<p>I'm going to be starting my junior year this September at a fairly well-ranked public high school in Michigan. I take all honors classes and took the ACT at the end of sophomore year with a composite score of 34. I have a 4.3 gpa (weighted) and am tied for the number one ranking in my year. I am an active participant in orchestra, house orchestra (a celtic group that plays at festivals around the country, and the captain of our school's Science Olympiad team. I've never traveled out of the country, and while I often help out at school and community events, I don't have any "official" community service credits. I'm looking to apply to UWC Davis Scholar this fall for my senior year plus one gap year of IB. Can someone with experience please tell me how well prepared they think I am to participate in the application process? Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Hey zproegler, I’m about to enter my second year as a Davis Scholar at UWC Maastricht. As far as your school credentials go, they look good. I don’t know what you mean by “official” community service hours, because helping out at school and community events can count as volunteering. I’d say you’re pretty poised to start the application. My advice? Focus on your essays now. A lot. These are the things they look at most to see if you’re a passionate student and whether or not you’d fit in at a UWC. If you get an interview, they’ll talk specifically about your essays as well. UWC isn’t your typical boarding school. You can have not as great qualifications, but win it in the essays/interview and get in. Or you can have AMAZING qualifications, but not show the right attitude for the school in your essays and be rejected. So make sure you to think about why exactly you want to go to a UWC as opposed to a different boarding school and what it could mean to you. Anyway, best of luck!</p>
<p>I’m going to join this thread because I’m applying too :)*</p>
<p>UWC has been my dream for a year. I wanted to apply last year but they said I was too young (I’m a rising junior now, but my birthday isn’t until november). Hopefully I’m qualified (4.0, no weighted classes because I moved and my classes got messed up, treasurer/committee chair of a volunteer club, a lot of volunteer work at a convalescent hospital where I started a new program, founder and president of a red cross club, jv softball captain, piano, science bowl, and I work two jobs-teaching piano and im about to start another one on weekends at a science museum- which I used the money from to pay my own way for a five week study abroad this summer)</p>
<p>Hopefully I have a good shot! I’m so nervous!*</p>
<p>From the uwc website, it looks like applications aren’t available until October 1st. Is there another way to get the essay prompts earlier?*</p>
<p>@gmspara And you said you’re in Maastricht? That’s brand new right? How is it? It looks amazing! From what I’ve looked at Norway would definitely be my top choice. But Maastricht is 2 or 3 because biking around a city would be so cool 
can you tell me some more about daily life at Maastricht?</p>
<p>And @zproegler sorry to hijack this thread! Good luck to you!*</p>
<p>@gmspara, thanks for the advice! So, from your experience, would you say that there’s a “typical” UWC student? How would you describe them? And @alwaysleah, good luck to you too! Where are you applying from?</p>
<p>I’m applying from california :)</p>
<p>@leah, you’ve got an impressive resume as well! I always love talking to other UWC kids and applicants, because they’re always intimidating. lol. As far as I know, there’s not way to get essay prompts early for fairness reasons! But you’ll be fine without getting them early. I didn’t start my app til December.
Maastricht is amazing! We had some kinks to work out but it’s really brought everyone really close together, so I wouldn’t change my experience at all. Biking around gets tiring sometimes (snow! eek!) but it’s a lot of fun to be in a city. It’s definitely really different from Norway which is a lot more isolated, but you have to decide what kind of campus you want! Maastricht for me will be different for other people, just because we don’t actually live on campus yet, but it’s going to be finished in 2 years or so. But yeah, daily life is fun, we go to school, we go to cultural events around the city, go out dancing, etc. It’s a blast. </p>
<p>@zproegler, I don’t think there’s a ‘typical’ student. The common denominator is that they’re all passionate about <em>something</em> but that can be volunteering or science or drama or anything. Also, admissions officers try to match you to the campus that fits your personality since each one definitely has its own feel and stereotypes. </p>
<p>Anyway, good luck guys. :)</p>
<p>I really like Norway because of the program with the Red Cross and the first aid team there since I ultimately want to go into medicine or (hopefully) work for the red cross! But at the same time, I don’t know it looks so isolated and cold! But maybe it would be a good thing to experience something so different And thanks!</p>
<p>Can I ask, what was your interview like? I heard some of them are all day. What do you do for so long?</p>
<p>I’m a sophmore this year and just discovered the UWC this past summer (2011). An alumni of the UWC- USA told me about it in June. At first it didn’t seem real but I’ve spent hours on different sites of the UWC and soon fell in love with it. I am definitely going to apply this year but I’m not sure what my chances of getting in are. </p>
<p>How highly do they look upon leadership? For example, I’m not on the student counccil but I am a leader in clubs, I’ve attended numerous leadership conferences in the last year, and I’ve played an instrument for 8 years, but not competitively. I have been active in community service weekly in the last 2 years and my grades are pretty good. I’m not taking any AP classes this year because my school does not allow it with double language students (which I am). I play on varsity softball and am thinking about doing club crew this fall. I’ve done a travel abroad this past summer and a mission trip. I’ve started a small organization that is still in the beginnnig stages.
I have a few questions and if someone could answer them that’d be great. </p>
<p>Does it help or harm you if you apply sophmore or junior year?
Can you apply junior year if you don’t get accepted sophmore year?
How low is the acceptance rate?<br>
Is there anything that can hurt you? Is the admissions council anyway biased towards different families or backrounds? (wealthy, middle class or underprivildged, private or public school kids, improvement in grades or activities vs staying the same as the year before, ethnic or white, American backround, etc.)
How safe are the campus’ in Africa, Asia, and South/ Central America? How safe are all of them?</p>
<p>I would really appreciate it if someone got back to me. Oh and I’m sorry for coming on the thread with no useful help. This is my first post and I couldn’t figure out where the new thread button was which is why I didn’t start a new thread. </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Hi, I am joining too… because i am a uwc applicant… I am applying from syria, and i know the selection process is kind of different. But i would appreciate all your advices. Anyway, i am 16 and this is my second year to apply, last year i was shortlisted and went on the selection weekend where the interview and the exam take place… but in the end they said that i still have 2 more years to apply and the older applicants deserve it more… I was sad but it only made me want it more… UWC has been my dream for the last year and i can’t wait for next year to apply… And the written application for 2012 has been out in my country already…
What I want to ask you guys and specially gmspara11 is concerning the selection process? Our results in syria defers from the US but i have an average of 97.63%… I speak fluent arabic and english… i study french too but not that good yet… I was a former student council president in my old school and working now on forming a student council in my new school… I have worked before as an english teacher and in a summer club as a group leader… I have volunteered in the sos and in the unrwa… I help whenever it is needed in my community… i used to live in ksa and i had friends from everywhere… and that what makes me want the uwc so bad because that international environment that it provides? so is my resume good enough and what exactly do they focus on in the interview? And gmspara11 i know a syrian student in uwc maastricht too and they tell me how good it is, so what is ur advice? and sorry zproegler for joining ur thread to ask questions with no answers…</p>
<p>My son attends UWC. He is having the time of his life (when he isn’t exhausted!) Some graduates say that the two years at UWC is so memorable that it is challenging to leave it behind to attend college. I don’t know how selection committees operate in other countries, but from what I can tell there is no single type of person that the US committee is looking for. Rather, they select a diverse group. Some have leadership backgrounds, others don’t. Some are stellar students, others are not particularly strong. However, from what I can tell everyone has something unique to contribute, and all students share a commitment to the UWC mission (surrounding peace and sustainability). As you put your application together you might consider how you fit with the mission statement and what you might bring to the UWC community. Some of the UWC campuses are in fairly remote locations and students spend a lot of time entertaining each other (through music, drama, sports, etc…)</p>
<p>In terms of your questions:<br>
A lot of applicants seem to apply during both sophomore and junior years. If you don’t make it in the first year apply again. In some instances sophomores are perfect candidates for a UWC, but aren’t quite ready for an international school. In my son’s interview group there were two applicants who applied sophomore year, didn’t make it in, but were selected junior year. If anything, it probably helps to apply two years in a row.</p>
<p>The interviews seem to vary depending on where you live. My son participated in an all day event that involved one-on-one interviews, small group discussions, activities, lunch, etc… There was also a time for parents to ask questions. The day just requires you to be yourself.</p>
<p>I believe that the acceptance rate varies from year to year (for U.S. applicants). It’s my understanding that there is an attempt to balance geographical diversity and gender. There seem to be more girls applying, so this makes it tougher for female applicants. However, don’t let the possibility of low acceptance rates deter you. </p>
<p>Acceptance as a Davis Scholar is totally based on merit. There is no discrimination on the basis of socioeconomic status, race, religion, sexual orientation, weird family situations, or anything else. There are no hidden costs associated with the program other than the expectation that you will help make the world a better place.</p>
<p>In terms of safety, I have not heard of any major safety issues, but I am not totally familiar with this. At a parents meeting we were told that some campuses have a fairly large safety staff, while at other campuses minimal precautions are taken because crime is so low in the area. UWC is not like a traditional boarding school and works on service projects in fairly risky parts of the world. The program encourages independence and service, so students sometimes travel independently. There are also wilderness trips that are carefully planned, but there is always some risk involved. Each campus is unique with regards to just about everything you can imagine (food, comfort, urban/rural setting, teaching styles, etc…). Some of the campuses seem to have more stringent rules, curfews, etc… than others. You have an opportunity to rank order your preferences (if you are a US applicant) so find out as much as possible about each schools before submitting your application. (You can reorder preferences after interviews).</p>
<p>One final thing to note is that the International Baccalaureate degree is very intense and some schools have requirements that are above and beyond the IB standards. If you are a U.S. student you will be in classes with some students who are academic superstars in their home countries. Even though UWC offers amazing opportunities and lifelong memories it can be painfully challenging. At the end of the day the school work is rigorous and the two years spent at UWC can be a bit of a roller coaster ride for many (probably most) students. However, when all is said and done I have never heard of anyone regretting a UWC education. </p>
<p>An interesting site is the UWC online magazine: interuwcmag.■■■■■■■■■■■■■. Some other sources of information include the UWC-USA website (check out UWC Life, media section). If you are interested in connecting with current UWC students and other Davis Scholar applicants visit the discussion section of the UWC-USA facebook page. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanx a lot thumzup, and good luck for your son,</p>
<p>Wait. Are you going to delay the college process to go to this school? I really wanted to go to this school too (I am a rising senior) but didnt know if it was good to take another whole year of schooling.
Thoughts?</p>
<p>You can only apply as a high school sophomore or junior. It is a two year program so if you enter after your junior year you do an extra year before college.</p>
<p>You’re credentials are really impressive and I commend your decision to get international experience at such a young age. It really is life changing. If you do end up going, you should blog about your experiences on [Student</a> Gone Global : Coming Soon](<a href=“http://www.studentsgoneglobal.com%5DStudent”>http://www.studentsgoneglobal.com). It’s a blogging community just for study abroad students/and the beginning of a movement for international education.</p>
<p>I grew up near the UWC USA and it’s always been something I’ve been interested in. I was wondering if you had specific details on the application process, like how much standardized tests are considered? I took mine thinking that I wouldn’t have to use them for anything and was planning to take them again, and then once I saw the dates for tests need for the application, I realized that I had to use these test scores. I’m worried that they’ll be the deciding factor for whether or not I get in.</p>
<p>@mirvinvitela One of my best friends is a UWC student and she said that the scores are important, but they are not the deciding factor. They are more interested in you as a student. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your composite score? If you have any other questions about applying, feel free to ask. I am also applying and have asked my share of questions to many current UWC students.</p>
<p>@Ashbry8</p>
<p>My composite score is (embarrassingly), a 27 for my ACT. I didn’t think I would have to use it , so I didn’t prepare in any way. I also am president of our school FCCLA, treasurer of my class for student council, captain of the forensics team, founder and president of a political discussion forum, volunteer with the local justice system, etc etc. I’m just so nervous! And thanks so much for the offer of questions, I’ll probably have some come up as the application process continues :)</p>
<p>@mirvinvitela my composite score is the same, but I am not focused on that. I’ve tried to paint a better picture of myself using the essays. You are very involved which is very good. If you have other test scores such as PLAN, PSAT, etc. Include them, if you don’t have them I believe your guidance counselors are supposed to keep them. Those can help round out your academic portion of the application. Whether you are a junior or a sophomore will also play a role in it as well.</p>
<p>Hello all of you 
You all seem really passionate and impressive! Is the competition really that strong with UWC? I feel like just being able to apply and get that chance is enough for me, so competition doesn’t matter. Should i be more competitive? </p>
<p>Anyhoo what are your choices for uwc collages if you get in? I’m applying from Canada and hopefully will get into the Adriatic college. In the interviews do they ask what your preferred collages are?
Thanks!</p>
<p>@smelltheroses91</p>
<p>1) There is an eight per cent acceptance rate in the USA. I imagine this is higher in Canada.
2) Be competitive. It will only get you more scholarships and give you a bigger say when it comes to choosing colleges.
3) USA, Canada, and UK and my choices… for now.
4) Those who applied through the U.S. committee were asked upon sending their application and once again upon being offered an interview.</p>
<p>Best wishes</p>