<p>I'm not a native American, and so the application process and some of the questions are alien to me. I don't know what honors are, I don't get the recommendations part of the CommonApp (Is it sent online by my teachers and principal?), and I find it hard to formulate my activities like you guys do because, well, my school doesn't really organize any.</p>
<p>I have a lot of interests, and, not to brag, am proud of my performances in them. However, I practice outside school, and it doesn't have anything to do with it.</p>
<p>For honors, I always get the top grades, usually rank 1st or 2nd on my class. What is that called ? Do I just make up a name for an honor and explain what I mean by it ?</p>
<p>I'm so confused right now. I really need help. Thank you so much.</p>
<p>Things that occupy your time outside of school, whether or not they are part of an organization, are appropriate to include in the activities section. These can even include hobbies, responsibilities, interests, etc. It is quite common for international applicants to have few entries in this section because schools don’t many clubs or activities.</p>
<p>Honors are meant to include awards bestowed upon you by the school, a contest or tournament, or some other third party. Simply having the best grade in a class is generally not an honor unless your school recognizes it and gives you a certificate or awards the honor at a little ceremony, or in some similar way.</p>
<p>Recommendations are sent by your counselor (or principal) and teachers. You invite them by email through the common app, they create a recommender account in the common app website and they then fill out a form online. Most recommenders additionally write a recommendation in Word or another word processing program, print and sign it, scan it to pdf and upload it as an attachment to the common app form they submit for you. These items are not customized for the schools where you are applying. They are meant to be more generic statements about you.</p>
<p>Also, note that ‘native American’ is what we call our indigenous population and it is not a term you should use when referring generally to US citizens.</p>
<p>Oh I’m sorry about the native American thing. Hello there, US citizen !</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your response, although I still have some concepts to clear up.</p>
<p>So winning a chess tournament outside school is considered an honor ? Being a national champion is considered an honor ? Getting second place in a public speaking contest in school is an honor ? Would you care to elaborate more, by giving examples …</p>
<p>Recommendations, however, are setting a real problem to me. My first language is not English, nor is my second language. Also, my principal and teachers aren’t really that used to online applications and stuff. I’m afraid they won’t have the time or knowledge necessary for filling such a form.</p>
<p>I suggest this : I make each one of them an email, an account on Common App, print the form and ask them to fill it in my mother tongue. Then I can translate it officially and do the thing myself. </p>
<p>Otherwise, I don’t really know. Imagine you were applying to a Russian school. You can’t just go to the teachers and ask them to do something they’re not familiar with, neither regarding the process nor considering the language.</p>
<p>Thank you very much, again. I really appreciate the help.</p>