Could someone advice pls: British student applying to American Universities

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>So, hello everyone,</p>

<p>We live in the UK, so the American system is very baffling for us.</p>

<p>Our daughter is keen to apply for the US unis as the broad-based curriculum appeals to her and suits her.</p>

<p>I am wondering if someone could help us a little and give us some advice. I keep reading about the millions and millions of activities and clubs and AP programmes that American students do, and I don't know if that is possible here in the UK. So, in brief, my daughter's resume is as follows:</p>

<p>Done GCSE (all scores over 93% aggregate)
Sitting SATs in Jan 2013 for Nov 2014 application (EA possibly)
At a specialist music school where it is reduced academic curriculum (practice and musical activities for up to 4-5 hours a day) but she has excelled in academics throughout and taken the most advanced courses available.
Violin and Piano at v. high level (started violin only 6 years ago but successfully got into a leading specialist music school three years later). National orchestras and numerous solo recitals, and concertos, and chamber groups that she is leading/has led.
Dynamic and has been awarded best all-rounder student at school and academic awards.
Summer online course in area of interest with US university (grade 96%)
Set up work experience in University research labs and planning to do independent research project at the lab next year.
Rowing club member and trains every week
Teaching violin to neighbour's young kids
One of very few students selected to represent UK at an international charitable musical venture and fund-raising for it through concerts etc.
Set up independent French exchange outside school over summer
National Maths Challenge Gold and Silver medals</p>

<p>Well, could someone perhaps advice on what you think she needs to do more to apply for an Ivy League like Columbia? Where are the gaps? </p>

<p>Thank you so much!</p>

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<p>Everything you list looks super from a US pont of view. A couple of small / practical points: </p>

<p>SAT: be sure to do some practice in advance; also, try the ACT- some students do noticeably better on one format than the other</p>

<p>SATIIs: she should be able for Some SAT II subject tests- some good scores (in the strong 700s) would stand to her.</p>

<p>Finances: assuming that you have done the math and worked out what 4 years of Columbia will cost, but in case finances are a consideration, be aware that not only do US colleges vary a lot in cost, but also in support. It takes a lot of research, but there is lots of info, on CC and on the uni websites.</p>

<p>Acceptance rates: she sounds super, but all of the Ivies could fill their classes several times over with super students, so be realistic: if her heart is set on the US you should also apply to some of the other very strong colleges around. </p>

<p>One more thing- there are a lot of places that will try to sell you advice on getting in to the Ivies, but everything you need to know is available online- there really aren’t any ‘secrets’. You will probably be warned to watch out for being too modest or understated in the essays, but the top universities will be used to students who are full of themselves, and will account for it. Evidence of maturity of thought goes farther with them than boasting :-)</p>

<p>Any more specific questions, just ask- and you might join some of the relevant forums - there are some unbearably insufferable people on the forums, but there are many more people who are genuinely looking to be mutually supportive through a process that is grueling on either side of the Atlantic!</p>

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<p>Thank you! This is really very helpful. She has started some work on SATs whenever she can fit it in, although it would be really very difficult once school starts again next week as she is doing an extra course than what is allowed at school, so her timetable is jam-packed. And, she has several music concerts and a music competition coming up. So, not sure how much she will be able to manage, but I am aiming to try and help her as much as I can.
I only found out about ACT yesterday and actually thought that it might suit her better, so we will see what her score is in Jan SAT and perhaps she will take ACT after then. The first SAT is for experience more than anything else, although if she gets a decent score, it would be a bonus!
And, yes, she will be aiming to do couple of SAT subject tests later next year. Not sure which two yet.
She is incredibly modest and does play down her achievements a lot, although she does come across as confident and self-assured to others. She always thinks that whatever she has achieved is nothing special so will be a challenge for her to write about it, but she is a good writer and mature, so fingers crossed.
We did wonder about what the best time would be for her to start applying, and whether US universities would be looking more positively at candidates who have finished their A-levels or whether she could start applying next year (Nov 2014).
No one from her school has gone to an Ivy League or any other US University (although a few to music conservatoires but I gather that it is a different process) so there is no awareness or counsellor to provide any advice or support. Concerned about how the recommendations would pan out, because they are used to writing the more generic ones for Universities here in the UK.
Thanks again for all your help!</p>

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<p>One of the great things about the recommendations in the US is that you can have more than one. The school will have to write one, and (depending on your school and your relationship with the person who writes recommendations) your daughter can help the school counselor with the rec, by providing them with a bullet point list of the things that she is highlighting in her application and giving <em>specific</em> examples that the person can use in the rec. </p>

<p>Typically, US students submit 3 recs- the school, and 2 teachers (for competitive colleges, at least one should be from a rigorous academic class); if there is another person who knows her well (music teacher, conductor, coach, etc.) a fourth is ok. In my daughter’s (US) school the teachers ask the students to put together some background material, including listing the college(s) that they are applying to, what they are looking for from their college experience, what they think they took away from that teacher’s class, and some specific examples of work that they did in that class (whether in discussion / test / essay /etc) that speaks to the kind of student they are. Something like that might be helpful for the teachers your daughter approaches to write her recommendations. </p>

<p>As for applying, as you have probably heard, applying ED is usually seen as helping your odds, but the quid pro quo is that you can only apply ED to one university - and if you get in you have to go. So, your daughter would want to be pretty sure that she wants to go that college. I am going out on a limb and guess that if you are comfortable with US college fees, swinging a trip to the US to visit some colleges is not impossible- and I would strongly recommend that, esp if your D has no direct experience. Columbia, for example, tends to elicit pretty strong reactions. I know a number of people who really wanted to go there- until they visited it; equally I know at least 2 who were dragged there and fell in love and are delighted to be there. </p>

<p>Remember that A levels are essentially Year 13, while the US students stop at Year 12, so GSCEs / AS scores should generally be fine. </p>

<p>Obviously, there will be questions to the colleges, and here your daughter really needs to take the lead- US colleges do not like to see parents taking the lead in the college process (though the ones that have had children that age know perfectly well that a lot of nagging and facilitating goes on to get them through this marathon!). </p>

<p>The US has a lot of colleges- more than 2000, of which about 10% are considered to be very competitive (Columbia had more than 33,000 applications and gave about 2300 offers). Admissions people in the US emphasize looking for a good fit, not just a good name, but that is harder when you are starting from a low base of information! A website that has some useful, and better-than-average profiles is uni (go) (I put the ‘go’ in parentheses, b/c CC always stars it out when I put it in as one word). They would like to sell you services, but you can read all the college profiles free just by registering (they don’t spam). Also, this page has links to several sites that purport to help you create a shortlist of colleges: <a href=“You searched for [/url] - InLikeMe.com”>You searched for </a></p&gt - InLikeMe.com;

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<p>I agree with what’s being said. Except I think the number of colleges and unis in the USA is 3,000.</p>

<p>If your daughter is sitting A-levels, then I really don’t think she needs SATIIS or AP tests. The A-levels will substitute. Any Ivy League school, like Columbia, will CERTAINLY have admissions personnel who understand foreign academic qualifications.</p>

<p>All of the stuff you mentioned in the first post helps to make her look “well-rounded”. Think about if there is anything else, any other volunteering, or paid work, or religious activities, or clubs, or anything. Be sure to put ALL of that on your applications, etc.</p>

<p>But I think you are really on track!</p>

<p>KEVP</p>

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<p>Split the difference in your favor, Real- Wikipedia says 2774 4-yr colleges :-)</p>

<p>Agree that if she has her A levels nothing else would be necessary, but she wants to apply w/ GCSEs /AS and go into uni before sitting A2s. But- agree that they should check in with the specific unis once they have a list.</p>

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<p>She won’t need APs but she WILL need SATIIs. </p>

<p>From Harvard:
“Applicants must submit the results of the SAT or ACT (with writing) and two SAT Subject Tests even if they are submitting the results of their school leaving exams.”</p>

<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: International Testing Requirements](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/tests.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/tests.html)</p>

<p>MIT:
"International students - or domestic students who do not speak English natively - have two options for testing. We have no preference between these options. It is your choice, and you should take the set of tests with which you feel the most comfortable:</p>

<p>Option 1: The SAT or the ACT, as well as two SAT Subject Tests: one in math (level 1 or 2), and one in science (physics, chemistry, or biology e/m).
Option 2: The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) as well as two SAT Subject Tests: one in math (level 1 or 2) and one in science (physics, chemistry, or biology e/m). This option is especially recommended for students who do not speak English at home or in school, or who have been speaking English for fewer than five years.</p>

<p>All students must meet the testing requirements. You may not substitute other exams (such as IB, A Levels, etc.) for the above testing requirements."
<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/apply/international/intltests[/url]”>http://mitadmissions.org/apply/international/intltests&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>and most other top schools require them, even for internationals.</p>

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<p>Very helpful again. I am starting to get a better picture and have been following up on all leads and links, so thank you again. Visiting would be problematic financially, I think, but we might try and plan something for next summer, just before she starts applying. </p>

<p>Not sure what other volunteering or paid work she could do. She has a lot on already with music, academics, rowing and doesn’t even get much time to even pursue much reading these days which is really one of her major passions. If anyone has any suggestions on what kind of other volunteering activities she could do, they’d be most welcome.</p>

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<p>Actually, I don’t think that Real was suggesting adding new ones in- at this stage more is not necessarily better for activities / volunteering: showing depth / growth is better, according to the many admissions people that I have been listening to for the last four years. I think he may have been suggesting that you not leave anything out. However, to me, she has enough variety now, and showcasing her commitment / achievements will be more impressive. But- this is also the plus/ minus of forums- there are differences of opinions :-)</p>

<p>In the ‘none of my business’ category, if finances make a trip from the UK to NY difficult, I hope that you have sorted out the part about paying for the college. If you are hoping for financial aid, you will want to select the colleges very carefully. For example, Columbia says that it will meet 100% of your ‘demonstrated financial need’- but there are a lot of catches, including the probability that a good portion of that will be met through loans. Also, their admissions are only ‘need-blind’ if your daughter is a US citizen; otherwise they will consider the fact that she will need financial aid when considering whether to offer her a place. There are a few colleges that are need-blind no matter where you are from (Harvard comes to mind), but not many. If you think the US college system is baffling, the financial aid thicket is bewildering- and exhausting.</p>