<p>AS the title says, I moved houses 7 times due to external actors during my last school year
It wasn't so good an experience
I live alone so basically I had to take care of everything from finding aparment to buying furniture to conneting electricity/internet
And this all happened during my last school year it did affect my grades</p>
<p>In addition, I'm in Australia so I really I had to take care of both school work here and the SATs
And the tests dates of both countries are terribly overlapped</p>
<p>Basically I took my first SAT in June, (which happened the next morning after I moved to a new place with no electricity), then two weeks later it was my mid-year exams which is 50% of my year-end school grades, then less than two weeks I took my second SAT</p>
<p>Then in September I finished my trails which is another 50& of year-end school grades
in October my third SAT
in less than two weeks it was my High School Certiicate exams (which is liek a entrance exam in Australia)
Then three weeks after I finished my HSC exams it was my SAT subject tests</p>
<p>So you see it did take up much of my time to prepare for my many exams and affected my mood greatly (Once I moved 3 places in two weeks). But everything worked out fine and I had better topics so I didn't include this experience in any of my essays or supplement</p>
<p>Now I'm anxious because I have a rather average GPA(3.6) and SAT (2140). Do you think it'll increase my chance for dream schools if I inform them my circumstances?</p>
<p>Deadline of some schools on my list hasn't passed so I can include them in additional info. But for those I've already submitted my application, do you advice me to send them an Email to talk about it? </p>
<p>If yes, how do I say it so I don't sound like I'm giving excuses? I don't want to sound to bitter either</p>
<p>Thank you all, good luck with your application</p>
<p>I think this would be a wonderful topic for essays. Moving so much and living on your own while doing this crazy admissions process would not be any easy thing (respect for making it through till the end though). It shows maturity and real life skills that probably not a lot of applicants have. If you don’t want to use it in an essay definitely put it in the additional info. Its not exactly something they’d be looking for in that section, but it can’t hurt you and if I was an admissions offer I’d be compelled to hear something like that.</p>
<p>thank you papertank487
The reason I didn’t write my essay on it was because I had better topics to present myself than talking about what my circumstances (my essay was aboout how being gay, Asian and protestant in a foreign country has shaped my identity. Although the more I think about it the more anxious I get, it doesn’t sound too cliche does it?). And I didn’t wanna sound too bitter cuz frankly lots of people are undergoing worse</p>
<p>I will definately put it in my application then. Do you think they’ll read additional info? And is it necessary if I fax it to the schools I’ve already applied? I don’t wanna waste money on something they won’t read, an international fax costs more than sending sat scores</p>
<p>I definitely think you should add it in the additional info. In my opinion, that’s exactly the kind of thing that section is designed for. Your situation was not easy, and was an especially strenuous experience when compared to what other students in your country and here in the US have gone through. Adding that info will, in my opinion, make your accomplishments just seem more impressive, plus the fact that you got by independently is hugely impressive. Good luck.</p>
<p>Have you thought about how you would pay for your education? Not that many schools offer FA to international students. You have many options in Australia and schools are a lot cheaper, why wouldn’t you stay in Australia?</p>
<p>Thank you ikahjalmr
Do you think its necessary if I fax it to the schools I’ve already applied? I don’t wanna waste money on something they won’t read, an international fax costs more than sending sat scores</p>
<p>Well Oldfort it wasn’t exactly money that made me move so frequently (of course if I have lots of money everything would be easier), I just have a best luck with landlord/roomate/host family, they just all happen to be very irresponsible.</p>
<p>Yes I do know not many schools offer FA to us, thank you for reminding me that 
but if I do get some(hopefully), it’ll be a huge relief for my parents. I feel bad that I’m using their income + savings.</p>
<p>In fact I do have offers from university of Sydney and other Australian schools already, but I still wanna go to the States for mainly three reasons
- Schools in Sydney cost about 30000 AUD each year, and the living cost is ridiculous (around 18000), so its about the same money as in US anyway
- Admission here is solely based on what mark you get for high school. They don’t take time to ask you to write essay or anything, I’ve never even talked to anyone in U Sydney so you can see why I wasn’t excited at all when I got the offer, it just doesn’t feel like I earned it.
- Here you have to declare a major when you apply and stick to it for 3 or 4 years, and it’s not easy to change major as it may result in extra school years. Plus in an Australia school there are different cut-offs for different courses, so in the same school you have people got high marks mixed with those that got low marks (so some are academically not very good, and you have those that achieve high marks because they have tutor for like three hours every day, in contrast with those with real talent or have gone through hardships that affected their grade). There’s neither an intelecctual envirtonment nor a school spirit because students go home after class and everyone doesn’t really care about activities whatsoever</p>
<p>(I might be a little harsh on Australian unis but that’s just my opinion)</p>
<p>definitely include an explanation in the additional info section. for schools with a Jan 1st deadline, just write an e-mail or use free online fax services.
I agree that the quality of teaching at Australian universities are…mediocre or simply bad. Crowded lecture halls, unhappy professors and boring tutorials → not exactly what I would consider intellectually challenging or inspiring T___T
However, there are always talented and driven students who can still make the most of the education there, and eventually get into I-banking etc.</p>
<p>by the way, does anyone have an idea about i-banking salary at entry level in Sydney?</p>