Hello!
I’m a high school Senior who just finished applying RD to a bunch of schools (BU, Northwestern, Northeastern, Georgetown, American U). I’m curious (more wanting to put my mind at ease) about what some of you think about the effect my study abroad will have on my application.
So, I decided to spend my Junior year abroad in Ankara, Turkey. I lived there for 11 months, didn’t come back to America.
I spoke exclusively Turkish and lived with a Turkish family. This experience was of course the topic of my college essay, and I personally think I learned a lot from it and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
But, it of course has negatively affected my transcripts. My guidance counselor was nice enough to put all the classes I took last year as Pass-Fail on my transcript. I also only am taking 3 aps this year (probably would have taken more this year/junior year). I also only have 2 years of foreign language, and 3 years of everything else. My sat’s are also a lot lower than I wanted them to be (1330) because I spent most of my summer readjusting to speaking English and figuring out how to graduate on time instead of studying.
But otherwise I am a straight A student, and I have resumed all my extra-curriculars upon coming back home. Finally, I did my gold award project in tandem with my exchange, helping to write a blog to educate local middle schoolers on Islam and Turkish culture.
Thanks so much!
A Nervous Senior
The experience you had is quite interesting. That won’t have a negative affect on your applications, but the lower grades and SAT score might. Did you apply to safety schools?
No, I figured I would rather spend a year and travel instead of being stuck at a school I don’t like.