<p>Hey guys,
I moved to the US about 3 years ago from Iran.i barely knew any English when I came here. I faced a lot of challenges that came with my limited language ability but have managed to get a 4.0 unweighted gpa and a 4.3 weighted gpa. I was a second semester freshman when I moved here. I took the sat in junior year and got 2160 on it, CR 670, W 690, M 800. I retook it as a senior this year and surprisingly got 2310, CR 780, W 760, M 770. So if I super score, I'll have 2340. For EC, I have volunteered at the ucla Ronald Reagan medical center for 150 hrs. Also, I was in soccer for two years. I also have an abstract research in ucla. My essay will basically be about how challenging it was for me to get to where I am now in three years. I have taken Ap chem, Ap stats, and Ap comp sci and have received 5, 4, and 4 on the ap tests. This year, as a senior, I am taking ap Econ, ap bio, ap physics C, ap calc Bc. I only have two years of Spanish because English is already my second language. So that about sums it up guys. Plz chance me for Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, ucla, and berkley. Thanks so much</p>
<p>Would be nice to know more about your class rank, and what your major is, to see if the research is relevant.</p>
<p>You’re pretty much guaranteed in UCLA and Berkeley, and you’re competitive for Columbia.</p>
<p>Where are you applying EA to?</p>
<p>Also, your essay topic is a little bit cliche. I understand what a challenge it was, but remember, you are an international student and you are competing with other international students. Many of these students have a VERY similar story as you, so try to think of another topic that really makes you stand out.</p>
<p>I will be majoring in either Biology or Biochemistry and I worked in an anesthesiology lab on an abstract. I am not applying early anywhere since my senior year gpa will be my highest and will bring me up. I don’t think I’m considered an International student because I have taken four years of college prep English and now have a green card. Don’t most of international students apply from outside the US, where the challenges I faced here in the US would be nonexistent?</p>
<p>And also, we don’t have class rank in my school.</p>
<p>You did not mention that you had a Green Card; and yeah, you’re right, with it you’re not an international student.</p>
<p>“Don’t most of international students apply from outside the US, where the challenges I faced here in the US would be nonexistent?”
Nope. In fact, they face more difficult challenges than you. So please DO NOT say something like that. There are many domestic international applicants who share a very similar story with you. I can name at least 3 Korean and Japanese students who came here at 11th grade, not knowing much English, but still academically triumphed (2340, 2390, and 2250). You should tell a story that shows your passion, not just reiterate an immigration story.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.c2educate.com/blog/top-5-college-application-essay-cliches/[/url]”>http://www.c2educate.com/blog/top-5-college-application-essay-cliches/</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/797156-does-typical-cliche-asian-american-immigrant-essay-work-elite-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/797156-does-typical-cliche-asian-american-immigrant-essay-work-elite-schools.html</a></p>
<p>The whole “coming to America not knowing the language, but still academically triumphed” is a surprisingly common story among immigrant applicants. You’re story is really not that unique.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right. Just coming to America not knowing the language but academically successful is probably not unique. I just meant that people who apply to colleges in America from their countries have not faced that particular challenge. Sorry for the confusion I caused there. But my essay is not just a reiteration of immigration and academics is not the only thing I talked about in my essay. I talked about how I changed as a person in different aspects of life, not just academics.</p>
<p>And here’s another thing: the college counselor of my high school with 700 senior students who has been helping students and reading their essays for years and my English teacher who’s done the same both told me that my story is unique. So although there are many students who immigrate, their immigration story can be different, depending on the individual.</p>
<p>Haha sorry I forgot to say this as well. The school college counselor is one of the people who read personal statements for UCLA, where so many people, immigrant and non immigrant, apply. So all these reasons lead me to believe my college essay is good.</p>
<p>You’re in at UCLA and Berkeley but on the fence for the rest. Your SAT scores are slightly above average, for instance, at Columbia and Princeton. Your research abstract is also helpful, but by no means guarantees admission at those schools. People with almost identical exact profile have been rejected by these schools in previous posts.</p>
<p>However, you definitely have a chance so apply!</p>
<p>Klouie10133 although I agree with you on some of your ideas, I do not think it is possible for a person to learn an entirely new language in one year or less and do so well (2390??) on the sat. I came from Iran, where there are no English schools that teach you English. But in Japan and Korea, I’m sure there are more opportunities available to learn English. So I think I’m somewhat unique in that aspect.</p>
<p>^Not possible? Please Areegh, do not judge these people you do not know that I know so well. This person could not speak English at all when she first came here. In six months, she brought her 72 in AP English Lit to a 94, and scored 790 and 800 on CR and W, respectively. So yes, it is very possible with hard work. Maybe she was just smarter than you. And she came from rural parts of South Korea, not Seoul, where there probably as much opportunities (maybe a little more) as Iran to learn English. If you really want to prove me wrong (I’m not insulting you), email me at klouie10133@ gmail. com with your essay. I just want to look at it.</p>
<p>Do you have a more comprehensive list of EC’s? Show us the ones you have on your common app. Without it, it’s really not possible to chance for Stanford.</p>
<p>Thank you klouie10133 for all your opinions. I respect them all and appreciate your expressing them. I just don’t necessarily agree with them. And I am not trying to argue at all, but you keep assuming that I haven’t been through challenges your friends have been through. You just keep comparing your friends to me, which is not the purpose of this conversation. It’s just that I trust a college counselor with years of experience more than I trust you. And I am not trying to be mean or to insult you or prove you wrong. Thanks again</p>
<p>Can you provide us with a more comprehensive list of EC’s? The one you listed is really not enough to go off of to chance for schools like HYPSM. Also, will you be applying EA to Stanford?</p>