Hello Professor,
I hope you are doing well. I am currently preparing applications to highly selective U.S. universities, including Georgetown and Ivy League schools, and I would really appreciate your honest advice.
I am an international student from Azerbaijan with a 3.7 GPA and a 1510 SAT score. I wanted to ask whether this SAT score can realistically offset my GPA in the admissions process and how competitive my overall profile may be for these universities.
Outside academics, I founded an online education initiative with over 1,000 volunteers that supported more than 500 children. I have participated in Model United Nations, completed an internship with the HeForShe initiative, was a FLEX semifinalist, won a silver medal at a Canada-based Olympiad, and have been actively involved in sports.
Additionally, part of my GPA was affected by personal circumstances following the loss of my grandfather. I would appreciate your opinion on whether and how briefly I should explain this in my application.
Thank you very much for your time and guidance.