<p>hi beautiful people :D so anyway I'm a US citizen who has lived abroad for all her school years(middle-eastern), and I'll probably be back in America for senior year. problem is: we have no such things as extracurricular, clubs, internships, ANYTHING in my country. so what do you think I should next year? what will be the best path? stats: 3.8 GPA, 2100 SAT (gonna get into 2300s), and that's about it for now..oh and 12 years swimming, 4 years volleyball, 3years badminton and track and field. also, I'm the student health examiner and peer counselor at my school (this is literally the most i could do here)
I'm trying to get into UC Davis, under animal biology. (I'll probably complete senior year in California)
I'm thinking I'll take 6 AP courses and 3 SAT subject tests, and get into a bunch of clubs. (do you think it would be good to start my own clubs and committees to show some leadership?)
thanks all for any advice you can give me</p>
<p>Your outside-school curriculum will be evaluated in the context of the opportunities you had. Since you are probably telling colleges about your life in a different country, you can include your insights into the chances you had there. For your background situation is different from most US applicants, you won’t be compared directly to students who had their entire high school careers in the country. Don’t stress to find ECs if they aren’t available right now; engage in the ones within your reach and dedicate yourself to enjoy your surrounding.</p>
<p>Bottom line is: get the best SAT that you can; keep doing well on the old/new school.</p>
<p>The sports and being a student health examiner seem like ECs to me…</p>
<p>However I do agree with Sandro— you won’t be compared to US students in that respect</p>
<p>Extra curricular activities are the things that you do when you aren’t in classes. Yours are just fine. Don’t worry about that anymore. While it would be a good idea for you to participate in any organizations that appeal to you, remember that you will be adjusting to a new school system and a new country at the very same time as you will need to be applying to colleges. Rather than trying to start a club or get yourself elected to office, your time may be better spent getting to know the teachers who will be writing your letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>If you are attending a US-style “international school”, you will probably be able to step right into senior level classes at your new high school. However, if you are attending a school that follows a different kid of curriculum, you will have to be careful about your placement. Your parents should get in contact with the school district that you will be attending so that they can find out what to do about your transcripts. You may need to have them formally evaluated. There are several companies that provide this service, one that I have heard good things about is [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/)</p>
<p>You also need to pay attention to the graduation requirements of the school that you will be attending in the US. You may need more than just one academic year to fulfill all of the requirements. If that is going to be the case, you may want to arrive in the US early enough to enroll in summer classes.</p>
<p>If your education has not been in schools where English is the medium of instruction, you will need to plan to take the TOEFL.</p>
<p>Your move to the US will be a big adventure for your whole family, and there will be challenges as you re-adapt to life here. Take a little time to learn about “cultural re-entry”. Knowing that others have gone through this adjustment will make it a bit easier for you. </p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>