I came to the US a year ago and started my junior year here. I’m not so active in my school – I’ve just joined like two clubs. (I’m active outside of school though). But my parents want to move to another city, and now I have to change schools again. Is this going to hurt my college application in any way? Do I have to find letters of recommendation from my new school?
If your parents want to move, will you have any control over it anyway? My point is if this is out of your control, it’s better for you to look forward rather than back, and try to make the best out of whatever situation you are in. Resilience is a prized trait, and if you can work that in either through your essays or recommendations, that will be helpful to you.
Here’s how moving could hurt you with regard to your college application: (1) you change states and you wanted to go to a public university in your old state; (2) it makes it harder to get in a leadership position in your ECs because kids don’t know you well enough to vote for you; (3) it makes it harder to get a personalized recommendation from your guidance counselor; (4) it makes it harder to get teacher recommendations since your new teachers won’t know you that well. Depending on how helpful your GC is at your new school and your teachers are at your old school, you might be able to arrange for your old teachers to provide the teacher recommendations.
Since you’ve only been in your current school for 1 year, I wonder how weighty my points 2 & 3 are anyway.
Try to secure some recommendations from this past year’s teachers. Ask nicely, don’t forget the thank you note, and make sure the letters are uploaded on common app. Then if you switch schools you’ll ask for letters from your teachers this year but they won’t have had enough opportunity to observe you.
You may want to add a few universities that don’t require teacher recommendations.
Have you taken the sat or act?