<p>Also, </p>
<p>While 45% of admited students to mid level Ivies may be Sal or Val, students HIGHLY overestimate the competency of other students in the US. There are many, many, many high schools in America, producing twice that number of Val’s and Sal’s. Many of these Val’s and Sal’s are simply a medium size fish at a teeny pond.</p>
<p>^ Then those people won’t be accepted. You’re not getting into an Ivy with a 3.7 1950 with no ECs even if you are the val/sal. I don’t think it’s the fact that they’re val/sal that makes them so attractive but rather that the val/sal kids have more knowledge/interest in college admissions and thus have more ECs, better recs and such, so the overall package is better.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>That was my whole point. The 5th placed person with the 2300 SAT, 800 Subject tests, and national awards are much more likely to get into HYP than the Val (we are going to assume that only 1 person at a school is nationally recognized).</p>
<p>@Sidfromaus: “You have to show them how you dealt with any problems successfully”
My transcripts reflect that. How else in the world would I have dealt with moving to my current school if not successfully? Im being forced (you dont “choose” here, its a fixed schedule for all the11th graders) to take</p>
<ul>
<li>Arabic (mind you at the Grade 11 level!! Im not walking into a foreign language class, im learning it with native tongue speakers…after spending 9 years abroad)</li>
</ul>
<p>-Islamic Studies (Also instructed in native Arabic)</p>
<p>-Social Studies (Also instructed in native Arabic…imagine trying to understand WWII in arabic after studying globalisation only the year before in Arabic!!!)</p>
<p>I think telling others not to whine may be easy for someone who faced relatively few/less problematic difficulties. If difficulties were not of consideration, why are lower income students with high performance records preffered over someone with very slightly less stats and higher income? Is it whining? They talk about it in essays dont they? They talk about how they don’t live with a parent or two, or how one or both of them has died, right? In my opinion, I think its good to show them that I am a high claibre student, I know I am, the people around me know I am, and my teachers know that I am. THats why, in addition to the 2 amazing teacher evaluations, Im asking the counselor to include photocopies of 2 rec letters from 2 of my gr 10 teachers (I thought about putting one in from gr9, but that might be a bit too old), very well written and clearly express my strength, drive, and passion.</p>
<p>@jasonInNy: There arent any awards like that here (PSAT score related awards,etc.), I really dont think its my fault. I did everything I can to the extent that I no longer have anything new to pursue. In fact, Im so frustrated at my school im thinking about Self-studying AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics since it interests me so much…after careful consideration of taking a intro to economics course at a large public uni…
I was told that im allowed to attend, but the government doesnt grant credit for this… sadly</p>
<p>i think ur way over ur head if u think that moving to a new school is a problematic difficulty. And i dont even know how you thing its of the same order as the passing away of one’s parents (i hope that was example). </p>
<p>Firstly, you yourself state that ur grades have been better since your move…so what I don’t understand is how even after being abroad for 9 years, ur year 9 and 10 grades werent good (if it WAS the language barrier in year 11 that u are so worried about). I just mean to point out the contradiction in ur statement.</p>
<p>Secondly, i am curious as to how u can even say i faced relatively few problematic difficulties? From just 2 of my best friends, one of them came from a small town in southern america to the US, worked for a year and learnt English at the same time to adapt to american culture and wrote about that in his essays. he didnt just stop high school, tell MIT and Harvard that he doesnt know english. Instead, he took the necessary actions to DEAL WITH IT. ANother has been hearing impaired his entire life, and he talked about how he looked at it as an advantage. How because of that disability, he was left to figure out most things on his own. You mate, are merely just another kid with problems, and by no means are they as significant as many other applicants from your area.</p>
<p>All I am asking is that you stop thinking of all this as ‘injustice’. Sometimes shiit like this is exactly what one needs to find themselves. All I am saying, and this is a suggestion, is that please don’t worry about being Val/Sal…just talk about what you have to offer…and don’t let all you have to offer be excuses. Don’t have your teachers explain why u arent Val…a simple line as “Konig is one of the smartest students I have taught, pity the school could not award him Valedictorian as he came in midway through high-school.” will be enough (still not very necessary)…just don’t over do it.
AND PLease don’t consider yourself having dealt with more pressure than other kids…coz thats just ignorant and stupid. Seriously bro, you would not portray yourself well in an interview with this kind of attitude.</p>
<p>It doesnt matter if you didnt top your class…SO WHAT? Talk about what you did do. And how that kind of quality will help you strive whereever u apply.</p>
<p>Speaking of that where are u applying to?</p>
<p>@Sidfromaus: if youre moving from country to country, I think it really is. YOU must be over your head if you dont think moving from one continent to another continent, with a different curriculum WONT affect my performance… Im doing grade 11-level Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Social all in native arabic (everything else is American curriculum). </p>
<p>Also, ANYONE knows that moving from (I attended grades 8 and below in a completely different province that considers 8th grade elementary, so I move TO my last year of junior high in a completely new place) JUNIOR HIGH to SENIOR HIGH is a big deal (I dont know if you have this system in the U.S.). In Alberta, Junior High is 7-9, senior High is 10-12. So I think I have the right to talk about that, dont you think? So its one move to the new province for grade 9, and then I had to move to senior high school, and then to a completely new country ( last time I was in school here was grade 2!!!).</p>
<p>2nd: I meant to show that I am a high achiever, its just the stress of a new environment is not helpful at all to my grades. I meant to show that I have the strength to assimilate myself to new environments with little to no impact on my performance, to show that I had to learn it the hardway (grade 9). </p>
<p>3rd: I also seem to have forgotten to tell you that my mother suffers from Chronic Hypertension, so she needs powerful meds everyday…limits her abilities to look after my younger siblings…definately limited by involvement outside of school. Dad doesnt come home from work until around 11 PM, sometimes whole 2-3 days if hes very busy at the hospital.</p>
<p>4th: I know, but I read so many peoples’ post about how much weight they place on this factor when you apply, I started thinking that its true. I dont know if it is or not.</p>
<p>Im planning to apply to UToronto, McGill, NYU-Stern, MIT*, Columbia,Stanford, UPenn-Wharton, Dartmouth, maybe Cornell+HYP if I felt really courageous come Common App time :D</p>
<p>well i m sorry to hear about your domestic troubles. They have obviously contributed to your development and strong character.
Nonetheless, I would still bet on the fact that if you depict moving from country to country as a negative impact on your education and try to make an excuse for it, it will not bode well for your essay. Mate, i dont care what you write, to be honest, because its not going to affect me. I am trying to stop you from making a mistake many people make. Don’t try to cover up something. Try to tell them that yes its affected my studies, but it has also helped me develop various life skills…
Also, I am NOT from the US. I am an international student who has believe it or not, moved from continent to continent, and learned in different languages so I do know where you are coming from. I have studied in Asia, Middle East and Australia, each of which had classes taught in somewhat differnet languages. But i guess my grades were never affected by it.
I dont want to argue about it anymore, but I strongly advise u against emphasising reasonS why your high school was hard. Instead, focus on how you overcame certain difficulties. In the end mate, its ur life, and I am honestly trying to help you. I know i came across as very aggressive, but I am just sick of students thinking they have to provide a reason for flaws in their application. </p>
<p>Showing ur strengths > justifying ur flaws - thats my main message and if it adds any weight, a few of my friends here also agree with my and they all happen to be students at colleges in ur list. I think I have done somewhat well with the application system despite being an international student, so I stubbornly feel i am right.</p>
<p>let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise good luck.
Also, MIT and Stanford are going to be just as hard as HYP for an international, so i would apply to all of them.</p>
<p>Truce 
? haha</p>
<p>What about UToronto, McGill? any clue?</p>