tensazangetsu20:

So what of all those minimum GPA stuff, leadership qualities and winning an olympiad? How did you get around them?

Of course you have to have a competitive GPA! You have to do the work or you won't get accepted, that is why I compared it to a white male with the SAME qualifications. If you want leadership skills on your CV, your best bet is to acquire leadership skills, there are so many ways to demonstrate leadership - join a student organization and run for office. It could be a small student organization that will not require tons of work. Here are some things that could boost your CV:
Volunteer for an NGO during holiday -you can get a good recommendation letter from that.
Learn a skill - it does not have to be in your field of studies but it demonstrates initiative and an interest in learning new things.
Have a small business - even a small garden in from of your house is fine and incorporate what you learn from your business in your personal statement.
Most people who apply to ivy league schools have a near perfect academic record but not all get in. So to be considered you need to set your self apart in some way. As an applicant from Africa, you may not need to think too far from the box because your normal experiences are already very different from most of the other applicants and that is what will set you apart.

kingcomet:

ehya

Nobody.