Hey! For as long as I can remember, it has been a dream of mine to attend an american college. The problem is the educational system is very different. In Brazil, there are 11-13 obligatory subjects, without any distinction between AP and normal. They are: portuguese, literature, english, spanish, history, sociology, philosophy, geography, chemistry, biology, physics, math, and “writing”. Depending on the school, spanish and english can be both obligatory or one has to choose between them, and literature is sometimes graded within portuguese. I used to study in a small school, where I was #1 in my class, but my average was 87%. This year (junior year for me- also, brazilian classes start in february) I moved to the capital of my state to attend a much more difficult high school, where my average dropped to 76%, however I remained amongst the top 10% in my class. Do you think my averages will count more than the strength of the curriculum/ class comparission? I will take the SATs for the 1st time tomorrow, and I will later fill you in on my score. I also plan on taking SAT Subjects on Biology M, World History and Spanish with listening, and I’m pretty sure I’ll also take some AP tests, regardless of never having AP classes. I saw some sample questions online, and the AP questions are MUCH more similar to my regular tests at school than the SATs. On my extracurricular activities: Brazilian schools don’t offer extracurriculars, but I have always liked doing separated courses. I have taken: ballet, tap dance, contemporary dance, drama classes, acoustic guitar lessons and swimming. I was freshman year class president and I might be senior year class VP. Also, I have done 1 month of a summer exchange program in England and right now (again, brazilian summer), I’m taking a scuba-diving course. I’m very concerned about my averages, I hope my class rank will help me (the best student in my class of 300 students doesn’t have an average of more than 90%. It’s between 85% and 90%, and according to my principal, I really am on the top 10%). I think I’ll write my college essay on my experience moving to the capital of my state- about how for the first time I struggled with school, how much more independent I became, how I started to define myself as a person apart from my grades, etc. Next year I will try to study more and bring my grades up, but as I said, in my school it’s pretty much impossible to have a 90% average. Anyway, what are my chances of getting into a college such as Columbia, in your opinion?
Aeee, dificil de ver um brasileiro por aqui mas… de vez em quando aparece um hahahah
Alright, I’ve been on your boat before. I also did highschool in Brazil, but in a public school, in a rural city. You can imagine how that was, huh?
It’s tough for us for the reasons you’ve already mentioned; we don’t have AP classes like Americans do, we don’t have extracurricular activities, no clubs, no fancy “Valedictorians”/Varsity, just our grades. Unfortunately, in Brazil students are just numbers.
Anyways, rant over, onto your question.
As a preface, I can tell you that most colleges have admission officers who are specialized in particular regions of the world. Most, if not all, selective colleges have an A.O that knows the ins and outs of high school education in Latin America so they will be well aware of the struggles of “standing out”. In that respect, you won’t have too much to worry about.
I understand that it is almost impossible to get anything above a 90% in your “media”. You’re right. But… In the US grades are extremely important. Infinitely more important than in Brazil. The admission officer reviewing your profile will compare you to other Brazilian applicants to see where you stand. You won’t be put on the same bucket as American students, don’t worry.
Your class rank may help you. Encourage your teachers to write that in their recommendation letters. (Yes, you will need two of those. No escaping that 
)
One more thing. Money. Colleges here are veeeeeeerrry expensive. If you’re a low income student, you should look at colleges that meet full need for all applicants. As you can imagine, however, they are extremely difficult to get into for an international. Apply to every college that has this policy(or at least most of them.).
The fact that you know of the Subject Tests puts you ahead of a lot of other Brazilians, so I wish you luck on those and the SAT tomorrow.
Se quiser conversar em particular, me mande uma mensagem. Abracos.
American universities are familiar with Brazil’s education system, and your grades will be placed in context of Brazilian standards, and not American.
A bigger concern are your ECs - you’ve done a lot outside the classroom, but nothing in depth.
Your SATs will be important, so prepare well and take them over if necessary.
What can your family afford to spend on your education? Columbia University now costs more than $70,000 per year. Needing extensive financial aid will put you at a disadvantage.
What can your parents afford?
If 76% is top 10% make sure this is indicated somewhere.
Columbia is difficult for anyone to get into. Perhaps you should broaden your search a little bit and as others mentioned, you need to figure out what you can afford first as well. There are other unis you could look into.
Tenho saudades do Brasil e boa sorte para você
Sorry! I had forgotten my password! My dad is not financially involved in my life (by the way, how do I indicate that? I keep in touch with him, but he doesn’t pay alimony or my school… Or anything), but my mom can afford up to $30,000 per year. @MYOS1634 @AGoodFloridian @katliamom @Fishnlines29
What would “give depth” to my ECs? I was afraid of that because there aren’t many competitions and awards in Brazil. I think maybe only swimming competitions.
I will be applying to many other colleges besides Columbia, but I’ll probably apply ED for that!
Just one more thing: does having ADHD affect my application in anyway? I’m still in the diagnosis process.
Thank you all so much for your help! Principalmente os brasileiros! Amei vê-los por aqui!
you’ll need a certificate certifying that your dad is not involved in your life by either a principal or another official.
Since you’re involved in dancing, do you participate in public performances with an adult ballet, for instance? Do you teach dancing to disadvantaged children?
Yes, you will be able to attend an American college or university. Yes, admissions officers will be able to interpret your record within the context of other Brazilian students and will not do a 1:1 comparison with the US system. Many schools will require the TOEFL or IELTS to demonstrate English proficiency, so look into that. ECs matter most for top schools in the US and are rather less important for many public universities. I would focus effort into maintaining the highest possible grades and getting good results on your standardized tests. Try to keep your GPA above 80% if you can. Strong AP or SAT II scores will also confirm the rigor of your school.
Now the question is “which college?” Columbia University has a 6% admissions rate. I don’t know the rate for international students but it may be even lower. North American students with perfect grades, perfect test scores, and impressive extracurriculars get turned away. If you were admitted, it is also by no means certain that you will get the financial assistance that you will need to be able to attend. Have your mother complete the net price calculator to see what level of funding “might” be available.
If your main goal is college in the US and you are willing to look at less prestigious universities, including public universities and smaller liberal arts colleges, I believe you would be able to find places that would admit you and might offer scholarship money. I know a Brazilian who attended a regional public university in the US south and received a scholarship. Most people probably have never heard of it, but she had a great experience and secured a good job upon graduation.
Once you have test score results, I would come back here and ask for help to build a balanced list of schools where you have a reasonable chance of being admitted and that are generous with aid for international students. Relatively few schools that promise to meet full need for international students and many of them are very competitive with respect to admissions. If you are female, women’s colleges might be worth a look. Mount Holyoke, for example, has a substantial international student body.
I also recommend a back up plan in Brazil. Study for your vestibular and apply to some of the federal universities so you have options. Boa sorte!
@MYOS1634 Hi! Do you know if that certificate should be inserted in the financial aid application or something else?
I used to preform every year in the theater for ballet, tap dance and jazz/contemporary, but I stopped a few years ago because of the time demand. Since extracurriculars aren’t given any attention in Brasil (at least by colleges and schools), it ends up being very time consuming and even parents ask you to quit. My drama classes were cut short because there were few students :(. I think the only thing I can do is a swimming competition, if any takes place on a day I don’t have any tests (saturday mornings are test days). I shouldn’t exactly talk about my last public/theater dancing preformance, should I?
Thank you!
@mamaedefamilia Thank you so much! I actually took the SATs to “test” it, I’m going to take it for real in June. And the Subject tests, probably in October, because my school year will be ending, and since it’s Senior Year, it will be a huge review of high school subjects.
In Brasil, I have my eyes on UFBA (I’m from Salvador!), USP, UNB, UFMG (law).
Any writing competitions? Anything you can start on your own and do on weekends on during school (Look for a gap, a need, and fill it? …does your church have a daycare? if not, create one… Does your school sell fruit during the day’s breaks? If not, start a small cooperative…?) What about charity work perhaps?
But most important of all is standardized testing.