<p>I am a recent immigrant, i just moved here 4 years ago. My Academic GPA is 3.88 and my 10-12 GPA is 3.91. I am in top 9%. My SAT score is 1360 ( because English was so hard ) i am planning to retake it this SAT. I am applying to UCI, UCR, UCSB,UCSC. I have done variety of community service like:
Altar service: 2 hours/ week for 52 weeks throughout my high school years.
Vietnamese Catholic Group: 3/week for 52 weeks in my sophomore
Vietnamese Youth MInistry : 5/week for 3 years in high school
Here is my personal statement: My name is Minhquan, a teenager who is about to finish up high school and is excited about college and what it has to offer. Although my parents did not have a chance to go to college because of war time conditions, they always set a good example by being hard working because they did not want us to struggle like they did. Through their sacrifices they passed on a passion for learning and overcoming obstacles in life. Growing up in Vietnam, I always study hard in math, science, and history. But unfortunately I did not get many opportunities to learn and practice my English. Therefore, when I immigrated to America four years ago, a country of great opportunities and freedom, the English language became my daily challenges. Every day I went to school without understanding what the teachers were saying. I had a hard time studying for tests because textbooks made little sense. Just as I was about to give up, I met other students, who had been going through the same experience. The struggles of being an immigrant student brought us together and they became the support I needed to overcome my struggles with school work and initial language barrier. Their friendship got me involved with the Vietnamese Youth Adult Ministry, a group of people committed to serving people during mass, people that are homeless in the Garden Grove community. By taking up this opportunity, I have gained astonishing experiences that have opened my eyes to the needs of the city I live and created a passion for service. My new friends in the group shared their immigrant experiences with me and taught me what it takes to be successful in this country through their examples. Some of the people I know were once like me, but now they are very successful in life. They inspired me by showing me how a strong will can lead to many accomplishments. Because of them, I realized that my dream is to get into a good college. I believe a college education, the bachelor degree is the key to open the doors of success and stability. "Why didn't I prepare for colleges earlier?" I sometimes ask myself, feeling regretful because I did not know what AP classes and honor classes were until my junior year. I wish I could have known and done better. However, I firmly place the confidence in myself that I would be a great student who strives to excel and expand the knowledge gained not just to my major and career, but to my everyday life. As a first generation to go to a college, I will immerse myself in as many opportunities and resources as possible, hopes of making my parents' hard work pay off. With the help of college, I will be successful not only in life but also as a good example for the newer generations to come.
Please tell me my chance</p>