<p>I should have stated I wanted to have my chances brutal. I know it isn't high but i would rather face the truth right now than when i open the letter. Stain99 thank you for your frank advice.</p>
<p>Look into the University of Rochester, and similar type schools that have a very "personal" approach to the review of applications. If you talk about your situation, moving back and forth, and the fact that you got to experience an alternate experience of HS life in contrast to the normal person, it may catch the adcom's attention :)</p>
<p>yeah UR seems like a good choice, your a science/math person right? so thats a plus, and also UR reaches 100% aid, so that will be good.</p>
<p>So do u guys think I should explain the lack of EC and education system in my essay? Wouldn't that sound like whining and an attempt to excuse myself?</p>
<p>uh hello? hello to earth? I just want the answer to this question since I need to focus heavily on my essay to get in.</p>
<p>No, your guidance counselor can explain that in her rec.</p>
<p>So i don't have to write about the different experience in the US? I really don't want to write about the difference because the educational system just sucks and is so score-based and I don't want to bash that in my essay.</p>
<p>oh yeah btw I don't think my GC knows all about the situation in Korea. Maybe I should inform her?</p>
<p>yeah, in fact i WOULD talk about your experience of differenes in the educational system, etc, but make it exciting, and if you do it properly at the same time you can excuse your lack of ECs...but you need to do it perfeeectttly or not at all. best of luck.......i know rochester is understanding.</p>
<p>anyone else? Because I really can't think of anything exciting in Korea. Well I had friends but everything revolved around academics. U know life in Korea is basically school, voluntary studying(actually mandatory), private educational institutions, home, sleep. this is the basic routine. There was a school festival in september. Maybe I should write about how I practiced in band for the festival as a group about for like at least half a day a few weeks before the festival. Anyways anymore thoughts?</p>
<p>Come on I am in need desperately</p>
<p>Please? (ten characters)</p>
<p>I think you have a good shot at Columbia Early, even though this year it was pretty random...while its RD was less random.</p>
<p>Rochester, USC, and Lafayette are three schools which can give you scholarship money</p>
<p>thnx I hope that's a brutal opinion of urs not just to make me feel good. Anyways could anyone answer my essay question?</p>
<p>Because I really can't think of anything exciting in Korea. Well I had friends but everything revolved around academics. U know life in Korea is basically school, voluntary studying(actually mandatory), private educational institutions, home, sleep. this is the basic routine. There was a school festival in september. Maybe I should write about how I practiced in band for the festival as a group about for like at least half a day a few weeks before the festival. Anyways anymore thoughts?</p>
<p>My best advice would be for you to write an essay about your experiences in Korea, and post it on here, or pm someone. I don't know if it is going to be too brutal or whiny unless I read it.</p>
<p>ok long time BUMP
I'm currently thinking about my list since i don't want to pressure my teachers into giving a ridiculous amount of recs for me.</p>
<p>Reach
Columbia (ED)
Swarthmore
Stanford
Harvard
MIT</p>
<p>Match
Washington U St. Louis</p>
<p>Sure Bet
U-Mich Ann Arbor
UVA(I'm in-state)</p>
<p>is this reasonable?</p>
<p>Apply ED to Columbia. If you don't get in, and you like Wash.U., apply ED II to Wash U. At Wash U ED makes a huge difference. I am not sure you can count it as a match applying RD (but I am pretty sure you will get in ED).</p>
<p>Donating blood - not considered EC
Help build farm - did you join some humanitarian group or was this farm like your grandparent's or something</p>
<p>I think you have a shot at Columbia ED. You have good score, which will help, but you also have to explain in your essays what you have to contribute to the Columbia besides your grades.</p>
<p>thanks i just listed all the random things i could think of so don't think i just thought of my MAJOR things. Farm rebuilding was actually done by some students. I didn't know the farmer and we went there to help.</p>
<p>The guidance counselor is the one that should include the information in his/her letter. Fully inform your GC about everything (all academic in Korea, etc.) and make sure the letter they send includes this. Also, a week or so after your app is sent, have your counselor call Columbia or any school to make sure that your app is there. This "personal" interest will make a slight impression on the admissions committee. Even if your counselor doesn't know you too well, make them aware of yourself and your goals and ride their butt until you get what you need from them.</p>
<p>You should think about applying to more LAC's besides Swarthmore like Amherst and Williams since they take more of a personal approach to admissions. They will probably empathize with you more than say Duke or Harvard who'll be put off by your very good but not quite stand-out sat/ap scores and grades. </p>
<p>Also Dartmouth and Brown take a more LAC like approach to admissions so you might want to think about applying to them. Cornell is another good one too.</p>
<p>Just make sure that you address the issue of moving around from one country to the other a LOT in your app. Make the sure the adcoms know how this affected every aspect of your life from your academics to your EC's etc...</p>