TOP-universities who accept without considering your academic background in other undergraduate studies

[Yuki Kuran]

Hello fellowers, 

I have finished two semesters in my national university quite unsuccessfully (cGPA of 3.00/4.00). I want to apply as a freshman to top universities in the USA and wonder if they will care about my 'past' bachelors. I can't apply to MIT as a freshman, because they have a restriction on that. What about other universities? Even if I am eligible to apply as a freshman, should I provide them a transcript from my university? 

I actually can make GPA of 4.00/4.00 in the upcoming semester. Could I say like "I was not being serious, I didn't want to, but I'm capable of doing it and I have proven it, so accept me"?:D 

Also, in my country we have a national diploma which is like a conclusion of all your studies for 12 years, plus, I have my IB diploma on hand, do I still need to provide transcript for 11-12 grades? 

 

Edited May 14, 2016 by Yuki Kuran

[Emmi]

No university in the US does this, not even less-prestigious ones. If you're applying to a new one you'll need to send them all of your grades, including ones from your first university. Since you're applying as a new student and not as a transfer student, you'll need to go through that process which also includes standardized tests if you haven't taken them, recommendation letters, essays, and other things. Keep in mind the top schools in the US admit a very small number of students and even fewer international students (which I'm presuming you are, please correct me if this is wrong). 

And pardon my language, but

Could I say like "I was not being serious, I didn't want to, but I'm capable of doing it and I have proven it, so accept me"?:D

is such a steaming pile of BS. Why would a top university admit a student who admits to being lazy? You might as well just say something like 'I only put effort into stuff when I want to, otherwise I'm a lazy bum but it's okay because I'm smart and special and I promise I'll try there.' They're not going to accept you. They're going to take the kids who always work hard regardless of whether they want to or not. 

 

[Yuki Kuran]

Thank you, Emmi, it is much clearer for me now. I wonder if there is a good university which could accept me with my scores. Could you please tell me if you know one? 

SAT Reasoning: 2000 (superscore) 

SAT Subject: M1 790, M2 790, PHY 740

IELTS: 7.5 (expired) 

IB: 36 

     Math HL 6; Physics HL 6; History HL 5; English A SL 5; Russian A SL 6; ITGS SL 5. 

TOK+EE 3 (EE on World Religions). 

 

I have many extracurricular activities, including sports, music, academics, and internship. 

+ a lot of academic achievements in the period between 8 and 9 grades, but I don't think that they have some value. 

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by Yuki Kuran

[Emmi]

Well you never told us what you want to study. That influences it a lot: for example, if you want to study engineering, most of the Ivies are terrible for that, whereas they'd be great if you wanted to study a hard science or a liberal arts field. So that's reason one why I can't and won't. Even then, I can't because what's important to me in a good university might be a deal breaker for you. You need to do research into this. Find out what schools are good for what you want to study which includes how connected to industry or graduate schools they are and how many students go on to get jobs in their field, the atmosphere of the school (I purposely did not apply to uber-competitive schools that attract overachievers or schools full of rich kids because I wouldn't be able to stand that environment), and the surrounding area that the school is in (middle of nowhere where the only thing to do is go to school? Mid-size city? Huge urban center? This is important). 

Your SAT is too low for the top universities. You don't have to have a perfect score, but a 2000 puts you easily in the bottom 25% of applicants. Your SAT 2 scores are fine though. 

Your grade 8 and 9 achievements don't matter at all unless it was something like nationally award-winning research/contests or a science olympiad. 

Everything else is probably okay, but quality is better than quantity. I could have been in ten clubs, but if all I did was go to meetings sometimes that won't look as good as the person who was in three clubs and was an officer or captain of all of them.