Does internation experience help for college applications? & What are my chances?

<p>I have lived abroad for 4 years before moving back to the US. I currently attend an International Baccalaureate school in the US. The school is exceptionally demanding and I will be completing a full IB diploma here. I was wondering whether my international experience could help me in my college applications. I am also actively involved in Model UN, and have attended 5 major conferences, including 2 outside the US. I will also be doing an internship at a top university outside the US over the summer. I also will be spending 1 week doing work for a non-profit organization in India. Will my international connection combined with a decent resume be enough to get me into a top 10 school?</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9 unweighted</p>

<p>SATI: 2250
Writing: 750
Math: 800
Reading:700</p>

<p>ACT: 34</p>

<p>SATII: Havent taken yet.</p>

<p>IB Diploma - all courses are taught at this school are taught at the Higher level. I will test for 3 HLs and 3 Standard Levels. </p>

<p>Testing:
Math HL
Physics HL
History HL</p>

<p>Learned:
English HL
Spanish SL
Chemistry HL</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: Model UN, Religious Youth Organization (Several Fund, National Honor Society, Tutoring, Student Tech Crew, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Math Olympiad, Internship over Summer, Volunteering in India</p>

<p>Schools receive a lot of applications from international students every year. They also receive a lot of apps from people who have lived abroad for large chunks of their life. </p>

<p>That being said, simply living outside of the US for a couple of year wont really raise your chances that much I dont think.
I lived in outside of the US for about half of my life. I lived in Taiwan, Japan, and Switzerland in addition to the US. I think it helped me but that is because I used my experiences in my essays. I know this isn’t an essay thread, but I think that in your essays is a good way to distinguish yourself. How was your experience overseas? How has it changed you? How was moving back to the US?
In my case i wrote my essay about moving from living abroad in lots of large cities, Tokyo, Taipei, and Zurich, to Boise, Idaho. I talked about the significance of Boise Idaho and how that move was especially different from all the rest. I linked in how all of my international experiences culminated into creating “me” as a person and then how boise has also shaped that as well.
I think that this was kinda eye catching because it isnt very normal for someone to move from large international hubs of the world to the middle of the desert.</p>

<p>So my point is, simply having the experience is great but it wont draw any eyes. You need to find a way to highlight this part of your life, in an essay or short answer question perhaps, that will tell the admissions people what you have gotten out of the experience and what that experience has to show. Why should they want you at their school? What different perspective can you bring to the student body?</p>

<p>If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.</p>

<p>My kids also lived overseas for many years. While we are not quite at the application stage yet, I know several kids graduating this year who also spent time overseas. </p>

<p>Based on the comments from adcom people (made to the students and the parents), the overseas experience is a plus…especially because it shows that the kids are open to new experiences, are capable of adjusting to new and different situations, and demonstrates a level of comfort in dealing with individuals from many different cultures. </p>

<p>zfox001 is right also …use your essays to talk about the experiences you had. That is a way to really make your experiences relevant and not just a note on your resume.</p>

<p>Your grades, scores, and IB diploma are certainly enough to get you noticed by any school, so while the international experience might not be a deciding factor - I do think it will be noticed.</p>