near there.So academically I don't have many problems but am extremely lop-sided in outside sch n extracurricular activities. I don't do much sport but take piano lessons (at diploma level and reach competition finals)and have private ballet lessons.In school,I unfortunately lack leadership positions and am in choir, guitar club, first aid society and stamp soc (with some awards for exhibits,performances etc).Also, I do quite a lot of com service.

Q1. What is GPA?and what if international students don't have it? and what are honours programs?ARe they equivalent of British GCE A level "Special" paper?
Q2. Given my situation are my aims reasonable or too high?I know I'm not the most outstanding and my "international" status is probably a hindrance to admission.
Q3.Do colleges prefer lop-sided or all-rounded?I am probably the former though I do engage in other non-fine arts activities.Or am I in the middle of nowhere?!*_*

Thank you for your patience and help.Hope you can give me some advice=)).

By Dadster on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 09:38 am: Edit

GPA is "Grade Point Average" - depending on how your school calculates grades and class rank, each college will attempt to convert your information in a way that makes sense. High school "honors" classes tend to be a more advanced version of a class. You didn't ask, but AP, or advanced placement, classes are higher level classes offered by some high schools. Some schools may offer both an honors class and an AP class in the same subject, with the AP class being somewhat higher level. What constitutes an honors class is decided by the high school and may vary between schools. AP classes are usually geared to a national AP test in that subject and tend to be a bit more uniform.

Your goals aren't necessarily too high, but be sure to spend some time studying schools that have easier admissions. Even if you were #1 in your school and had perfect SATs admission to Columbia, Stanford, Duke, etc. is unpredictable. You should be able to get into some excellent colleges.

The most elite schools tend to want a well rounded class, which may include many lop-sided students who excel in one or two areas. Of course, at these schools you will encounter kids who excel in multiple and diverse fields. I wouldn't worry about the well-rounded issue if you have both academics and at least one strong extra-curricular area working for you.

By jenniferpa on Sunday, June 30, 2002 - 04:09 pm: Edit

Just add on re A levels. Many/most U.S. universities give college credit for A levels, differing amounts depending on grade. The last time I researched this I think an A gave you 6 credits. Bear in mind that that I was looking with reference to A levels taken before the change in grading (when A-E represented a pass). Definitely, honors and AP classes are at a lower level than A levels, in part because the latter is a two year course, although AP is closer. Honors classes can be very variable depending on the school. In a sense, the two year A level course is roughly equivalent to a college freshman year course (and I have heard of people being admitted as a sophomores on that basis) but it would depend on which and how many I imagine.

Jennifer