<p>I’m a Canadian/Czech citizen living in the Czech Republic for the last fourteen years, attending an international school and taking the IB diploma program [I’m a junior]. Our school is really rigorous and there’s none of that grade fluffing stuff. I think there’s like one or two people with a 4.0 GPA - the rest are below.</p>
<p>9thth Grade: GPA 3.6 [blah - does it matter that much since it was early in high school?]</p>
<p>10th Grade: GPA 3.8</p>
<p>11th Grade:
- IB Higher Level 20th Century History A+
- IB Higher Level English A
- IB Higher Level Theatre Arts A+
- IB Math Studies II B+ [89% but it should go up]
- IB Biology A-
- IB German 4/5 B+
- GPA 3.8
* This is a grade in progress I’m looking for straight A's or at least moving one of my two B+'s up to an A-/A by the end of the year which I think is attainable if I work my butt off.</p>
<p>Main EC’S + Service
- piano [my tenth year]
- Varsity Girls Soccer (probably captain next year)
- acted in most of the school plays - large roles.
- MUN in St. Petersburg, Russia
- Czech lessons
- Habitat for Humanity Poland, about 30 hours
- I worked with a Czech human rights foundation last year
- currently planning a career fair for our high school</p>
<p>I haven’t taken the SAT’s yet, but here are my PSAT scores:</p>
<p>Verbal: 78
Math: 54 [I know, absolutely terrible but I’m studying crazy hard to get up to a minimum of 650 and ideally a 700]
Writing: 61 [I’m not sure why this was so low but it should be able to get it up]</p>
<p>Recommendations: should be excellent
Essay: I will make sure it’s nothing less than excellent</p>
<p>I really don't know that much about Middlebury but I'm looking at other smallish liberal arts schools - I would love it if people could tell me if I had a chance at getting into Middlbury + what kind of atmosphere the school has. Thanks!</p>
<p>Lol I'm not so sure... I have some major SAT prep to do. Of course, i would never be stupid enough to wonder about you getting into middlebury.... it's totally obvious they'll accept you :)</p>
<p>It seems to me that you have strong classes and grades and your ECs are not only strong but interesting. I completely agree that you need to work on the SATs but you already know that. If you could nudge all your scores into the high 600s or better yet, over 700 that would be great. </p>
<p>I hope you will have a chance to visit the schools as well. I know that our HS college counselor told us that at many of the smaller schools you listed - particularly Bates and Colby - demonstrated interest makes a real difference. So go out of your way to contact them, visit them, ask them questions, etc. Between your interesting background and showing your interest, you should really stand out. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks! I'm glad that the EC's and classes look pretty good and I will be spending a lot of time prepping for the SAT. It's interesting to know that interest is so important for liberal arts colleges. Hopefully that will work in my favour since I've really narrowed down my list already.... so i'll start writing to schools on my list. Thanks for giving me information i haven't already heard, lol.</p>
<p>Thanks slc2007 and Puzzled 88 - i'm glad that my grades and EC's look solid so I'll definitely be devoting more time to SAT prepping. </p>
<p>So do either of you (or anyone else) know what the atmosphere at Middlebury is like? I heard "abercrombie and fitch with a hangover" which I don't think i would like.... is that stereotype true?</p>
<p>There are abercrombie types and plenty of hangovers but there are many exceptions to the stereotype as well. My own daughter didn't want a super-preppy school either and on her tour of the northeast, kept a lookout for someone with green hair - her symbol that a college had a sense of humor and individuality. At Midd she actually met and hung out in a dorm room with a guy with blue hair which was close enough. I'm pretty sure you would find a group of friends you would like and fit in with.</p>
<p>Hahaha ok - when I visit I will certainly keep a look out for people with green hair. I'm glad there are at least some exceptions to the preppy prep stereotype. I guess I really have to visit to get a real feel for it though. Would being an international student help my middlebury application?</p>
<p>I don't really know the answer but it seems to me that the best possible candidate is one who fulfills all the basic requirements of challenging courses, good grades, high SATs and strong ECs AND has something interesting that makes him or her stand out from the crowd. I am not saying that I like or agree with this but it's just what I've observed.</p>
<p>I'll tell you a story. My friend's daughter applied to one of the schools you're looking at 5 years ago. Her grades, scores, etc. were fine but nothing stupendous. She did have an unusual EC though and once when her mother called the office to ask a question and said her daughter's name, the admissions officer said "Oh yes, the beekeeper.."</p>
<p>Hmmmm yes, I see what you mean. There has to be something to distinguish you from the crowd. Hordes of students have great grades and test scores but not everyone has something unusual, e.g. beekeeping. Do you think that living in the Czech REpublic for the past 14 years makes me stand out or do I need to highlight some special EC?</p>
<p>Keeping in mind that I really don't know the answer as I'm not an admissions officer, I would say that living there makes you interesting and different and then what you've done with the opportunity, how you've taken advantage of it (which is to say the language classes and any ECs that are unique because you are there - the human right foundation being a perfect example) will make you stand out. You basically have another year (this spring semester, a summer activity and next fall semester) to bolster that part of your application. Besides a simple list you can also highlight your more unusual activities through your essays. </p>
<p>One really simple suggestion that I wish I'd known when my oldest daughter started high school is just that you look at the Common Application and also a few individual college supplements. I just think it's helpful to see the format and think about how you might present yourself through it most effectively. An example: you'll see that there are two ways you might list a summer class or program depending on whether you receive academic credit and are able to send a transcript. One of my own daughters was able to fill in everything on the Common App except the question about employment and it just about made her crazy that in all her preparations for college she had neglected to ever get a job. (She got in just fine though so don't worry!)</p>