International Applicant (US): Advice on PPE or Politics & IR for UCL, LSE, and King's

Hi! I'm a current US high school junior applying to UK universities (UCL, LSE, King’s) for PPE or Politics & IR, and I’d love to get some honest feedback on my chances.

Academic Profile:
GPA: 4.0 unweighted / 5.22 weighted (Top 3%)
Class Rank: 19/568
SAT: 1510 (considering retake)
APs Taken (with scores): Human Geography (5), World History (5), European History (5), Psychology (5), Spanish Language (4), Seminar (5)
Current/Planned APs: US History, Environmental Science, English Language & Lit, Statistics, Calculus AB, Biology, Government, Economics, Art History, Research, 2-D Art, Drawing

Extracurriculars:
Model UN VP & Delegate – multiple Best Delegate awards at national conferences
Civics Unplugged Fellow – civic innovation & youth policy work
NSLI-Y Scholar – Mandarin study in Taiwan
TurnUp Activism Intern – helped register 50,000+ students to vote
County Youth Council – civic outreach in local government
Research Assistant – focus groups + data analysis for a Gen Z book project
Sister Cities Ambassador – U.S.–Germany exchange with diplomacy focus

Questions:
Since grades seem to be the main factor, how do admissions differentiate between applicants who have similar strong academic records (e.g., 5s on APs)?
How much do specific AP subjects matter? Do they prioritize certain APs or is it more about the overall academic performance?
Is there anything else I should keep in mind when applying to these universities as an international applicant?

Thanks so much for any insights or advice!

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International Applicant (US): Advice on PPE or Politics & IR for UCL, LSE, and King's

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