<p>Hi everyone! I've been reading posts on this forum for a while, they were all very helpful regarding to BS admissions, but I have a few more personal questions and would greatly appreciate any response! (It's.....fairly long - -~ bow to anyone who has the patient to read it through=D)</p>
<p>Ill have subheadings for each section ++~jst to make the information more organised</p>
<p>**regarding to international student: </p>
<p>I am a perminent resident in Canada, and have been attending public school here since Grade 7. My citizenship application is in progress, but Im still a Chinese citizen. So when the schools look at my background, would they consider me as from Canada or China? coz Ive been receiving high school education in North America ?_?</p>
<p>Also, the grading system for the public school board that Im attending is different from that of U.S.; our A/level 4 is above 80, not 90, so Im not sure how my marks will be converted into GPA and what will it be. My mid-term report has a grade average of 87.5; the average on my final report, which will be released in Jan after chrismas break, should be higher because this one is unofficial and doesnt include many marks. Public schools here do not offer AP or Honours courses, but I am taking Enriched English and Maths this year. </p>
<p>Im currently in Grade 10. My high school only has Grade 10 to 12, so I ve been in this school only for 3 months. Im pretty active in class so Im expecting the teacher's recommandation to be fairly good, especially the one from my keyboard music teacher. Another problem is that my school is semestered, and my first-semester courses do not include Maths. Since it is a new school, I don't have a Maths teacher! So where should I get the Maths teacher recommandation? Is it acceptable if I ask my previous Maths teacher to write it for me? Because Im really good in maths and was at the top of my class last year in my Junior High School; the teacher liked me very much. hehe. - ,-~</p>
<pre><code>**regaridng to leadership experience:
</code></pre>
<p>I have most of my accomplishments in Junior High. I was elected to be the President of Student Council, and was one of the three student representatives in the schools Safety Committee. I organized school events such as dances, White Ribbon campaign, Valentine's Day gift sales and delivery, school's Spirit Week; and gave speech in many school orientations. I was an honoured participant in the Trinity Theatre Leadership Program, and participated in the Leadership Activity program in my new school, too. I don't have many volunteer hours in school record, but have volunteered at the Family Fun Day of a local charity, a local saturday school (only went for few times), and was a peer tutor for maths and viola (tutee never showed up...so not so many hours there>.<). </p>
<pre><code> **regarding to arts experience:
</code></pre>
<p>I played viola for three years in Junior High, was the top viola player of my grade in Grade 7 and the only 7th grader in school's Chamber String, but quited in Grade 8 because my string teacher changed to someone who doesnt play any string instrument and doesnt know music - -## and my parents cant afford private music lessons with my previous music teacher. How should I explain all this to the schools Im applying to? </p>
<p>I am self taught in piano for two years, didnt take any exams or contests, but received a lot of praise on my performance. Im taking keyboard class this year and my teacher thinks im a very musical player(just have to work on the basic techniques to support it. lol.) Im overall pretty artistic (visual art teacher last year loved me, too), but arts is more like my passion and interest, sadly dont have any awards to convince the schools. Would it help if I send recordings or drawings to the schools? I really want to participate in the art programs if I got accepted, and would very much like to try some dance and theatre (because I love movies! go to cinema very week)</p>
<p>Im also a good singer, often to go KTV with friends, but have not done any contests or lessons.
My biggest problem: too many interests, too little credential! </p>
<pre><code>**regarding to sports experience:
</code></pre>
<p>Im not doing any sports now, but was in the girls basketball team back in China (really not worth mentioning...).I did karate at YMCA for about two and a half year since Grade 7, have won first places in the program's annual competition, but quited when I was green belt and two stripes because of too much school work. I danced Ballet for more than 5 years, but quited when I came to Canada. At my free time, I do some running, badminton, skating, but again, these are all interests, not commitments. </p>
<pre><code> **regarding to extra-curricular:
</code></pre>
<p>clubs: Super Crazy Movie Times - again, I love movies</p>
<pre><code> Anime club - like most asian...anime fan
Christian club - not christian myself, but goes there with my friend, and really enjoy the activites in the club (singing praises, prayer, learn about the christian culture etc.)
Mandarin Culture Club - where Im most active. We are now preparing for the Chinese New Year show, in which we girls will dance, and Im kinda acting as the dance instructor because of my experience in dancing (yup yup Im turning hip-hop) p.s. lately Im really interested in hip-hop, new jazz, and expecially poppin. learning moves from online tutorials (I can glide a little now ^o^)~
**regarding to financial status:
</code></pre>
<p>yes Im poor. I will be needing heavy financial aid. All my parents can provide me is their savings from "old times" in China, and we live on that saving. </p>
<pre><code> **regarding to standerdized testing:
</code></pre>
<p>I got a 93% overall percentile on my SSAT. 97% in readig, 96% in maths, but 63% in verbal. English is, sadly, my second language, and I've only been living in English speaking environment for 3 years. I do a lot of reading, so I have almost no problem in language comprehension (refer to reading percentile. lol), just that my vocabulary bank is not that broad. But vocabularies can be built, right? I can work on my vocabulary really hard so I will have no problem on the SAT. </p>
<pre><code> **regarding to boarding:
</code></pre>
<p>I attended boarding school in China for Grade 1-6, and I LOVE boarding, so I don't think I wil have any problem fitting in. Should I mention this to the admission staffs? </p>
<p>inhale....exhale....that's about it, my general info</p>
<p>**Im considering to apply for </p>
<p>Andover - definitely the best..reach for me. Its large endowment size and need-blind policies may do me some favour. A friend of my family lives near there, but too bad nobody I know goes to the school</p>
<p>Chaote - really like the school's emphasize on character development and its art programs. bad thing is that they consider the candidate's financial status for admission.</p>
<p>Loomis - top school with a higher acceptance rate than the others. </p>
<p>Northfield Mount Hermon - like thebig campus, horse-riding opportunity (lol), diversity in student body, and focus on arts. Probably the one Im most likely to get in, but its financial aid available for international student is very limited (like almost all schools do)</p>
<p>My dream is to go to top universities in the U.S., and I don't think I ll be well qualified with the courses provided at my current school. I really want to seek higher academic standards and more school involvement. I would be exultant if I get into any of the above schools. But after reading the stats' of other candidates on this forum, Im really lacking confidence. </p>
<p>Any advice on things I should mention to increase my chance? Other schools that I should be considering? Should I consider repeating Grade 10? </p>
<p>I would greatly appreciate any opinions on my situation. Thank you all very very much~</p>