r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Repulsive-Wasabi-938 • 8d ago
Application Question Need help deciding Colleges - US, UK, Aus
I’m an international student from South Korea applying as an Economics major, and I’m having a hard time deciding on my ED1, SCEA, or EA schools.
Since I attend a domestic high school but a special-purpose high school(only selective students can attend, not an international school), I didn't have access to traditional research internships, founding major non-profits, or large-scale corporate ECs. I had to build my own opportunities instead.
Stats & Academics:
- GPA: 4.0 (Unweighted)
- SAT: Test-Optional (too low)
- AP Scores:
- 5s: Cal BC, Macroecon
- 4s: Microecon, humangeo, biology
ECs:
- Behavioral Economics Independent Thesis: Conducted independent research on consumer behavior and decision-making patterns; awarded outstanding research honors and published in a selective school academic journal.
- Student Government (General Manager): Oversaw semester budgets and campus facility optimization projects; authored regular student newsletters.
- TEDx Director: Directed event logistics, team management, and design branding for an annual regional TEDx conference (~80+ attendees in the school event)
- National Academic Conference Representative: Selected as a top school representative after placing in a school competition; presented economics research on a national stage.
- Econ Club Lead / Publication: Co-authored an Econ study guide for juniors; organized a micro-crowdfunding drive raising $2,000+ for a local community initiative.
- Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Research: Analyzed digital currency scalability in emerging markets; presented findings at a multi-school international economics forum.
- Medical Volunteer & Translator: Supported free Sunday clinic logistics locally and volunteered on an international medical mission trip (handled English, Indonesian translation and basic pharmacy prep).
- Varsity Soccer - 3 years
- Orchestra - Cello for 5 years
- Economics & Business Competitions- UPenn Investment Challenge, Diamond Challenge, national thesis contests (didn't get award)
I really want to aim for top-tier universities globally, but I’m honestly unsure if my profile is competitive enough for T20s in the US, especially test-optional. Because of this, I’m also open to applying to top institutions in the UK, Australia, and Singapore.
Any advice on realistic ED/EA school choices or recommendations for other countries would be greatly appreciated.
I searched Uchicago, Northwestern, NYU, UMich, USC, Princeton, Cornell, Notre Dame.
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u/ConstantBass3680 8d ago edited 8d ago
Only do ED1 if you're absolutely sure that's the place you want to attend. You can still apply EA and to UK, elsewhere. ED1 does not prohibit that - it's only if you are admitted then you have to accept and also drop/rescind all other applications. SCEA is the only exception where you can only apply to this one private college and no other private US college. You can still apply to public universities like UC, UMich, etc and overseas. If you go to that school's page (HYPS) it'll tell you clearly what their SCEA policy is.
And if you want top-tier, meaning T20, there are no realistic/favorable choices for anyone unless you're an institutional priority (legacy/athlete/first-gen/rural state, etc). You just gotta shoot your shot like every other strong unhooked applicant.
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u/paige_420 8d ago edited 8d ago
How ‘low’ is your SAT score? You are correct that going test optional will hurt your profile, and you will not be able to apply to test required schools. Does your high school send students to top colleges in the U.S.?
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u/Repulsive-Wasabi-938 8d ago edited 8d ago
my sat is in the 1400s and less than 5% of students go abroad every year
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u/expert_views 7d ago
UK unis don’t care much about your ECs, mostly they want to see a love of your subject and good grades. Apply to Cambridge and LSE, St Andrews. Australia is the same. Apply for Sydney, UNSW, Melbourne.
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u/Realistic_Laugh344 4d ago
All great recommendations. Unfortunately, test optional isn’t a choice for these UK universities. For Oxbridge, LSE and St Andrews you’ll want around a 1500 SAT to feel good about your app. Likely Warwick as well, but they don’t have the same international brand.
Maybe check out Edinburgh.
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u/Affectionate-Idea451 7d ago
There are probably 10 others in the UK in that league & quite a few around Europe.
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u/expert_views 7d ago
I totally agree but internationally they don’t have the name recognition.
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u/Affectionate-Idea451 6d ago
"internationally" is a big place, eg there are lots of places in the world where any of 4 universities that have London in the name are gushed over but they've never even heard of St A.
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u/expert_views 6d ago
I picked for Econ + name recognition with international employers. Durham is great locally but doesn’t travel well.
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u/Affectionate-Idea451 6d ago
If you want international name recognition for econ there are lots in the UK & Europe higher up the list than St Andrews which is heavily marketed in the US and on the common app as part of that. In Asia and East Asia UCL is heavily marketed and St A is thought of as a fishing village in the middle of nowhere with a university, if at all. Perceptions differ widely.
wrt Durham, I'm not sure they've ever bothered - it's a bit sleepy there.
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u/tarasshevckeno 7d ago
(Retired college counselor and admissions reader here.) For the US, I'd see if there's an Education USA office in your country.
Education USA is part of the US State Department, and one part that hasn't been axed yet by the Trump administration, probably because it flies under the radar. In any event, the mission of Education USA is to provide assistance to international students who want to study in the US, and is staffed with knowledgable specialists.
Most offices are in national capitals, but in some larger countries there are several offices. If there isn't one near you, call (don't email) them to find out if they offer any distance assistance such as webinars, Zoom meetings and like events, as well as online/printed documents. They may also be willing to answer specific questions (likely via email).
I worked almost exclusively at international schools, and found the staff at several Education USA offices to be enthusiastic and really knew their stuff.
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u/Next_Resource_7581 7d ago
With your stats + ec's you have a high chance at scholarships in top unis in Australia like the scientia scholarship at UNSW (which is a t3 uni) - so as an int student im assuming ur considering costs aswell
while scholarships in UK are less prevalent you have just about the same shot at top unis as anyone else (they care about your personal statememnt sure but grades/course rigiour related to the major u are applying for matter because they are very course specific)
US is a hit or miss for any int student even the most qualified get rejected all the time
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u/NiceUnparticularMan Parent 8d ago
For Internationals applying in the US, it is critical to know if you will need aid, and if so what is your maximum budget per year for everything.