<p>I honestly don't know what I've been doing the past year but I currently have no AP's, I'm taking the SATs in Oct and November and I don't know how I can get into an Ivy or top LAC.
Are online college courses any good? My extracurriculars are pretty good, no major awards though- don't know how that would look on my college app. I live and homeschool mostly in Malaysia and the colleges here don't let you do dual credit or enrol under 18 so...can't take AP's cause the schools don't really offer them and I live in a small town so it's hard to commute (also, the exams already passed this year). I will however probably be able to take the CLEP tests this November. Need advice on how to boost my college applications! Do you think CLEP will help with college admissions (not really looking to get credit out of it)???
I've taken lots of coursera courses and my curriculum is pretty good. I'm getting my courses approved by college board for AP but I don't have test scores to go along with them...ugh... So any help would be greatly appreciated.
ps. sorry for being all over the place.. im in full panic mode</p>
<p>Considering your goals, you’re starting quite late.
Start by reading about colleges (Fiske Guide, Insider’s Guide to the colleges, Princeton Review’s Best Colleges) and write down those that interest you.</p>
<p>You will need to take SAT subjects in addition to the SAT since you’re homeschooled. Register and start working on them.
In fact you will need as many external certifications as you can get - see if a local college wouldn’t let you enroll in something which you’d call “dual enrollment”? (Even if they don’t call it dual enrollment, if they allow you to take some university-level classes while you’re still in secondary school and the university classes count toward your high school units, it’s similar to dual enrollment.)
I take it you don’t have a GPA?
Do you have IGCSE’s results?
Are you a US citizen homeschooled in Malaysia, or are you a Malaysian student?
Will you need financial aid?</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice… I am a citizen of Malaysia so I’ll be applying as an international student. I don’t think I will be applying for any financial aid. As for dual enrolment, the colleges here aren’t homeschool friendly(at all) so they don’t offer those kind of stuff- the student has to be enrolled full time. I don’t have IGCSE, I have however taken a local standardised test for 15 year olds. That’s as much testing as I’ve had. I’ve travelled a lot so I haven’t really had much time for tests. I’ve been looking for ways to get external validation for a while now but there are almost no resources available where I live- I will be travelling to a different state just to take the SATs. Btw, do you think I should take the CLEP tests for validation?</p>
<p>Take sat subjects and cleps yes. As an international student based on what you said you have virtually no chance at the ivy league or top 30 lacs so start reading those guides. Unless you’ve done something extraordinary of course. Study now and take the September act to assess yourself realistically . Take the Toefl as soon as you can too. since you’ve travelled a lot you may know several languages with perhaps some partially self taught? capitalize on that. you have 5 months only unless you can take a gap year and focus this one on doing AP’s and activities that matter to you.</p>
<p>thanks, that was really helpful advice… I’ll get to work!</p>
<p>I agree, taking and scoring VERY well on your SAT and SAT-subject tests will verify your schooling—I think this is the most important thing. </p>
<p>You want to take the most rigorous classes that you can where ever you are. There are online schools that do offer AP classes. And, you don’t have to take an AP class to take the test. I’ve self-studied for at least one AP test and scored a 5. AP tests are each May, but I think CLEP tests can be taken anytime of year (but I have not done this, so check it out).</p>
<p>I’ve lived in Singapore, China, and now Vietnam (though US citizen) homeschooling almost all the way (international school in Singapore, but homeschooled the rest) and now going into my senior year.</p>
<p>I was really bummed about not taking the AP exams this year, I studied for them and I know how important they are for college admissions. A lot of my homeschool courses follow the AP syllabus so I’m getting them approved by college board. My sisters are US citizens too, they’re in college in the states now- it was a lot easier for them, they finished high school here in a local school. I’ve attended the international school here, but its such a small town so there were barely any students/teachers. I also did go the local high school for 4 years while I homeschooled (to ‘soak up the culture’) but attended only half the time because I was usually out of the country. Btw, how are you coping with the college process? I’m starting my senior year too.</p>
<p>Oh and I’ll be taking the AP exams in the US next year</p>
<p>Writing essays…</p>