<p>I am looking into studying abroad in my junior year (I am a rising sophomore) and considering applying to Rotary's program. However, my current academic plan for junior year is that I will be taking about 5 APs. Right now I am number 1 in my class and as long as I maintain straight As next year I will continue to be there. However, if during my junior year I do decide to study abroad I will forgo my number 1 spot (most likely). In the end the decision will be a personal one of course (and having my parents agree to it will be a big factor, too), but just out of curiosity, which do you think colleges would look upon more favorably? (Although, for the record, if I am accepted and my parents agree, I will definitely go abroad. Plus, if I give up having a block off each day in my senior year I could theoretically make up the deficit. Still, not sure I would want to do that.)</p>
<p>Study abroad is better. Valedictorian status is overrated.</p>
<p>Study abroad by all means. Hell I just heard a stat that 70% of the valadectorians that apply to the University of Pennslyvania get rejected.</p>
<p>study abroad woild be my choice (and it actually was as a matter of fact)
Go to a country like Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus :cool: a life-changing experience, for an american at least</p>
<p>Study abroad for sure. The experience could change your life, and being val... well... won't.</p>
<p>A few spots don't matter that much when it comes down to it. If you have good grades then you are fine. Studying abroad is a life changing experience...by all means do it.</p>
<p>O man I studyed Belarus soooo much with the revolution that they are attempting. My senior project was on revolutions such as that one, the velvet rev,the orange rev, the rose rev, etc...</p>
<p>
[quote]
the orange rev
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damn crazy stupid nationalist westerners screwed up the country ... hate them :mad:</p>
<p>Wo calm down. You can't say that you didn't like the fact that Ukraine got freed from the overbearing and repressive remnants of the communist regime. That was the only rev that I followed in real time from start to end and I found it very inspirational. Yes the West is very pretentious and single-minded...but I think it was more positive than negative.</p>
<p>study abroad most definetly. if i had the chance to, i would. if you're overly concerned with college admissions and stuff, your experience could be an interesting essay, plus you'll get to see other cultures and learn many things that being valedictorian could never give you.</p>
<p>Figgy
i was there. not in kiev, but in 2nd largest city, kharkiv. we were mostly pro-yanukovitch, even though there was a bunch of oranges there. i was offered $3 an hour to stand all night on the square with a flag while it was like -20 C outside. the sad thing is that a lot of my friends agreed, sold out. this is not freeing, the situation was much more complicated then the american and european media have described. either way the country was going to get screwed over no matter who won. there was a whole bunch of other things your journalists did not talk about, but i dont think this is the right time and place to discuss them.</p>
<p>pm me then. This was my senior project (well the velvet revolution was my main one) so I am very interested in this. Please lets discuss it.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wo calm down. You can't say that you didn't like the fact that Ukraine got freed from the overbearing and repressive remnants of the communist regime. That was the only rev that I followed in real time from start to end and I found it very inspirational. Yes the West is very pretentious and single-minded...but I think it was more positive than negative.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Trust me, it's one more point to "Why we don't need war in Iraq? I have friends and relatives in Ukraine, all they are doing is swearing on this revolution.
How is that going, - Democracy is when everyone does what a big democrat thinks they should do.</p>
<p>Definitely study abroad. No doubt about it.</p>
<p>Wait you mean ur relatives were against it? Well it isn't too suprising since there still were a lot of people on the other side...</p>
<p>p.s. I hate Bush so I'm not one...of those people lol.</p>
<p>Stay home. You can study abroad in college, when it will benefit you more. For now, enjoy your time at home, as it will soon be over.</p>
<p>It depends what schools you plan on applying to as well as how much you will drop in ranking. Valedictorian status, no matter what anyone else says, is very highly regarded. However, studying abroad does offer many opportunities and can change your life.</p>
<p>Personally, I would stay home because like the previous poster said, you can always study abroad in college.</p>
<p>If it means only moving down one or two ranks to Salutatorian..then by all means go study aboard</p>
<p>but in the case where it'll bump u down to like #5 and lower, I wouldn't risk it...because if you are looking from the college perspective...study abroad is just like an EC/award...and rank and grades always precedes that in their decision</p>
<p>I don't think if your rank remains in the top ten, it will make that big of a difference. Vals and sals get rejected from top colleges all the time. Now if you study aboard and do a research project as well to be graded by a teacher from back home, that will defintely make you stand out. I regret so badly not studying aboard during HS. I regret so much. I'm making my children do it.</p>
<p>What is Study Abroad? I've heard of it.</p>
<p>^To study at a foreign Country... (ie foreign exchange student)</p>
<p>I think that of course you should study abroad, but first find out if your school accepts the credits that you may earn there... If not you can always do a short term. It is during the summer and can last any where from 3-8 weeks. </p>
<p>Do you know that if you decide to go, that your parents must house a foreign exchange student?</p>