<p>Hi! I'm from Ireland where the education system is completely different to the US. So I'm still trying to understand the admission requirements. Luckily, I'll only be a Junior this year so I have a little under two years to figure everything out...</p>
<p>One of the reasons I'm confused:
How do international students work out their GPA? I understand about grades but not about credits as none of our classes have credits over here. In Irish secondary schools you have the Junior Cycle (3 Years) and then the Senior Cycle (2 Years). You pick approx. 10 subjects for your Junior Cycle and after the 3 years you take the Junior Certificate exams. Then you pick approx. 7 subjects (I'm doing 8) for your Senior Cycle and then after the 2 years you take the Leaving Certificate. So we don't have semesters or credits or continuous assessment and it's quite confusing for someone not familiar with everything.</p>
<p>Where I plan on applying:
The colleges I plan to apply to are USC's School of Cinematic Arts (Film & TV Production) and NYU's Tisch. </p>
<p>I know you may not be familiar with what I'm asking you to rate my chances on but I'll try to make things as clear as possible.</p>
<p>Junior Cert. results and Senior Courses:
In my Junior Certificate I received:
[ul]
[<em>]English - B
[</em>]Irish - B
[<em>]Math - B
[</em>]History - B
[<em>]Geography - C
[</em>]Art - B
[<em>]Business - B
[</em>]Science - A
[<em>]CSPE (Civic, Social and Political Education) - A
[</em>]German - A
[/ul]
I didn't really study for these tests because I hadn't looked fully at US college requirements. In Ireland these tests are really just a practice for the Leaving Certificate. The Junior Certificate counts for nothing as colleges will ONLY look at points received in Leaving Cert (personality doesn't factor into admissions here. Or grades).</p>
<p>For my Senior Cycle which I start this year I am taking:
[ul]
[<em>]English - compulsory
[</em>]Irish - compulsory
[<em>]Math - compulsory
[</em>]German
[<em>]Art
[</em>]History
[<em>]Physics
[</em>]Biology
[/ul]
All classes are taken at Honours or Higher Level. No such thing as AP classes in Ireland. You can only take IB classes at one school in Ireland which I believe is a boys' school. I go to an all-girls Catholic school (if that counts for anything?)</p>
<p>My ECs:
[ul]
[<em>]Debating Society - when I finish school it will be 6 years with 3 as President
[</em>]Quiz - same as for debating but Vice President
[<em>]Amnesty International - will be 4 years - Vice President
[</em>]Student Council - will be at least 5 years (no defined roles in SC)
[<em>]Cork City Youth Council - government funded volunteer organisation representing young people in the city
[</em>]National Youth Council - elected representative of Cork city '10/'11 (Position: Youth Councillor)
[/ul]
Gifted and Talented
Only one organisation in Ireland with courses for G&T students. You have to take a standardized test to be admitted.
Have taken 4 of their 8-13 year old courses.
So far one summer 12-16 course which was Film Studies.</p>
<p>School Awards:
So far I have won the Extra-Curricular Award in my school twice and last year I won the High Achiever award.</p>
<p>Misc. achievements/ECs
Computer Science at University College of Cork - course focused on programming in C, Flash animation, web design and film making.</p>
<p>Member of a writers' group and selected to write a story for a graphic novel which was made available throughout libraries in the province.</p>
<p>I play piano.</p>
<p>Work experience at prominent newspaper the 'Irish Examiner' and at national TV&Radio station RT</p>