<p>Hey everyone. I think I'm an unusual case for college admissions; I'm spending my entire senior year living in the city of Wroclaw, Poland through Rotary Youth Exchange. My classes are all in Polish, so I understand absolutely none of it, but the credits count and I'm getting a much better education than high school could ever give me by living with a host family in another country.</p>
<p>I'd be applying as an English/Russian lit major</p>
<p>Hook(s): My grandma was in the class of '42 and my brother was in the class of '09 and of course I'm spending my senior year here in Wroclaw.</p>
<p>GPA - 3.6 UW (I'll elaborate later)
SAT: 710 CR, 770 W, 660 M
2140 total.
SAT 2: 750 Literature 800 World History</p>
<p>Classes: My freshman year, I did not care about school at all. I got a big fat F in algebra 2 first semester. The class average was a D in a class of juniors, seniors, and me. It's so frustrating to me now that I was such a slacker last year. My junior year, however, I had a 4.0.</p>
<p>We don't have honors courses, just 'accelerated'.</p>
<p>Freshman year - 3 accelerated
Sophomore year - 2 accelerated, 1 AP (world history)
Junior year - 2 accelerated, 1 AP, and audited 1 college course at Gettysburg College
Senior year - don't even know my schedule yet since it will all be in Poland (and Polish)</p>
<p>Extracurricular:
-Rotary International exchange to Poland for my senior year. It would be Russia except their exchange program is pretty lackluster so Poland is close enough
-Principal cellist of school orchestra - 4 years
-Principal cellist of school string ensemble - smaller group that does mostly chamber music. We play shows around the community mostly for community service; last year we on a playing tour of Southern Germany and Austria for a week - 2 years
-School string quartet - co-founder, 1 year, this is the first year we've had it
-Chess club/team - one year
-Amnesty International (which is combined with Gay Straight Alliance) - 1 year
-Volunteer on local judicial race - 2 years. I worked on both the primary and the general election
-Boy Scouts of America - 3 years. I reached the rank of Star Scout and was a patrol leader
-Volunteer summers at an arts festival in my town</p>
<p>Over the summer last year and this year I worked on an apple orchard thinning out the apples that weren't up to standard. Also, between my fresh and soph years and soph and junior years I went to the International Music Institute and Festival (a music camp at Mt. St. Mary's University).</p>
<p>I would be in Chess club, Amnesty, and string quartet for more than one year, but I'll be out of the country all next year so obviously that can't happen.</p>
<p>Recs - I think they will be very good. They're from AP teachers whose classes I did well in and I have strong relationships with them.</p>
<p>Essay - I think I'm a pretty good writer, and my English teacher lauded over my essay when I showed it to her, but she loves anything I write so I don't know if I can trust her haha. My essay is about the inequalities I witnessed being a white worker surrounded by Mexican immigrants in the apple orchards. Then that led me to work harder, etc. etc. It's not that personally revealing but it's well written which is I think more important.</p>
<p>Awards: I don't know if this counts for anything, but sophomore year I won a Scholastic Gold KEY for a short story that I submitted.</p>
<p>Less important than Vassar but still on my list: NYU (CAS), Wesleyan, Haverford, and Fordham</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>