Hi, I am an international student from China, and really would like to know my chance for SFS, cuz it has been my dream school for a long time. In fact I do know that it should be a reach for me, but I would appreciate any advice or simple chancing me with American’s value.
I will be applying in early action.
Standardized tests:
-SAT 2090 (R650 M800 W640), still expecting Oct SAT score, expecting a 2200+. (As you may know, the SAT score from Chinese test takers, I am so ashamed to admit but, high unreliable. I have several competitors from the same school, and I know they bought answers for SAT, I just know cuz it’s so evident. But I can’t turn them in because I have no applicable evidence and CollegeBoard just does not care. )
-ACT 31 (English 30 Math 34 Reading 34 Science 35) I only prepared for my first ACT (this one) for a week, and will be taking one in October. And by the way will that still work with early action, or it will only do if I get deferred?
-TOEFL 116 (Reading 29 Listening 29 Speaking 28 Writing 30)
-SAT2 Math2 790 Physics 700 USH 690 I know it’s super super weak but that’s probably the best I could do under a special circumstance (which won’t be an excuse for such low scores, I know). Will be taking one in November.
-AP Micro&Macro Economics 5 Human Geography 4. Actually I taught myself AP courses, cuz I go to a regular Chinese high school, which offers no more than High School English class. Will that be different from the AP courses taken in US? Does the lack of class record influence the validity of score itself?
-School Grades: we don’t calculate GPA, but I got straight As and rank 1% of the class (approximately 1500 students)
Activities:
-Debate Club
Founder and president of school Debate Club, and did numerous promoting work for it, which can hardly be told in resume but can be done in essays. I basically lead the debate club from one without name to a competing team in Chinese league. (I am not bragging, not intending to give any sense of pomposity.) 10, 11, 12
Basically we do Public Forum Debate, because that’s the mostly offered form in Chinese English-based debate society.
Own Debate record and awards: I will ignore anything lower than a regional octo-finalist.
A Chinese Invitational octo-finalist (16 out of 300 groups)
Harvard Invitational Tournament International Division Runner-Up
Top Speaker, Third Place (among 800 speakers) at Chinese National Championship Tournament.
-Student Government
President of Publicizing Department, basically publicize, organize, and promote school activities.
-School Paper
Editor in Chief, 10, 11, 12
Editor in Chief for a student handbook for school, printed over 3000 copies. The handbook is also published, though I will never know the sales.
-Harvard Summer School
Chose a comparative politics class and got B+, and a writing class with a B.
Paid Work:
Normally Chinese high school students do not get paid works because there is no tradition of hiring high school students. (We get off school at 8 pm, and go to extra courses in weekend, no time for working)
But I worked for Formula One Shanghai Grand Prix as translator and hostess for team for 12 days. However, as I asked for three days leave from school (approved by principle after knowing the purpose,and actually he encouraged me to take the position), I wonder will this cast bad influence.
Volunteer:
Regular volunteer at city orphanage, 1.5-2 hours a week except for midterm, final weeks and those I had to travel for tests and debate tournaments. Awarded the best volunteer of the year by orphanage, but not competitive cuz few people could it consistantly.
Donated to charitable organizations by selling school publications. Held three auctions of school publications and souvenirs to raise money.
Physical Descriptions
Obviously, Asian, and I am a girl.
I was born and raised in a small city, although provincial capital. But my hometown rarely get connected to any international stuff, expect those from Russia. I am actually so nervous to apply for SFS because because I have almost no international background, which said to be loved by school like Georgetown. (Yes, it sounds like another story of a small town girl dreaming for a big wide world…) So I don’t have fancy experiences, and the education, which get me prepared for American college is little. And promoting things like debate in English is just so hard, imagine you are doing so with a Chinese based activity in a county, and that’s what it’s like. (No offense. Little towns in the states are just amazing)
And I was a first generation college student. But it seems like Georgetown does not look at this. They are, again, said to love students with highly education ambassador parents, which I definitely do not have. (BTW thank you mom and dad for working so hard to provide me money for college. )
Okay, that’s something about me. Thank you for reading all those stuff. Thank you for giving me any comment, even just a “stop daydreaming you will never get in”.