<p>Hi guys, </p>
<p>I'm an international student from Spain. I came to the US in 2009 as a sophomore and since then, the requirements that colleges ask for have been a little blurry for me. That is to say, I am still not sure of what colleges expect from international students. I would like to attend good business schools, going from indiana university to babson college and im also thinking on places like wharton (that would be my dream).... but my situation is quite complicated. </p>
<p>First of all, my GPA is spoiled... I came to the US as a mediocre kid that never liked to work and never did anything and by junior year, I changed completely. to make it easier, back there in Spain I was getting an average of 5/10 in my freshmen year (note that a 5 is a pass in spain and that a 10 is much more difficult to achieve there than in the us, excellent students in my school got to 8s or 9s). In my sophomore year, I worked a little more because i liked my school better and my social situation was much better so I got to an average of 80 or so (which isnt that good either) but I was still fooling around and now as a junior, Im getting averages of 90s or so, with AP courses and a much more rigorous schedule.... I have improved a lot but still have difficulties in getting to my maximum, not because I'm not capable of doing it but just because i have never been like this in all my life and I need to get used to it. Now, behind my past mediocre, lazy personality there is a strong story, a little personal but a strong story that affected my grades and my social life back there when i was living in spain and I don't know how colleges will consider my sittuation.</p>
<p>Also, when I came to the US last year, I had no idea of how the american system worked (Note that I came from an international school in spain and my english was pretty good). In spain, to get into college you need your grades and your Selectividad (basically the SAT, its more like an ACT thought). That is all. There is no need of extracurricular activities, the spanish society does not give importance to sports, no community service (there is no such thing as 'community service' in spain, everything is paid by the government), no work experience (in spain you gotta be 18 to work in most of the jobs, one cannot work in a Burger King for instance, with an age of 16). So I have very little community service, almost no work expierience, not many sports (apart from the ones i have been practicing in the us) and so on.... My extracurricullar activities have gotten a lot better this year. Last year, I did very little but now Im president of some clubs in my shcool and I have participated in many other things. The improvement in my junior year has been notable. Im still not incredible but I am getting better every day. The thing here is that my past ruins everything for me. </p>
<p>Lastly, I decided to take the ACT. First of all, my score is awful although I will hopefully improve it during summer and the rest of the junior year, but what ACT scores do colleges expect from international students? a college that wants a 33 for the ACT expects an international student to get a 33?</p>
<p>Basically, I dont know how colleges will consider my situation, what colleges expect from me, how colleges will see my GPA and other scores with a strong story behind it, how colleges will see my improvement.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>