what to do to increase chances for american unviersites>?

You need to make sure your SAT or ACT is very high for the majority of IVYs’. 1500+ or 34-35 to be seriously considered.

Your extra-curricular activities and essays are the most important though. A high SAT/ACT score doesn't guarantee you admission especially when the majority of applicants have the same score.

Your extra-curricular activities and essays are the most important though. A high SAT/ACT score doesn't guarantee you admission especially when the majority of applicants have the same score.

Of course it doesnt. But without a High Score, your ECs wont matter….

thank you. so if I was to do law, would type of extra curricular would they prefer? or essays?

Not necessarily...obviously a good score will help you, but a lot of universities are also test optional. So even if you don't submit your scores but have excellent ECs, it doesn't mean your application will automatically fail.

As an international applicant to the US, good luck applying test optional. Trust me. If you want to study in the US in any TOP 20 school, you NEED a high SAT or ACT score otherwise your chances are minimal as a foreign student.

True for the top 10 but not top 20. Vandy/CM/ND/etc all take a lot of test optionals, especially from countries where act/sat isn't widely available. It's more important that you've excelled in your home country's equivalent exams.
You need to be focused on outstanding extracurriculars, as the majority of American students shooting for an ivy are going to have published research, national/international awards or leadership positions, and prestigious internships. That will get you in the door for consideration but then your essays are what will set you apart, so make sure those are spectacular too and show what a compelling candidate you are.

I;m not sure where you are getting this info. I am American. Have two siblings attending top 20 universities including 2 of the ones you mentioned. They have several international friends and not a single one was admitted without high SAT/ACT scores regardless of A levels, IB scores, etc. The TOP 20 is way too competitive for international students and for every A*A*A* kid without a SAT or ACT score there are 3 other with 1500+ SATs on top of the high A levels. I know what I am talking about.

I'm American too
An SAT or ACT can be the icing on the cake of an app and give a small boost but it's not the end all be all. When AOs are picking from tons of students with A*A*A*s, there comes a point when their decision is entirely down to the "feeling" they get from their app, which is mostly down to their essays.
Studying for an ACT or SAT and then finding a location to test ect takes a lot of time that could be better spent on alevels and ECs which will impact their app way more.

Let’s agree to disagree…. 🙂 at the end of the day, for any Top 20 in the US, you will need everything….AOs will look first at your home country credentials to eliminate the vast majority. Then they will look at SATs/ACTs for the yes/maybe/no piles……Then ONLY the maybe piles are given a chance through EC, Essays etc….

Frankly I worry about OPs chances from the beginning given that they had poor exams and then took a break from academia. The harsh reality is that the prioritization of ACT/SAT vs ECs likely won't even matter if they don't make it through the first part you mention, and failed gcses and medical leave will probably get them tossed out immediately, unless they have some extremely compelling story/circumstance to share.

True, but why focus on just Top 20 schools. There are lots of great universities in the US in the top 100 list. No need to be narrow if you want to study in the US. Even a school like Baylor University for instance (not picking on Baylor as it is a great private school) would have the 3rd highest endowment of any school in the UK. So plenty of opportunities to find a good spot.
Outside the top 20 the previous poster is correct, there would be more opportunities for Test Optional and ok grades on gcses and A levels with a good combination of EC and a great essay. Most schools will ask for supplementary information on struggles you have faced, etc and it is a great opportunity to take advantage of that.

True although I wouldnt say it's worth it to attend an American school as an international if it doesn't hold a certain level of prestige. Why attend a decent school like Baylor for $90k annually in the US when they could attend an equivalent UK school for a ninth of the debt.

I agree. Which is why I applied to UK schools from the US. I only mentioned Baylor in the previous post to provide context as to the qualifications typically needed for these schools.
But yes, the cost benefit analysis for any US school outside the top ones is not great. Even for an international student like me paying overseas fees, it is still much cheaper than any private uni in the US.

That's also what I did-- did you apply during this current admissions cycle?
I don't even think the cost of American uni is worth it for most domestic students, agreed. But I guess that's a different discussion for a different thread.

True, but why focus on just Top 20 schools. There are lots of great universities in the US in the top 100 list. No need to be narrow if you want to study in the US. Even a school like Baylor University for instance (not picking on Baylor as it is a great private school) would have the 3rd highest endowment of any school in the UK. So plenty of opportunities to find a good spot.
Outside the top 20 the previous poster is correct, there would be more opportunities for Test Optional and ok grades on gcses and A levels with a good combination of EC and a great essay. Most schools will ask for supplementary information on struggles you have faced, etc and it is a great opportunity to take advantage of that.
My advice to OP if he/she really wants Ivy League: make sure your A Levels / gcses are great when you redo the 12th grade and make sure you score HIGH on the SAT to show these AOs you have the chops. And Yes, you will also need great ECs, Essays. If any of these are below par, there is zero chance of admission at an Ivy League school.

I'm American too
An SAT or ACT can be the icing on the cake of an app and give a small boost but it's not the end all be all. When AOs are picking from tons of students with A*A*A*s, there comes a point when their decision is entirely down to the "feeling" they get from their app, which is mostly down to their essays.
Studying for an ACT or SAT and then finding a location to test ect takes a lot of time that could be better spent on alevels and ECs which will impact their app way more.