<p>I am very worried about my extracurriculars because i feel they are not on par with other american applicants since i will be regarded as one during the admission process (im a US citizen). The fact that i am a female living in Saudi Arabia has seriously hindered my chances of doing activities out of school since most aren't offered to student (but if they are, males will be given the upper hand). Will universities take this all into consideration when looking at my applications? </p>
<p>My extracurriculars are as follow:</p>
<p>• 3-4 year Basketball
• 3 Years Senior prefect
• MUN (1-2 Years) – Went to conference in Greece
• Head Girl/Deputy Head Girl - will try for this position
• 150+ Volunteering – doing administrative work at a disabled centre as well as doing activities with the kids such as cooking/horse riding, volunteering at my school library
• Work Experience (IDB – a bank) – since I plan to major in finance
• Head of house - grammar school<br>
• Co-founder of charity club
• Jeddonian- my school year book (Editor )
• Art Competition (5th Place regional competition)</p>
<p>The colleges i am interested in are georgetown (EA), duke, upenn (wharton), umichigan, uva & george washington university </p>
<p>Do you guys think my extracurricular activities will suffice for these universities?</p>
<p>I’m not an expert on US college admissions (you posted this in the UK section, hence why I’ve seen it, but you’d get better responses if you posted elsewhere). However, it looks good, and I would suggest that you write something along the lines of “I have always strived to take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to a female living in Saudi Arabia”, just to remind the admissions tutors of what you’re up against.</p>
<p>You are in a position to write a killer essay, which will be important than the specifics of your ECs. ECs are important for what they say about you: in general, depth > breadth. Growing to a leadership / high level of achievement says more about you than a group of random activities. </p>
<p>At the schools you are applying to, the US students will have ECs that will make your head spin. Even though you are a US citizen you are in effect applying as an international student. Don’t try to compete with the US students on ECs, emphasize what you have done in your environment and - this is key - what it has meant to you and what you have done/learned through your secondary school experiences. Growth, maturity of thought & perspective will all matter much more than whether you did x EC. </p>
<p>It’s only an anecdote, of course, but I know a current senior at Princeton whose essay about spending her summer babysitting her siblings- hardly a glamorous summer- was cited by the Dean of Admissions as being the clincher for her acceptance. Truly, it’s not the activity/activities you do, but what you do with it that will impress them.</p>
<p>You should post in the college-specific forum, where some posters have great knowledge of the admissions process. American colleges want to know your ECs and how they have changed the way you see yourself or the world around you. </p>
<p>Your extracurriculars are reasonable for top universities in the U.S., but won’t make you stand out. As you are a U.S. Citizen, you will be considered in the U.S. Citizens and permanent residents pool, NOT in the intentional students one.</p>