<p>@fromUSA2Russia
That was literally me! I submitted my application at like 7 in the morning of the due date on my way to school XD
Well I hope we both get in and when we do I’ll be able to meet you at the orientations ( If all the countries go to the same one… I’m not sure >_< )</p>
<p>@ZealousStudent </p>
<p>SAME! Korea summer program for the win!!~ lol
And I know 17% is a small number, but 17 is my favorite number so that statistic really motivates me!!</p>
<p>@EmmaPotts
I really hope we both get in and can meet each other! That would be so awesome!</p>
<p>Do you already know any Korean? Have you need studying any lately? I have been staying up really late (like today) studying Russian… But it is so interesting!!! 
</p>
<p>@fromUSA2Russia </p>
<p>Wow, awesome!! Do you speak Chinese too? I wouldn’t say I “speak” it, but I studied it for two years (unfortunately my cyber school only offers two years)</p>
<p>I plan to study Middle Eastern studies in college and then pursue a career in International Relations with the Middle Eastern, so Turkish and Arabic are the NSLI-Y languages that make the most sense for me. I’ve always been super interested in Turkish history and pop culture, so…TURKISH 
I hope I get in!</p>
<p>There are two more government scholarships - CBYX, which is for a year in Germany, and YES, which is for a year in a variety of countries with significant Muslim populations, such as Oman, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Ghana, etc. You can do a NSLIY summer program and then do any of the year scholarships - people who’ve done summer programs tend to get preference for admissions in NSLIY year programs…So if you were to get Russian summer, you’d have a pretty good chance of getting into Russian year if you decided to apply again!</p>
<p>I have no idea!! I would have to cross that bridge when I get there, haha - hopefully I’ll get there! If I get YES, it depends what country I get. </p>
<p>@fromUSA2Russia </p>
<p>I have bought a textbook/workbook from ebay but Iv’e really only done like 3 chapters in it… XD I can introduce myself with my name, age, and family. I can say simple blank is blank sentences and I can order food too. ( Which is obviously the first thing to learn because food is one of the most important things lol Have you studied Russian at all? I can’t say I know much about the Russian language… My aunt owns a home stay in NY ( I live in IL ) where she hosts foreign students from other countries. Every summer I go and there is always a Russian girl/guy but since they are in America, they resort to English so I’ve never actually heard Russian in person before. Oh and sorry for all the questions XD I was wondering ( Unless you already told me but I forgot. ) how you got into Russian/ how were introduced to it. Everyone always has different answers for their country. It’s interesting to see what each person has to say :))</p>
<p>@evan241 </p>
<p>Sadly, I only know how to say “hi” in Chinese… My dad has tried to teach me and my siblings before, but it didn’t go to well… Though now, I kind of want him to teach me! But Chinese is a hard language for my brain to comprehend. </p>
<pre><code>I have heard from so many people and seen on different blogs how they all think that the summer program goes by too quick and how they all wish that it was longer. I am really thinking about applying in later years for the year program in Russia! I didn’t want to apply this year as a freshmen because I don’t know if I would be completely ready for a 10 month trip. Next year though!!!
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<p>Is it possible to do Russian summer, Russian year, and YES? (I would probably do Turkey, I have been studying a lot about it and I am really interested in learning more! But Russia is still my top choice!) I don’t think so but it can’t hurt to ask! </p>
<pre><code> I wish that I had studied more about International Relations before I applied, because for a career I just put down being a Orthotist Prosthetist and going to Russia as an adult (lame, I know ). It looks like an amazing career! When/how did you become interested in that profession?
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<p>This is a case where it would be a good thing to have a really hard decision to make!!! 
</p>
<p>@EmmaPotts </p>
<p>I have only studied Russian on my own, so I have learned the alphabet, simple greetings, and some phrases. I am currently working on grammar, because Russian grammar is very different from English grammar and can be really hard for native English speakers (like me) to learn it… But it makes it easier if you have a passion to learn it, which I do! </p>
<p>Don’t worry about the questions! I tend to ask people loads of questions too! I personally like them because then I know what to reply! </p>
<p>Hmmm, well I will start at the very beginning (and yes, now I have that song stuck in my head! ). I was first introduced to different countries and cultures when I was 10, because that was when my little sister from Haiti was adopted (the cutest girl ever, by the way! ). I saw how because she was disabled (cerabal palsy or however you spell it! :P) she was stuck in a crib for her whole first four years of her life… 
She still has a patch of hair in the back of her head that won’t grow due to laying constantly on it for 4 years straight… Around that time, I knew that God was leading me to travel to another country and help other orphans with or without disabilities. In Russia and the surrounding areas, orphans are very common, and I know so many people who have been adopted from there. Now, children cannot be adopted from citizens of the USA, which is heartbreaking… Then over the past two-four years, I have really found a passion for all things Russian, I really don’t know why! I just love the language, culture, and people. Whenever I learn about things in Russia, I am usually like, “hey! That looks like me!” Even friends and family will comment on how they learned something about Russia, and I already do it! I am currently doing a World History class which has me writing a three page research essay every week, and I have been doing them all on Russia (you could pick a country to do a nation project on and then have a list of choices to write about). Sorry that I can’t exactly answer your question… I really don’t know exactly where the passion came from, only that I LOVE Russia and I KNOW that I will visit there someday/somehow! (Where my user name came from!) </p>
<p>Lately I have also found a smaller passions for other countries (Turkey, Korea, and a couple Spanish countries), but not anything like for Russia!</p>
<p>What about you? How did you get your passion for Korea and Korean?</p>
<p>P.S. I LIVE IN IL TOO!!! Maybe we have seen each other without knowing it!!! </p>
<p>@fromUSA2Russia </p>
<p>That would be hilarious! lol and because we do live in the same state, there is a possibility we will go to the same interview. 
OH my god, I really wanted to take world history this year but for my school it’s a class only for sophmores. My social studies class is Cultural Geography so we are learning about cultures and geography of countries and I can’t wait till we get to our Asia unit because I will be the teacher when that happens XD My teacher already knows for my love for Korean and every day when I have his class he goes “Emma, how is Korea going?” Sorry for that little unnecessary story. And there is actually a boy in my class with the same thing, but he is Korean. I was reading about your sister and I knew what it was cause a boy in my class has it to. Unfortunately, I don’t like him but I bet your sister is super adorable~ How old is your little sister? </p>
<p>Anyway I was always fascinated with cultures because like I said before, my aunt has a homestay so every summer I’m exposed to different cultures, but I never met a Korean girl until last summer. I got into Korean the summer of 2011. Before then I was really interested in Japan. My dad has a business up there so he did business trips and always brought me back dolls, hello kitty merch, and Japanese candy. I started watching anime which helped me bond with one of my good friends who also happened to be Korean. I liked Japan at that point but I never was really interested in the culture and I definitely didn’t try to learn Japanese. I was at that friend’s house and she wanted me to watch a Korean drama. I refused with the line “I can’t understand anything.” but still I ended up watching my first ever drama Playful kiss. ( It fueled a lifelong addiction. ) For the next week I finished three dramas. By actually paying attention to the subtitles and the language, I picked up on some vocabulary like hello, I’m sorry, and I love you. Then in one drama I watched ( Boys over Flowers ) I heard this song ( Stand by me - SHINee ) I fell in love with how the song meant so much to me even though I couldn’t understand what the voices were talking about. So I am a HUGE K-pop fan and I banned myself from watching Korean dramas on the weekdays. So really my friend/ pop culture brought me to Korea but that is definitely not why I wanna go. I could care less about all that. I honestly really love the culture itself. The beauty of how they treat elders with their formal and informal language, to me, is super kind. I’ve gone to Korean church with my friend and I’ve even learned how to make Korean food (Kimbap) by hand. lol that was pretty long but yeah I didn’t want you to think I was here for the cute singers/actors. I truly have a passion for Korea. Like you as well, I wouldn’t mind going to other Asian countries/Spanish countries, but I know I’d do the best studying Korean compared to something else. </p>
<p>Pretty long answer XD Sorry, I love writing/talking. I actually really want to be an author when I grow up and I’m hoping to become an English teacher so I would love to teach English in Korea! </p>
<p>Okay question time. ( I’d like to keep this conversation going because talking about this makes me forgot about waiting for semifinalist notifications. ) Do you do any sports or clubs? And what does your family think about you studying abroad/ how do your friends think about you and your passion for Russia? </p>
<p>@EmmaPotts </p>
<pre><code>I really hope that we will be in the same interview!!! If we are both semi-finalists… 
That would probably help with the nerves because then I would be so excited to meet you! By the way, I should probably tell you that I am homeschooled, but play sports at the local high school. I was actually suppost to take Culteral Geography this year (which I REALLY want to do, because I love learning about other cultures and people!), but I ended up doing World History with my older sister. Don’t worry, I like hearing random stories, they make me laugh. My sister just turned 9, but she is mentally like a four-five year old, so she talks a lot and copies what we say around the house… She is always happy, loves music, and is always hungry for food (like most orphans do when they are adopted… :)) Do you have any siblings? I have four sisters in total, I am the second oldest…
I was actually considering becoming an English teacher in Russia, but my worst subject is English/grammar so that might not work out so well... :P My older sister LOVES writing, and whenever I write some thing then my mom tells me that it was "cute". (:| I have never really been good and English, grammar, or vocabulary, but I can still get A's barely... #:-S :P
I know right! It is weird how talking in a NSLI-Y thread can make me forget about the notifications! I also love talking and am a complete extrovert! People always ask me how I make friends as a homeschooled, and I am just like, [-( , “I have been talking your ear off this whole conversation but when we get to the subject of school that I am automatically an introvert! :P” It is always weird when my friends ask me that and then I am like, umm… aren’t we friends??? Sorry that I am going on and on about this, it kinda happens a lot!
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<p>Ahhh… The subject of sports… I could go on and on! To get it over with, I LOVE PLAYING SPORTS!!! Currently I am just doing Tae-Kown-Do (which is a year round daily sport that my family does), but tennis season just ended. Basketball and indoor tennis is in the winter, and softball and soccer is in the spring. I think already mentioned it, but oh well, Yae-Kwon-Do is year round. In the past, I have done gymnastics, water polo, and horseback riding. I also love playing things like ping-pong (I have been learning top-spin lately… :)), board games, and outdoor games (any kind). I also love to run, and I am more of a cross-country long distance runner because I don’t get tired to easily. My family are all big White Sox fans, what about your family? (Hopefully not the Cubs… :P) We go see some games every once in awhile, we sign up for free upper deck tickets every year with the kids program… We were at the last game the Paul Konerko played in, which was amazingly fun! What about you, do you like sports?</p>
<pre><code> I am not really in any clubs, because our “school” is kind of small! I would like to try a "Star-talk program some time because it would help my Russian. There is one at Lewis University this year!
Hmmm, my parents are okay with me going, my mom might be slightly worried if I end up going though… !think that they are supportive, they let me send in the application! I think that they just want me to do what God tells me to and right now I feel led to Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. This question is kind of random, but is your family religious at all? Back to the topic, :P, my close friends know about my passion for Russia and different cultures, but most of my sports friends don’t. One of my friends is actually going to Spain for two weeks over Spring break, and she also applied for NSLI-Y Russia summer! We are hoping to go together! That would be AWESOME!!! My friends mostly think that it looks cool to study abroad, but that it is not for them, so I don’t get to talk about it much… But the day I applied I literally talked my friend’s ear off about NSLI-Y… What about you?
Now for my question time! Have you ever traveled abroad anywhere? Do you live in the Northern half of IL? I do! (if you don’t want to say, it is okay, I know that this is a public forum…) Sorry for the long post!!! (I could’ve made it longer but I decided that it was probably long enough! ) Also sorry for any typos or anything, I don’t feel like editing this whole post, time for lunch!!!
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<p>@fromUSA2Russia </p>
<p>Don’t sell yourself short! I think you have a great change regardless of your age. I’m positive that they prioritize passion and maturity over your grade level. I’m actually really envious that you found this program as a freshman!! I wish I had started looking for programs like this before I was a junior. I’m also thinking pessimistically because quite frankly, there are going to be hundreds of applicants way more qualified than I am. </p>
<p>Oh well… If I don’t make it, I have other options for summer programs. And there’s always next year if I don’t make it! (Ughh but I want to go to Korea so badly. Pleaseee NSLI-Y [-O<)</p>
<p>As for the essays, I initially chose A (Describe a challenge outside your schoolwork that you faced during the past year. What did you do? Why?) but mid-through writing it, I was positive that it was utterly horrendous so I switched to B because I thought of a decent experience I could have written about. </p>
<p>@EmmaPotts</p>
<p>Wow, I feel quite ashamed to say that I haven’t really begun studying Korean whatsoever. Don’t I feel like an underachiever. :((</p>
<p>OK GUYS, I’m not going to lie. Part of the reason why Korea was my #1 choice was because of the influence of k-dramas. I’m not a great k-drama fanatic and I’m fully aware that they’re not accurate portrayals of life in SK, but the food… man they’ve got me hooked. ;-; Apart from that, I find the culture fascinating. The way the school runs, their technology, their language- I’m just infatuated with everything. Also, simply from reading the blogs and watching vlogs from previous Korean alumni, I really really really want to go to Seoul. </p>
<p>Honestly, if I was lucky enough to make it to the final rounds, I’d be happy going to any country!</p>
<p>@ZealousStudent </p>
<p>Same here, I think that there are so many applicants that have the same passion but also want to work for the government in some international job… I didn’t put anything like that for my career… I really need to work on being optimistic! I just don’t like to set myself up for disappointment. </p>
<p>Yes, I am soooo glad that I found this program as a freshmen!!! What other programs are you looking into (I have tried to look into some, but I don’t know where to look…) I HOPE THAT YOU MAKE IT!!! :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I wish that I had found an experience that I would’ve written about! Oh well, my essay seemed decent at least… I am so much better at writing research essays, biographies, and just about things that I have done…</p>
<p>I HOPE THAT WE ALL OF US ON HERE ARE ACCEPTED!!! </p>
<p>Why did you chose Korea? (This seems to be the topic of the day!) :)</p>
<p>Is anyone else checking this forum all the time and constantly thinking about December? I can’t wait to hear about our statuses…</p>
<p>@dory0814 </p>
<p>YES. Only three weeks-ish left!!</p>
<p>@fromUSA2Russia Thank you! I hope you get accepted into Russia! And no, I have no experience of Arabic. 
What about you with Russia? I think it’s so cool that you’re applying as a freshman! That’s so brave!! </p>
<p>Hi all! Yes @dory0814, I have been checking this constantly! But I couldn’t get on in the past couple hours, so I am behind on answering all the questions! </p>
<pre><code>@nemo2016 - I have just started studying Russian a couple weeks ago, after I got past the first month and a half of high school! I have been staying up late studying for about an hour every night, but it is so much fun that I don’t want to go to bed! Why did you choose to study Arabic? It would be really hard for me to learn Arabic, it all looks like scribbles to me! Also, I have always been known as adventurous, and this seems like it would be an awesome learning adventure!!!
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<p>@ZealousStudent - I have also watched all the blogs and blogs for Korea too! There is a lot for 2011… I wish that there were more for the other years! There isn’t any good videos for the Russian program, so I have just watched all the other country’s videos! </p>
<p>Whose parents have sent in their recommendation letter? My mom hasn’t started yet! But she still has a week at least… :)</p>
<p>Ahhh! Three more weeks!!! I can’t wait!! :P</p>
<p>@evan241 - A reply to the post on the Class of 2018 thread!</p>
<p>I bet your friend had an awesome time!!! (hopefully that will be me this summer!!! ) What program did she go with? Did she write a blog or vlog about her trip??? And YES, I also have been spending WAY too much time reading exchange blogs when I really should be studying! And I also agree with you on getting excited but trying to convince myself not too!!! It doesn’t help any when I am reading so many blogs about it though… :P</p>
<p>P.S. You can edit your post in the first 15 min. after you past it. It is the “tool” button in the top light corner. After 15 minutes is over you cannot edit you post any more… </p>
<p>I can’t wait, you guys. I seriously hope all of us get in! ahhhhh!!</p>
<p>I HOPE SO TOO!!! </p>
<p>Still checking this thread like crazy, but I just got home from a job shadowing… Kept my mind away from NSLI for once… </p>
<p>@fromUSA2Russia </p>
<p>I opened the 2018 thread thinking it was the 2016 thread…Then, when I saw you saying something about Russia, I assumed it was the NSLI-Y thread!!! Oopsies. </p>
<p>She went abroad with a scholarship called the Speedwell Foundation Scholarship, which is a local scholarship for central PA students (I spent a year in Argentina on this scholarship!!). I can’t quite remember if she has a blog - I’ll let you know if I come across it! I love exchange blogs <3 Though I probably wouldn’t blog in Turkey…I’d want to be 150% focused on my exchange life. </p>
<p>I saw on the other thread that you’re homeschooled! I’m not quite homeschooled, but I go to a cyber charter school! Alternative education NSLI-Y applicants unite!</p>
<p>@evan241 </p>
<p>:P Sorry for confusing you! </p>
<p>Sadly I don’t live in PA… I wish I did now!!! I would probably blog a little to show friends and family I am still alive… :P</p>
<p>Yay! Someone who understands being asked tons of questions about " my school"!!! How long have you been doing that? I have been homeschooled all my life but 5th grade and kindergarten… </p>