Applying to American Universities (PLEASE HELP)

Over 60% of people get financial help at basically every top American universities. There are international means testing scholarships as well.

The financial help you get is meagre (40% tops, of the overall tuition fees) and it's hard to get it if you are an international student. Also you have to be a very strong student if you want financial help.

True, but you probably would be a strong applicant if you are applying to America. Also, (I'm not looking for a scholarship) but do you think 10A*2A and 42 (IB)prediction is enough to be considered in America(Harvard, Yale, etc. I know extra curricular is a big deal but are these sufficient grades for them to actually look at your applications.

Oh yeah. That is plenty good to apply to the Ivies. Pick the one that you think fits your personality/subject best. For example, Cornell is not one of the "big" Ivies like Harvard/Yale/Princeton, but it has an exemplary veterinary program. Brown is consider the "hippie" Ivy because you can take many courses unrelated to your major pass/fail instead of for a grade to enrich your mind.

Hi guys, my name is Matthew, and I'm looking to apply to American universities and funnily enough im also looking to apply to these uni's:
UCLA
UCB (Berkeley)
Stanford
Boston College
University of Michigan
Can I ask what would be a good enough SAT score to get into these universities.
For the extra curricular activities would this be good enough:
Played football/soccer for 9 years
Also I am a official FA qualified referee
I'm am currently doing a coaching badge
I am also joining an American Football team for the 2013 to 2014 season
I played the drums - not to any great level
Thanks Matthew

Hi, I hope I'm not intruding or taking over this thread! I've actually recently considered applying to the likes of Harvard and other Ivy League schools. I'll be doing my SATs in November/December, so I'm not sure what I'll get just yet, but I'll be studying very hard for the next couple of months, so hopefully I'll be able to cinch a good enough score for the Ivies. I'll post my stats in the same manner as the lady above me did (though she outclasses me by far), if you don't mind.

GCSE grades:

Maths - A*
Biology - A
Physics - A
English Lit - A
English Language - A
Religious Studies - A
History - A
Chemistry - B
French - B
Spanish - B


IB predicted Grades:

Chemistry HL - 7
Biology HL - 7
Psychology HL - 7
Italian Ab initio - 7
English SL - 6/7
Maths SL - 5
TOK - A
Extended Essay - A/B (Extended Essay looking at if and how Music can affect intelligence in developing children)

Total predicted points - 41 - 43

Extra-curriculars:

Violin Grade 1 with Merit
Participated twice in Westminster Youth Orchestra
French Horn (not graded)
Trombone (not graded)
Self-taught Piano by ear
Self-taught/Still learning Japanese, thinking of picking up Korean
Cricket and Rounders Team Player for Two years (Played in Regional Girls tournament at Lourdes Cricket Ground)
Girls Football Team Player
U16 National Girls Handball Team hopeful (missed tryouts due to Bronchitis)
Handball Team Player outside of College
Member of Debating Club
Co-founder of New College Newsletter (Writer for Interesting Science and 'Life Hacks' sections)
Introduced 'Operation Christmas Child into College'
Single-handedly Organised bakesale for Red Nose Day, managed to raise over £200
Chemistry and Biology Mentor

Work experience/employment:

Two weeks in Nursery as Teaching Assistant (Received an award from school for best work experience + diary)
10 Months T.A. and 'learning buddy' with students who had learning disabilities (paired with Cole)
One day in Clinical Research at Moorsfield Eye Hospital

Supplemental lectures (attending these between September and January):

Imperial College London:
End to End: Telomeres and Ageing
Exploring the amazing heart: devil in detail, heaven in integration

Kings College London:
Drug Development: From Bench to Bedside
Schizophrenia: Research and Clinical Perspectives
Thoracic Surgery and Lung Cancer
Paediatrics: Cardiology and Intensive Care
Sexual Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives
The Case of the Man Who Doesn't Recognise his Wife
Oncology
Perspectives on Pharmacy
Cases in Medical Law and Ethics

Volunteering:

6 months working in Hoxton's Monster Supplies, in training to be a Creative Writing Mentor
1 month working in Marie Curie Cancer Care Hospice
Red Nose Day Bakesale
General Fundraisers to do with Hoxton's Monster Supplies

I'm thinking of doing SAT I in November and Maths 1, Chemistry and/Or Biology for SAT II in December.

I'm also the first person to go to University in my family, would that give me a significant advantage? Does anyone know if/how much financial aid I can get if my household income is £42k p.a.?

I would like to go on to study Medicine, but I'm just not too sure about what Major I'd need/would be best to prepare for it. Chemical and Physical Biology? Molecular and Cellular Biology?

Regardless, do you think I have enough of a chance to possibly get a place in Harvard? Obviously not much can be said until I actually do the SATs... Having said that, I've been told that the SAT II are quite doable especially if you've done IB, I'll be starting my practice tests soon as well, so I should be able to do any update on how those are going!

Other possible Unis include USC, MIT and UCLA. I really think my ECs aren't enough to compete with some other applicants and if you agree with me, is there anything I can do in the next couple of months to improve them at all? I'm kind of worried about my GCSE grades, but I've heard they don't really look into those...

Much Appreciated!