U.S. University Application for 2022 entry

I have a few questions:
I heard you do not need SAT’s for this year due to COVID but would it still be advised to take them?

What do American unis look for? Do i have a chance solely on academic achievements in a A levels (4 A*), a few UKMT maths challenges (pink/gold) and participation in MUN?

Someone that got a sports scholarship said with my a levels they are likely to give an academic scholarship. Is this true?

Are ivy league applications different from regular applications?

It depends. Some universities are completely test blind, meaning they won't even consider your scores if you submit them. However, most are test optional. Officially, they say that you won't be at a disadvantage if you cannot submit scores, but patterns from last year suggest that people submitting good scores in the SAT or ACT were more likely to be admitted than those who didn't submit at all.



They want to get to know you in the admissions process. One of the biggest ways they do this is by looking at your extracurriculars. Without depth and breadth of both long and short term extracurriculars, you'll be falling short of one of the main things they look for, and this could significantly impact your admissions chances.



Once again, depends. Schools that offer scholarships based on merit will often look for far more than grades - especially those that offer a full ride. These scholarships will be competitive and it's likely you'll be beaten by those who have stronger extracurriculars if what you have described is truly the depth of yours. At state schools, scholarships will usually be given based on US standardised test scores, no idea what they're doing now that they're optional.



No. Also, don't just get caught up on the Ivy League. Oftentimes the Ivies aren't the best for what you want to do, and may not be what you're looking for in a university. There are many amazing universities that aren't Ivies (MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Northwestern, Duke, just to name a few).

My dream school would be maths at Stanford. Have you got any tips and particular extra-curricular activities that could give me an edge?

You need to be yourself in your application and essays. Don't try to guess what they are looking for. They'll see right through it.

Same with your extracurriculars - you need to do what you enjoy because they'll see right through resume padding. Are you going into Year 13? If so, it may be too late to pick up any substantial ECs that will give you an edge, especially at a school like Stanford.

In relation to your OP regarding Stanford - Stanford isn't an Ivy League school (as I hope you already know). You may be able to receive need-based assistance from them, but they won't give any merit-based awards based on academics. They may consider an ACT or SAT score if you submit, so submitting a good score could be a benefit to you.

At state schools, scholarships will usually be given based on US standardised test scores, no idea what they're doing now that they're optional.

Yeah unfortunately i am going into year 13. I decided quite late to apply to the US because at the beginning of year 12 i assumed i’d want to study economics at university but did not enjoy it so was looking for maths and the US is far more competitive there globally aside from Oxbridge. The only real extra curricular activities i have is MUN, debate club and maths club. Do they put extra-curricular at the same level as academic achievements within the UK?
Also, Cambridge has a list of “super-curricular” activities for maths and most mentioned are simply books and websites, a few of which i’ve read. Does the US prefer more club-based extra curriculars or would those books etc also be useful in my statement?

Yes 😂😂 i know it’s not ivy but i would also like to apply to a couple ivies like Upenn.