<p>Ah, yes, I was planning on posting here tonight, what questions do you have? He's not in frequent contact with his relative, so it may take some time for a response, but I'm sure he'll be happy to give you any information you need.</p>
<p>indigochild18, just out of curiousity, what are the criteria with which you chose the schools on your list above? It looks really random to me...</p>
<p>barium- in terms of cost and the strongest programs they have. and proximity to relatives.</p>
<pre><code> my family isn't very rich.
why do you think it looks random?
what criterias did YOU consider?
</code></pre>
<p>In a short answer or essay, most private colleges ask, in words similar to these:
"Optional: Tell us anything you think we need to know that the application doesn't address"</p>
<p>Look for it as the place to discuss your reasons for gap year(s).</p>
<p>When you describe your sad family medical circumstances to explain the reason for your grade drop, be sure to state the actual medical situations factually, calmly, not hyper-emotional. Then, go into a thoughtful sentence about what you LEARNED from all of that.
It is behind you now, so what life lessons did you gain? </p>
<p>If you continue to sound so excitable in writing, they might sense that anything that happens in life will throw you into a panic!</p>
<p>So take on a reflective, caring, thoughtful tone when you describe what happened to your year and how you are different, more mature now having come through all of that. How dedicated you are to resuming your education.</p>
<p>They will respect your reasons. They are adults who also encounter family disruptions, and see their own elders through life-threatening disease and loss. So you don't have to go on forever about how terrible the hospitals were, etc. THEY WILL KNOW once you list the multiple situations.</p>
<p>You might also approach it that, as a loving family member, you CHOSE to attend to your family's many needs. That is different than acting like an avalanche happened to you. Search your heart and realize that you made a respectable, respectful choice and feel good about it, instead of terrible.</p>
<p>Remember that 2 years is l0% of your life at age 20, but to the 40-year-old reading the application, the same 2 years represents a smaller piece of the pie. (How much smaller? If you can't figure it out, perhaps a tutor would be more helpful and efficient than self-study of SAT books, so you can recover your math reasoning skills. Just a thought. Remember, if you think you can't afford a tutor-- you CAN if you can barter the skills a student needs, for example cooking, sewing; no cash exchanged. I used to do this in college. Go to find someone now learning how to TEACH elementary or high school students in Math, rather than a Math genius, if you need some remedial tutoring. Sometimes, future teachers explain things much better than future Mathemeticians! Find someone who is patient and friendly. That's how I helped my S who had weak math skills for awhile because of changing schools too often. Or, see if your university nearby has a "math clinic" for struggling students and find those tutors. Ask for a recommendation for a good, patient person. The worst kind is the one who "can't understand" why you don't understand!).</p>
<p>Anyway, back to the task. I liked your list because I saw a range of schools in many parts of the country, including some lovely locations where you could feel very safe and comfortable (= your family approves!). They might not often be thought of overseas, but a small lovely place such as St. Mary's in Annapolis, Maryland is beautiful, kind and inspiring place to live. Much better than our huge cities. I don't know why more foreign students don't consider these smaller, rural places on their lists. You might be treasured as an interesting person to get to know, because there are few internationals on the campus and Americans are generally curious.</p>
<p>With your French, have you considered applying to study anywhere iin CANADA? Students there are bilingual, not only in Quebec but across the country to a lesser extent. They ALL have to study French throughout their schooling, because it's officially a bilingual nation. Not that they all speak it very well, but they would value yours on the Candian side of the border!
Also, because it's so COLD, 90% of the Canadian population lives within 50miles of the Canadian-US border,so you could visit the U.S. on holidays, even if you go to school in Canada.<br>
If you are dedicated to coming to the U.S., however, I don't want to discourage you! I'm just suggesting that the French will be appreciated as a vital skill in Canada, while here in the U.S. it's not spoken in the streets. Even if you buy a box of breakfast cereal in Canada, the entire outside of the box is required by law to have everything printed in French AND ENglish. WHen I lived in Canada for about l0 years, I used to read both languages all the time while I ate; and listened to radio/TV in both languages, etc. Quebec is the most French of the provinces, but also parts of Ontario close to the border of Quebec. Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, is actually on the border with Quebec so has a sister-city called "Hull" that is very French. There are 2 universities in Ottawa, Carleton and U. of Ottawa, where you could ask every question and be answered in French, so it might be less confusing. I have NO IDEA how they stand on financial aid, however. They cost less than American universities if you are a Canadian, that is. CHeck it out if it sounds interesting; otherwise, understand that I'm not trying to send you elsewhere!</p>
<p>I hope that your dreams come true. Do not worry about acceptance of the "Gap Year" idea in the USA. It is becoming more and more frequent here. In Britain, most students do the gap year as a matter of course. Harvard recently began suggesting that all of their newly accepted students consider taking a gap year before showing up on the campus! So, it's an idea whose time has come, for good reason. Too many American studetns show up on campus immature and unable to make a transition as freshmen. You have some experience with facing real-life problems.
However the colleges also want to know that during the gap year, the student studied, travelled, or grew "better" in some way. That's what you need to do when you think how to present your gap year(s) on paper. They should feel that they are getting a "better you" when they accept you than if they had taken you 2 years ago! Everybody wants the best "product" they can have, so present yourself as a whole, capable, problem-solving young adult who is determined to move her focus to STUDY, now that her family situation has stabilized.
Good luck!!!!</p>
<p>The schools on your list are scattered all over the States (from NY to CA) and rang from 2,000-26,000 students in size; that's why they looked random to me. I have to admit that I don't know where your relatives live ;)</p>
<p>I am applying to small residential colleges in the Northeast that have a strong math department and offer financial aid to international students. Extra pluses are cross-registration programs, internships for credit (because of my visa status) and rather loose distribution requirements, and of course a real chance of getting accepted.</p>
<p>Not taking SAT II may or may not hurt, depending on where you apply to as everyone else has said.
I applied to Williams, Connecticut College [really generous and nice], Wesleyan, Syracuse, Wash U, Cornell U, Swarthmore EDII. I was rejected at the last two. I was really torn between Williams and Wes, cos the Wes offer was SO good.
No point posting my stats and all here. As far as I'm concerned they mean nothing. If you want them for some encouragement, though, I'll pm. </p>
<p>French is a big plus. Take SAT 2 French to show them how much you know. I took that, too. I also took US History, without having ever studied it...</p>
<p>payingtuitions</p>
<p>thank you for your encouragement. i couldn't help but tear a little. this whole college process is such a hassle it should be illegal. i've actually been formulating in the same way as you just adviced. I don't want to be felt sorry for, but to be understood. and i'm going to try to convey that in the best way i can.</p>
<p>thank you very much for that, rather long, but substantial post you typed in.
gives a nice incentive. :)</p>
<p>jrock,</p>
<p>i dont know much about US history, didn't study it at school.
and i will take French SAT 2 in consideration. thanks</p>
<p>As you all know by now, I am taking the SAT 1 on June 2. And in the registration process, I have to put all the university codes of the schools i want to apply to. My question is... if I were applying for, say, Fall 2008, would they mind at all receiving the scores a tad earlier than the application forms ?</p>
<p>No, they don't mind (as far as I know). I sent my scores to MIT an entire year before I applied, and they didn't actually tell me not to (as a matter of fact, they've listed those scores on my tracking folder, so I know that they received and filed them!).</p>
<p>All they'll do is start a file for you with those scores in it. And it might even be a plus -- shows a bit of interest. :)</p>
<p>alright noldo thanks:D</p>
<p>isn't this college process a hassle?!!</p>
<p>but it will be worth it once it's done. so WORTH it.</p>
<p>one more question. do they change their ESSAY questions?
because if they don't i'm going to start writing them. i don't want to get into a writing frenzy u know?</p>
<p>Depends on the college. Some do, some don't (as a random example: Stanford generally doesn't (at least, the long essay has been around for ages!), UChicago invariably does). </p>
<p>I suggest waiting a couple of months, until new topics have been decided, or writing a really general essay. You don't want to waste your time, after all.</p>
<p>Stanford's changing to Common App next year though. So their essays will change. I'd echo noldo here. Prepare a general essay about your life story. That'll serve as a good starting point for any of your essays. My suggestion, write as many essays as you can now. It'll help you get used to writing about yourself... At least, that's what I've found. :)</p>
<p>@indigochild: You asked who Arit was, he's a guy who likes to annoy me, nickname aritct.</p>
<p>haha. ok i met him a couple of posts ago.</p>
<p>nice guy. :)</p>
<p>Hey you guys, it turns out the test centres here in Hong Kong for SAT1 are all FULL. (the last one, which i was planning to sit, was on the second of June.)</p>
<p>So I guess, it's time to look at the 2007-2008 test calendar, taking another, hopefully, WORTHY, gap year. </p>
<p>I guess the perk of taking the SAT after September 2007, is that i will be WELL-PREPARED. i'll have more than 3 months. and I will strive and I KNOW, i will raise my math score ( and the verbal score:) )</p>
<p>I think the best choices are OCT, Nov and Dec.. I definitely don't want to take it any later than that.... what do you guys think?</p>
<p>hold on i'll post this now and copy and paste the test-calendar for 2007-2008</p>
<p>2007-08 Test Dates Test
October 6, 2007 SAT & Subject Tests
November 3, 2007 SAT & Subject Tests
December 1, 2007 SAT & Subject Tests
January 26, 2008 SAT & Subject Tests
March 1, 2008 SAT only
May 3, 2008 SAT & Subject Tests
June 7, 2008 SAT & Subject Tests</p>
<p>
I'm a Curly FRY, not a FLY. (Please don't let Arit see this thread.)
</p>
<p>HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THIS??????</p>
<p>
Yeah, he would. :<
</p>
<p>are you guys/girls online acquaintances or REAL life frenemies?</p>
<p>and are there some inside jokes here that i don't know about:D</p>