I’m a citizen of Japan, and I’ve been living with a Visa in the United States for the past 12 years now. I go to a regular high school, I don’t take ESL classes, etc. Basically: I live the life of your average American high school teenager. I’m involved in extracurriculars at school and outside of school, and of course I’ve taken the required tests such as the ACT that are required for college.
I’m really confused on how a college will look at my application, though. Will they compare me next to someone who attends school in Japan? Or will they see my application the same way they see a normal American high schooler’s application?
I’ve heard that international students have a tougher time getting accepted into top notch schools. Is that true even in my circumstances?
It depends on the school. I am in a similar situation as you and I have done a lot of research on that. Basically, most schools will electronically sort out the international students, so if your citizenship is not from U.S, you will automatically be pooled in an international pool. That is what happened to me when I applied to numerous (about 17) colleges. And yes, the admission acceptance rates are much lower for internationals. Also, except Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Amherst, and 'MIT, every school in the U.S are need aware for international applicants. So if you are in need of a lot of financial assistance, your chance of getting in will decrease even more.
This all sounds really discouraging… But these factors did not stop ME from reaching for my dream colleges. I hope you will overcome these disadvantages as well and have hope you will get the education you deserve as long as you stay persistent to your dreams!
you will get the education you deserve as long as you stay persistent to your dreams!