<p>I'm a year 12 (senior) student in Australia at a tiny steiner (waldorf) school which offers the IB diploma in Year 11 and 12 and I am doing this program. I am wondering how much US universities consider school circumstances and differences in emphasis when looking at college admissions. I know extra curriculars are really important at US universities for example, but my school does not offer extracurricular activities. Once I decided I wanted to go to a US university, preferably quite an elite school (I'm a top student in my grade but my grade is only 11 students so class rank doesn't really tell much) I started a few clubs at my school (very hard cause the IB is extremely time consuming and people don't want to spend time on ec's when they are not included in admissions decisions here/there are hardly any people to join!). I founded a UNICEF United Club and French Club (I am president of both) and helped found the school council. Will it look bad that I don't have pages and pages of extra-curriculars? I am dancer outside of school, won a National Championship with my Pom team and I'm part of Young UN Women Australia. Another thing is the 'academic honours' section on the common app, what is this? We don't really have National Honour Societies and stuff here or at least they have never mentioned anything like that at my school, and my school has never done any academic competitions either. Just wondering how US colleges take school communities into account? Thanks, replies are greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>
No problem. Self started ECs are more impressive than school sponsored activities.</p>
<p>International students are nit expected to be clones of their US age-peers. The international admissions officers are well aware of the differences between countless and educational systems. You will be measured against other Australians, not against IS applicants.</p>
<p>Make that “US applicants”.</p>
<p>its just that I’m a US citizen, so not technically an ‘international applicant’ even though i was born and have always lived in Australia</p>
<p>Summer: give the readers some credit. They’ll be able to understnd your situation</p>
<p>If you don’t have national academic honors to list, local or school recognition can be noted in that section. If your school gives you an award for being a top student in your grade or class, that might be an academic honor you want to list. Or, if you have done well in academic competitions, those honors could be noted.</p>
<p>that was actually really more of the issue, my school does give ANY academic honours. There are no honour rolls, no top student awards, no valedictorian. The only award you get is your grades. I have been the top student in multiple classes in multiple grades but we don’t get any awards for that, neither does our school enter any academic competitions. my teacher came up to my once with a brochure for a creative writing contest saying I should enter (that’s not even academic) and that is the closest they’ve ever gotten to entering anyone in or giving us information on or encouraging to enter academic competitions. What can I say its just not a ‘thing’ here, and its certainly not part of my school culture</p>
<p>doesn’t give ANY*</p>