Hey! So you could say that I’m a pretty anxious, worrisome kind of person. The only thing that really calms my nerves is when someone reassures me that I’m on the right track, if that even makes sense… So lately, I’ve been super super super stressed out about colleges and what my chances are of getting in. I’m a junior who lived in another country for several years. I came back as a sophomore to a pretty competitive high school and I feel like I fell behind a bit. I have a pretty decent GPA and I’m taking several AP’s this year…my point is, do you think living abroad and applying what you’ve learned from that experience into your every day life, is something that colleges care about? Do you think this would even make me stand out? I really want to get into a good college!
If your question is, “Can I get into better places because I used to live outside the US?”, then the answer is No. Your international experience will not get you into any place that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to be admitted at.
No, I’m asking if using my experience to help others (I do a lot of volunteer work with people from that country) is beneficial. Also, I think I’m pretty qualified to get into the schools I want to get into.
I don’t agree with happymom1 on this. I think exposure to another culture - especially if it’s full immersion and not just am American school abroad for a year- does make you a more interesting applicant, especially since you are using your exposure to that culture to stay connected through your volunteer work. It gives you a unique perspective that many schools will value. It’s not possible to quantify that advantage - and it won’t make up for weak grades, test scores or letters of rec - but given a choice between two comparable students, the person whose had more interesting life experiences, is sensitive to cultural differences, has shown resiliency and adaptability that comes from moving between cultures, definitely has an advantage - in admission, and in life generally.
Thank you so much for that response! Yes, I do agree with you, but I just wanted an outsider’s opinion on the situation. I do agree that this kind of experience definitely doesn’t make up for a weak academic profile, which is why I’m even more motivated to do well in school.