<p>I’m currently making may B.A.( In economics and a little bit of math) in Los Andes University, Colombia. I’m considering to apply for transfer to thist universities:</p>
<p>Strong background in extracurricular activities, particularly in leadership and social service.
Diverse honors provided by my school.
Diverse honors provided by national contests , particularly in physics.
President of the local student association.
I know how to play a variety of sports but I don’t have anything very special to show in this field.</p>
<p>National exam ( Like SAT but in Colombia)</p>
<p>Rank 8/400.000 ( In the whole country)</p>
<p>Honors in: Physics, chemistry and geography.
Best Student of my state.
I won a complete scholarship for my college( In any university in my country…they don’t pay me Harvard!)</p>
<p>College</p>
<p>GPA. 4.72/5</p>
<p>I won other scholarship because of my score on the national exam, but just for the first year.
I’m part of the students council.
In my freshmen year I wrote a paper and they publicated in a university magazine. It was about history of science.
Now I’m working in tow papers, one in macroeconomics and the other in history of science. I hope they will be published by the application time.
Probably I will become an official Investigation assistent and teacher.</p>
<p>I’m preparing for SAT…I’m thinking about 800 in math…700 in verbal…and 700 in the essay…</p>
<p>That’s all buddies…I’m hearing your advices…Thanks a lot</p>
<p>You definitely have a good chance, but is money an issue?
I think the schools you're interested in are sensitive to the financial need of international students . . .</p>
<p>I don't think they give any finaid to internationals, especially transfer students. Schools like brown, for example, do not give any financial aid to all transfers, us residents or internationals.</p>
<p>Wow impressive... no actually stellar. Very good at any rate. But I have a question, why would you want to transfer out? The schools you are going for seem like fits for you but wouldn't you'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a guppie in an ocean?</p>
<p>You should be utterly commended for all your hardwork! My only concern is your composition skills and grammar usage in English, as most of the schools you mentioned expect the highest degree of communication skills from their students. My first thoughts of course being the extensive papers ones has to write, speeches, presentations and gruelling essay exams. I've tutored a lot of ESL students over hte years and no matter how long they've been in America, there is still a hesitation in their composition skills, which is fundamental to a student's success in college. Why would anyone willingly want to go through all that?! Anyway...Those are all great schools that you might keep in mind for Graduate School.</p>
<p>Gabe...yes, but were they publicated in English? lol Sorry, couldn't resist. The only thing I have in front of me is his post and even without seeing a portfolio of "publicated" works (lol), I can say that all ESL students have problems with composition and comprehension, some more than others and that the schools he is referring to are incredibly difficult to get into for American students. Why beat around the bush and say that he's a "shoe-in"? That would be cruel and unfounded. No, I think his accomplishments are quite good and that he should pursue whatever he chooses, but to be realistic.</p>
<p>Um, anyone....can get things "published". It's the digital age. FYI: I got into three on his list.</p>
<p>Mexbruin.
Thank you very much for or answer. Your point is something very important whe you are considering this kind of choice.
Making the change from Colombia to US in the academical part is difficult because of the vocaculary that you have to learn and as a person you have to fit in a new system, but my curriculum is very important and rigourous , for example, In the second part of my sophomore year( which is the next semester) I'll take a course of differential ecuations.
The difference relies in the kind of people your are dealing with. I study with the kids of the most powerful people in my coutry, but studying in US, and particulary in an Ivy, is to study with the kids of the most powerful people in the World.
Many of my teachers quesion my desition because they think that undergraduate programs in thirdworld countries are academically better even in comparation with Harvard. And that's true, but the fact is that the world is not only of knowledge, is also composed of Social Networks.
The quest of US universities is not academical, is social. </p>
<p>Again, thanks for your comments.Don't hesitate in reply please.</p>
<p>Thanks four your comments. What you are stating is true. Right now I'm having serious trouble with the essay. The problem is not in the ability to think and structure the essay, the problem is to write it as well as in spanish, just flawless.
I hope I get a decent score in the essay( at least enough to be accepted) and if everything goes as planned, I'm thinking about taking intensive courses in english to solve that problem. I'd be wonderful if you help me.
My papers are initially in Spanish, but the idea is to place them in international journals, at least the one of history of science, so english just appears every where.</p>
<p>Again thanks for your comments and don't hesitate about replying.</p>
<p>Thanks your defense. My publications are in spanish, for now. The y must be translated, at least one of them, because the idea is to place them in international journals.</p>
<p>I hope than my stats in the SAT be as great as we are expecting.</p>
<p>If you want, I can help you in dealing in the publication of some works.</p>
<p>hmm, might not cut it for the top tiers. I cannot tell you why, but I can tell you that there are a lot of applicants with BETTER than your stats out there, and the transfer game is not all about grades.</p>
<p>though I think your stats are amazing, I'm a little confused about what you mean when you say that "The difference relies in the kind of people your are dealing with. I study with the kids of the most powerful people in my coutry, but studying in US, and particulary in an Ivy, is to study with the kids of the most powerful people in the World." and that the quest for universities in the US is social. I'm attending harvard next fall, and i know a lot of kids from my hs that are attending ivy leagues and similar liberal arts schools. These are not the kids of the most powerful people in the world. Most of them are just very smart, passionate, and engaged students who worked really hard to get where they are. their parents may be smart, but they're not in any way powerful. True, these students may go on to be important or influential figures, but none of these schools give you a free ticket to power or fame.</p>
<p>also, on the topic of english and composition skills, I would really warn you to consider what you're getting into. I lived on a hall this year with all asian scholars. Though two were highly proficient in english and amazing writers, one girl really struggled, and though there were tutors available and a few english courses for esl students, it was expected that you came into the school speaking english fluently. I attended wesleyan university (i'm a junior transfer to harvard) and I would say I wrote (on average) 50-100 pages per class, which would have been an extremely difficult undertaking had i not been fully proficient. Though colleges may have resources for students who speak english as a second language, no one is going to wait for you to catch up. </p>
<p>I'm really sorry if that sounded harsh in any way, i've just watched two of my (fluent) friends really struggle with the writing that is expected of college students.</p>
<p>Certaincertainties, I agree with what you said as well. It's hard enough for American students with impeccable records and subperb ambitions to get into these schools, let alone have success. I can't imagine what international/ESL students go through other than the classes that I have TA'd for on occasion.</p>
<p>Algorth, not a problem. Good luck to you! I have trouble with my Spanish composition even though I have taken 4 semesters in Spanish. Oh well. Yes, and please do not consider anything we have said as harsh, for I know I never intended them to be anything less than honest. :)</p>
<p>Algorth dices que los estudios en colombia son mucho mas dificiles que los de los EEUU? Nunca lo hubiera creido pero talvez tendras razon. Lo unico que si te pudiera decir es que que cuando te decidas cambiar a una de las universidades como Harvard, MIT, Berkeley debes de estar muy preparado porque aun sabes mucho de la teoria y la materia en tu pais natal los estados unidos es un mundo totalmente diferente y si no tienes la preparacion adecuada podran sufrir tus estudios. Como he dicho antes tus marcas son facinantes y debes de estar orgulloso por todo tu trabajo pero si lo que recomendo es que vengas preparado y listo para el trabajo. Eres muy capaz de lograrlo. Sigue adelante y todo saldra bien. Deberias pensar en aplicar a la escuela UCLA yo voy ahi y es una institucion/academia muy excelente y respetada mundialmente donde podras conocer mucha gente importante como dices los EEUU es mas lo social y quien sabes sobre el estudio y el valor academico. Oh una cosa mas no te preosupes tu ingles es mucho mas mejor que mi espanol. Yo te entiendo perfectamente solo ocupas la practica cuando vayas a escribir tus ensayos etc. Suerte! Adios.</p>
<p>Thanks for your post. The last practice test was 740, 590, 650. I hope I can raise them. But take a fact into account, my status of international student could help in the verbal part.</p>