German student looking for some help and some suggestions! :)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello forum members, </p>

<p>my name is Sophie and I am currently a junior in Germany. I did an exchange year to Canada last year and therefore decided to pursue further studies in the US. As i cannot visit campusses or talk to admission officers in person, I would greatly appreciate your help in naming some reach/target/safety schools for me that you would think fit me :) </p>

<p>1) A stupid question: If I have already entered my testing scores into the proper common app section, do I need to send a score report from the collegeboard? </p>

<p>2) A few facts about me to get to know me a little: </p>

<p>My GPA in Germany will be like 1.2-1.5 out of 6 (1 being best, 4 being passed). This is mainly due to me missing everything we did last year, and also misinterpreting a task on my math test, as we only have two of those per grade this was fatal and will lower my math mark significantly, unfortunately.
I thoroughly enjoy learning. There is barely anything more exciting than the anticipation of finding the answer you searched for hours, days or even months :) I am quite idealistic, one of those "when I grow up I will change the world" type people. I do a lot of activities, although there is not a lot of coherence in them due to me being abroad and my family having moved 5 times (and my dad living somewhere else and so on). </p>

<p>I am trying to found an organization right now, but that will probably fail as well due to legal restrictions. I am passionate about helping, about smiling, about making this world a better place in a variety of ways. I am just passionate about people, about learning about them, understanding them, and guiding as many people as I can to as much happiness as each person deserves. That's why I went abroad, and that's what my organization will be about, if everything works out the way I want it to.
So the college I am looking for is very vibrant, full of passionate people, everyone wanting to leave a little imprint on this world in their own unique way. People should not attend it because of money, prestige, reputation or because their friends do, but because they want to grow and learn and discover more about themselves and the world they live in.
I would prefer a rural or suburban campus with a metropolitan area an up to 2 hour drive away, I love cultural events. I want to double major, possibly in molecular biology/neuroscience and international politics, also course variety and study abroad options are important. Not a party school, a Christian community on campus if possible.
One of the problems is that I need financial aid. </p>

<p>Where do you think I would fit in ? where would I have a decent shot at being accepted and receiving adequate financial aid?
What about this whole quality over quantity thing, will it be my downfall?
And which colleges would you consider a reach/match/safety? </p>

<p>Thank you so much for making it through this humungous post! </p>

<p>Lots of love from Germany, </p>

<p>Sophie</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Yes, you still need to send in an official report. </p></li>
<li><p>You have a very interesting background. It sounds like you are sincerely interested in a wide variety of activities. I would not advise changing your personality or activities to fit a perceived desire of college admissions offices.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>In your case, colleges could weigh standardized tests scores more heavily than they otherwise would because it might be harder for them to weigh your grades than in the case of students from high schools with which they are familiar. Have you taken the SAT or the ACT yet?</p>

<p>Would you consider a Christian college?</p>

3

<p>I will Tale both and the sat subject tests and the toefl from January onward, probably several times.
I would definitely consider a Christian college, if it has the right “spirit” I guess :)</p>

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<p>It is difficult to give you good advice without knowing your SAT/ACT scores. Not many universities in the US are generous with international student aid. Some LACs are known for giving decent aid, and a couple of elite private universities, such as Harvard, MIT and Princeton are also quite generous, but to get into those schools is much easier said than done.</p>

5

<p>As the mother of a college sophomore and a high school senior, I have some thoughts based on what you’ve said so far. Please come back after you have SAT or ACT scores so we can help you more! Feel free to PM me as well. Here are some initial thoughts:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Make sure your application essay reflects your personality and love for learning!</p></li>
<li><p>Many colleges have a party scene but also a good group of non-partiers. My daughter, a Christian, attends UNC Chapel Hill, where there are plenty of opportunities to party (which didn’t interest her). She was very happy living in a substance-free dorm last year and met many like-minded people. She also joined a Christian organization on campus that she liked.</p></li>
<li><p>You are right to recognize that Christian colleges can vary greatly. Some are Christian because of historical support from a denomination but otherwise are almost indistinguishable from secular colleges. Others see Christian teaching as integrated into all they do. Still others have the primary purpose of preparing students for Christian full-time employment after college. You can find a lot of information about Christian colleges in the subheading under the “college search” tab on the left of the screen.</p></li>
<li><p>Many college campuses offer so many cultural events on campus that students might find it difficult to attend all of them! You might find that it is not necessary to live close to a major metropolitan area as a result.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Thank you very much for that advice!
I exspect my scores to be fairly high, I have looked over an ACT and SAt practice exam so far and did not find anything particularly difficult, just some potential “misreading/misinterpreting” things, some tricks and similar minor obstacles (time limits) but I am quite confident I can learn how to handle them by practising. I am taking the SAT in January and just ordered my first prep book, i am actually really excited, i love challenges :slight_smile: I would hope for at least 30 ACT, 2000 SAT.
So far, I am thinking of the top LACs as (super) reaches, schools like University of Rochester, Richmond, Lafayette and Dickinson as targets, and Wheaton College Mass. etc. as probablies that I would be happy at.
As far as Christian schools, Notre Dame (reach) would be amazing (I am catholic), and Stonehill College Mass. would be another probably.
I guess I will have to apply to at least 15 schools to have a decent chance of admission and affordability :)</p>

<p>For essay topics, one will be about why I found the organisation I am curretly setting up (has to do with mental health issues), because I feel like it is such a big part of who I am.
The other one I would love to write about my love for adventure, exploring other cultures, learning and my year in Canada, as I feel that it is quite unique to go abroad for a year at barely 14.
The first one would be very serious and intellectual/philosophical in a way, whereas the second one would be more quirky and humorous. I feel that those opposites are actually both make me who I am, so I should reflect on each in an essay…
It sounds a little too thought-through though. (How lovely :))</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>Spend some time in the International Students Forum, and read everything posted by b@r!um. Not only is she German, but she is the expert on finding aid for international students. She can give you excellent advice.</p>