<p>I am an international student who hails from Saudi Arabia. Maybe some of you know that the education in Saudi Arabia is not like that of United Sates, so I am really encountering some difficulties in standing out in my application, but not to mention that I am one of the best ten junior students in my country. </p>
<p>Stats:
9th grade: 100%
10th grade: 99.6%
11th grade: 100%
(I don't know how I can put that in a "GPA" form) </p>
<p>Standardized tests:
SAT I: 400 Reading. 460 Math. 490 Writing. (An extremely bad grade, but that was my first time. And I will be retaking it in October and December)
SAT II: Math I 720 Physics 760
ACT: Composite 32</p>
<p>ECs:
- I have been an Islamic sciences student for 10 years, reached the highest level of the course, which is an introduction to Islamic philosophy. And now I am taking advanced courses in Islamic philosophy. Also, I have been associated with teaching kids Islamic sciences for 3 years.
- Political activism and cultural criticism. I participate in well-known magazines and newspapers, and a member of several youth organization in my country.
- The leader of our school's soccer team. Also, I am a professional player in my country. Played in different leagues and cups. </p>
<p>But one thing to add; ECs do not really exist in most of Middle Eastern countries, so this is scaring me a little bit. I am afraid that my ECs will lead to a distraction and my application won't seem that interesting. </p>
<p>"Top-notch" colleges I am planning to apply to; </p>
<p>Duke (Early decision)
Brown (The only reason why I am applying is Ruth Simmons and Providence, to be honest)
Haverford
Bowdoin
Davidson
Northeastern</p>
<p>Your ECs are exceptional if indeed you are a pro level soccer player. On ECs it is the quality of the engagement not the quantity of ECs that matters, so doing a few things intensively is the objective. And if your ACT is 32, that is already very strong - you don’t need to take the SAT again. Most schools will accept either one. And your grades are obviously top notch too.</p>
<p>I think the only real question is whether you want to add a few more schools to your list. Also, some clarification: You have an unusual mix of schools on this list. Some LACs some universities. Some conservative, some very liberal. Some preppy schools, some not. Is there a rationale behind the choice?</p>
<p>It’s obviously because of the location. I was leaning for Wesleyan and Vassar at the beginning, but people told me that their towns are desolate and “uninhabitable”. Anyway, this is not my final list. I have to add some matches and safeties, And to be honest, I am more into LACs, but the options are very limited.</p>
<p>Not so obvious based on this list. Bowdoin and Davidson are both preppy LACs in small college towns. Haverford in a suburb, Brown and Northeastern are urban. Vassar is urban. The only think they have in common is that they are on the east coast.</p>
Nowhere close to this for either place. Your sources are very misinformed.</p>
<p>Suggestion: if you are wondering about a school’s location, ask about it in the school’s CC forum. The information you get there, while not perfect, would be far better than what you appear to be getting now.</p>
<p>Is the admission guaranteed if a coach was fond of me? </p>
<p>And about the location, Princeton Review and people of Vassar on CC didn’t really like the town, and I heard that most of Vassar students felt disconnected from the town. And Middletown suffers from the same fate apparently, I have heard some students saying that it is “lost in the middle of nowhere”. </p>
<p>Anyway, what really matters to me is how strong the philosophy department of a college is. I am willing to major in philosophy (and another major, so I could play safe when I enter the law school), and all I care about is being able to interpret Kant’s books and Plato’s, to distinguish between different philosophical schools and being able to write a well-structured book after graduation.</p>
No. A coach, if he thinks you can help the team, can put in a good word for you. The admissions committee will consider it among other factors. That’s about all. </p>
<p>If you really are getting paid to play that could affect you NCAA eligibility. You would need to talk to a coach about that, too.</p>
<p>
“Disconnected from the town” is well-short of “desolate and uninhabitable”. Many schools in many places, large and small, often feel like isolated islands to their students. Usually there are ways to mitigate this if a student wants to, for example by participating in community outreach, but oftentimes their studies and their limited time in town keeps a student from trying too hard. And I know Wesleyan gets its share of big-city students who find smaller cities like Middletown hard to adjust to, but many schools in the U.S. have this problem including some of the Ivies.</p>
<p>
Most schools you have mentioned have fine philosophy departments with faculty who can familiarize you with Ancient, Modern, and Contemporary philosophy. Here is a recommendation about undergraduate study in philosophy from the Philosophical Gourment site. [The</a> Philosophical Gourmet Report 2009 :: Undergraduate Study](<a href=“http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/undergrad.asp]The”>http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/undergrad.asp)</p>