Forester

You can consider NYU Abu Dhabi or NYU Shanghai - they offer full financial aid to international students in your situation. However, if you receive 40+ in IB, you also have a shot at financial aid at the regular NYU in New York - as long as the rest of your application is in order too (high SAT scores, great extracurrilars)

Cornell is an Ivy League university - the acceptance rate will be rather low, especially for international students. You will need an IB predicted of 38 or over for sure and also an SAT score of over 2100. These are benchmark scores and will not guarantee admission. US Universities look for more than just grades - you also need to be very involved in extracurricular activities and write amazing personal statements.

Last year was the first year there were more ACT test takers than SAT test takers. This is because it is very easy to do well on the SAT if you know how to prepare for it. This is why SATs are changing in 2016 to become more like the ACT. My advice is to take the SAT before the 2016 ones come out.

Johns Hopkins has a very good biochem major.

For US Universities, you don't need to apply for a certain major, you can get into the school first and then choose your major before the end of your sophomore year. Many schools like Berkeley actually do not allow you to apply directly to the undergraduate business program anyway, you have to apply in your sophomore year of university. For the UK, you do not need to take business in high school, but Math HL is required for the top programs (which you did so it's ok). Make sure your extra-curriculars are somehow related to your major.

Your admission results come out as early as December of IB2. Most results come out before you take your actual exams in April of IB2. The only way you final grades will make a difference (if any) is if you reapply, or take a year off and then apply.

Columbia will not only be looking at your IB grades. You should also try to get a high SAT score, write stellar essays and be really involved in your community.

Most students take the SATs more than once, so if you scorer higher the second time, you will send those higher scores in anyways (also some universities require all scores to be sent) so there's not much point in sending scores to any university the first time you take them, even if it is free.

It really depends on your SAT score, your essays and your extracurriculars. with a 2000 SAT score, 37 IB and great extracurriculars, you are looking at top 30. remember to fully utilize ED, depending on what your major is.

I took Math and Chem HL and took SAT2 Math2 and Chem without extra study at the middle of IB2. There is a lot of overlap. However, for biology there is a lot of extra memorization needed.

You should be in the universities you have listed with a 1900 SAT.

I am an alumnus.

^ sounds about right. 7=A+ 6=A- 5=C 4=D etc...

Everyone has a story to tell, you just need to look at the right places. Think about the things you do that no one else does.

You can send scores via the Collegeboard website. Yes you need to send a score report to each university. You should do this now if the deadline is Jan 1st.