<p>I’ve been reading up on what students say AU like to see in their applicants, and I read amongst many things that they really put an emphasis on community service and knowing a foreign language. Is this true?</p>
<p>If so, I lived in France practically all my life (not applying international), and therefore speak fluent french (better than english actually, and considered my first language), and I have approximately 48 hours of community work with the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity (combined).</p>
<p>Would they be impressed/interested in this?</p>
<p>(I of course know that they don’t only look at this, but I was curious about these two matters in particular)</p>
<p>These kinds of attributes round out your image for the admissions committee, but they do not have nearly the importance of your curriculum, grades and test scores, or even your essays and letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>What you need to do is find an interesting way of "packaging "
yourself in your application so that this information is part of the picture they form of you.</p>
<p>Well i’m not sure if I have packaged all this info well yet.</p>
<p>Do you think that with a mix of my essay (which speaks of experience with french protests while living in France), strong letter of recommendations from AP Psychology teacher I had last year, and previous Honors English and current Honors World Cultures and Humanities teacher this year, a good Counselor Statement explaining my very low cumulative GPA (2.91), a 1900 on SAT I, 800 on SAT II French (I want to major in french), and SAT II Literature 640, and all AP and Honors classes, and added to this, work experience, a few club activities, photography and music ECs, and around 40/50 community work hours, through all this do you think that American University might think i’m a good fit?</p>
<p>It’s just that as I said, i’ve read that they like these two things a lot, just like most everyone in NC (where I live) knows that Unc Chapel Hill really look at volunteer work a lot for example. So i’m wondering if I “fit in” what they look for.</p>
<p>Nina2332 - my son is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill and he was accepted (out of state) without any volunteer work. So, while UNC may like volunteer work, it is not a deal breaker. (He did have a very high GPA and SAT score.)</p>
<p>Interesting! I just know a few kids at my school (as I stated, in state), who weren’t accepted, and most of them said it was because they didn’t have any community service hours (they all had high GPA and scores).
Your son must have really stood out! He’s so lucky, OOS is tough, heck In State is tough.</p>
<p>The databook suggests they admit ~3% of applicants with a GPA under 3.0. They don’t distinguish between weighted and unweighted, it’s called “school reported” and I think it’s usually weighted unless the school doesn’t report weighted.</p>
<p>The best you can hope for is that the other credentials you provide will make you one of the 3%.</p>
<p>Nina,
it seems as if your test scores are in line with your grades. Do you having a rising trend in your grades? Also, if you are already fluent in French, I worry it could come across as you seeking an "easy " major …just random musings on my part because I don’t really know how adcoms think.</p>
<p>I do indeed have a huge rising trend in my scores. My Junior year GPA is 4.1 weighted, and basically all As and Bs. Which is a drastic, incredible increase from my 10th grade in France. And it’s not because I was taking easy classes, being that I wasn’t, other than perhaps Marketing.</p>
<p>Well I hope they wouldn’t think that, academically they could likely see that I’m interested in French studies being that I took the AP exam and SAT Subject test. I’m just really passionate about the language and culture.</p>
<p>hi nina~ YES! AU loves volunteerism and languages! it has an extremely strong international flavor. my d went to AU not only for its amazing DC location, but its emphasis on international studies . she is accepted and on her way now to grad school, where else, abroad!</p>
<p>Nina, the deal is that just about all colleges and universities that like those things, including AU, like them in students who can show that they have the academic chops for the institution. With good grades in your junior year and a strong counselor letter explaining the circumstances behind your not-totally-impressive GPA, you might be able to convince them that you’re one of the 3% of sub-3.0 applicants who do have the chops. But you need to make your top priority convincing AU that you’re an *academic *fit, and then worry about showing them that you’re also the kind of person they like to have.</p>
<p>I perfectly understand and I agree with that, I hope I have shown them that I am an academic fit, because I know for a fact that I am. I am such a motivated student, and I know I can accomplish so much academically. I just had two very bad years, that have significantly hurt my chances, I know. I just don’t see what else I can do to show them I’m a good fit.</p>
<p>In that case, if you’ve cleared the academic bar (which I think is entirely possible), then I think you will show them that you’re the kind of person they like if you tell them what you’ve told us.</p>
<p>The other thing that you just can’t underrate when you’re applying to American is demonstrated interest. Show them the love. In many ways. Visit if you can, and register at the admissions office. Do those online chats for prospective students. Let them know that you’re serious about them.</p>
<p>Thank you! I’ve talked with the admissions rep of my region through email, telling her about how I wasn’t able to meet (meeting town was way too far from me), but I told her I had several questions, she was extremely nice and answered all my questions, I feel like I really showed her how profoundly interested I am in AU, so I hope that was a good thing. I can’t visit because it’s so far away from me, so I guess I’ve done all that I can! I will try to do any online chat that I’m made aware of as well!</p>
<p>hey nina~ stop questioning yourself, and allowing yourself to be critiqued! your spirit and determination are what will carry you, not only to AU, but for your life’s passages.</p>
<p>Hey nina~ there’s also a thing that AU has just started called Test Optional which means that you don’t send in your standardized tests so that the thing they look at most is your community service hours and work and your essay…people recommended this to me and I AK planning on applying this way next fall. I think it could be good for you too because your test scores and gpa aren’t too high but you have a strong extra curricular application</p>