Very Tough Situation - Homeschooled, International, no leads on what to do

Applying to College
101

Yeah of course I’ll probably talk with the guys there and get information I could never get right now, and use that to attempt to transfer with financial aid. And about that, the plan (or hope according to a certain someone here) is to just win through sheer power, be so desirable that I could get 5 students’ worth of full financial aid… jk lol.

But I really can’t say anything for sure now, there’s so much information that I can only get after I start uni… and even if I don’t manage to transfer soon, it’s still fine.

102

Do you have a job right now? Or are you able to get one? I know in the US, some companies will help pay for your education if you work for them- I don’t know if that is true internationally.

103

Yeah thanks, I’m gonna have to sort this through my head first to see what’s the best course of action for the upcoming few months. I have a lot of options to go through thanks to all of you, but I have to spend time analyzing everything now.

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104

Yeah that’s called a sponsorship, but there are a lot of strings attached I believe, especially if I’m the one going to them for help, rather than them giving me an offer which I can manipulate until it’s to my liking.

I do not have a job right now. Jobs in Syria are somewhat strange, and the salary isn’t worth the time I could be spending elsewhere (most are less than a dollar an hour yikes), like learning the language required for my destination, starting uni asap, or something else.

Woops forgot to mention Dubai. It’s extremely difficult to work there, especially without a bachelor’s degree.

105

Ok, I’ve now read the 100-post thread.

Key question: are you a Syrian refugee in the UAE ? Or a UAE national whose parents are working in syria -if so, what type of workbdo they do?
Being a refugee would make some things easier for you if you are but otherwise not impossible.

I’m going to work on the assumption that your priorities are getting out of the UAE and moving forward with your education.

As a result, I’ll focus on 2 countries that would work, Germany and France, because both have tuition-free programs and both allow international students to work while they study (as long as you understand it’ll be a minimum wage, part time job), they select on exam results only so A*AA would guarantee you a place somewhere and somewhere decent.
Advantages to Germany: they really want more educated immigrants, the StudienKolleg system allows you to get to the level of German you need, you could also apply to HochSchüle programs in English (haven’t checked if there are any in science but look it up) in addition to University programs. Since you’ve already researched Germany, you peivably know what university programs you can aim for - just add HochSchüle.

Advantages to France: they have 2* types of selective 2+3 programs that would be ideal for you since you’d have 2 years to “prove your mettle” and reach for the top 10 programs; added bonus, due to the latest secondary reform, some of these haven’t filled to capacity due to lacking applicants with the requisite math/physics/chemistry background needed (some are still admitting students, so if there wasn’t a visa problem you might be enrolling Sept 3…)
(*there’s a 3rd one but it wouldn’t match your needs).
The 2 programs differ in intensity and likelihood of reaching a prestigious school. Both require you to be fluent in French.
The 1st one I have never recommended to anyone (because the regimen is dreadful) but based on what you said it may match your strengths: it’s called the prepa system. You do nothing but study math, physics, chemistry, (20hours a week) plus a little bit of English and Humanities (4 hours a week). You have to be quick, it goes fast. You start at 8 am and go till 12, have a one hour break, then 3 hours of class solving problems, then a one hour break, then a 1 hour oral exam where the professor shows you everything you don’t know. You do that 5 days a week and on Saturday you have a 4 hour or 5 hour exam (which may be used to rank you against classmates). If you survive, you’re 100% guaranteed a place at sth called a Grande Ecole. The best ones actually pay you to study in exchange for a promise you’ll work for France afterwards (I’m not sure they pay internationals); there are co ops, too, and paid summer internships. Graduating from these schools means you can command a high salary and, depending on which one, you’re set for life.
ALevels actually cover part of the math, physics, and chemistry so you’d have a content advantage compared to classmates even if they would have the language advantage. Another advantage : they’re located in special buildings in public prep schools, so there are some all over the country. You may apply to 10 with scholarship room&board (in big cities) and 10 without (in small towns). Your odds of acceptance are very high if you apply to those smaller towns like Chambery, where rent is cheapest and where they’re into “nurturing talent”. A big downside is that it’s so intense you can’t really work at the same time.
The other system is called IUT. It’s less intense, with half theoretical half hands on teaching, and after 2 or 3 years you can attempt to get into the same Grandes écoles but no guarantee. Big bonus though, you CAN work alongside your studies. For both, you need a B2 level in French which is HARD to do (I don’t know if you need the language assessment before you apply or before you enroll).
The official application is campusfrance I think; information is on the website Parcoursup (just check " CPGE" or “IUT” in the left hand column and enter Physique in the search window).
€5,000 is a tight budget (expect €360 in small towns, €800 a month in Paris for rent, €200 for food/incidentals at a minimum - there are balanced €1 meals for college students- and €150-300 a year for transportation).

Those are your 2 most expedient solutions.

Other possibilities : Berea college in the US, Waterloo in Canada (apply before December for merit scholarships).

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106

I think one of your biggest obstacles right now is financing. It seems like getting a job to start saving up would be worth your time. Again, I don’t know the job situation in Syria, but are there no minimum wage jobs in Dubai? Something like a restaurant, babysitting, anything? Whatever you do is going to require some money. It is also a way to network and possibly get some work references.

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Man that was an absolute delight to read, thank you!

Unfortunately I’m not a refugee at the moment, I’m just a resident. I’m in Syria at the moment, and yes, you landed a bullseye on the assumption of my priorities.

I definitely thought about France before, but in my head I thought Germany had everything that France could offer me and even better, so I didn’t go too deep into searching it. That first option looks like hell (in a good and bad way); I’m a very erratic guy, so chaining me down to a routine for months might make me go nuts, but I’d have to see how exciting those hours are (level of competition, interactions with the professors, how much hands-on work I can do, etc)

I quickly pulled up what the Grand Ecoles is, and it looks like something that’s on par with the top 3 universities in the US or even more outstanding; and I absolutely itch for that level of competition, so it does seem enticing. I’m gonna do more research on all this, and if it catches my eye enough it might overtake Germany in my preference, plus French is slightly easier than German to learn (still difficult af, don’t get me wrong).

The IUT might be my preference if I determine that the first program isn’t all that exciting for the time investment and inflexibility, since I’d still be able to have a great shot at the Grande Ecole if I can manage to destroy the system in a significant and impressive shorter period of time, but that’s easier said than done.

The university I was aiming at the most in Canada was in fact Waterloo, as it caught my eye due to a multitude of factors, and it quickly seemed to be promising if I could somehow manage to land a huge scholarship… but as I did more and more research and received more information, things got dimmer and dimmer from all angles, until I had to give up on it until I find a new discovery. The merit scholarships aren’t gonna near cover the $40k/year, and even if I did somehow manage to discover something to cover my finances AT the university, I won’t be able to convince the Canadian Embassy for proof of financial means to provide the study permit, plus it’s a gamble anyways and it could turn ugly real quick.

I really have to thank you so much for this elegant insight, and you just made me reach my threshold of keeping everything tracked in my head; there’s too much information now that I gotta write it down to keep track of it lol.

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Thing is if I’m gonna work I’d rather it be something more impressive, even at the cost of a lower salary. A few months of work won’t make me rack up that much anyways, so it’s better to look for a more prestigious job. At the moment I really like the idea of working as an interpreter, and doing some online volunteering; both will give me plenty of networking opportunities.

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No it’s not. Work is work…and the money you earn is money. One of my kids worked in a restaurant kitchen washing dishes. It wasn’t glamorous but it was good hours. You need the money to attend college more than you need a prestige job…in my opinion.

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110

I agree with you, and it’s not that I’m shaming minimum wage jobs, in fact I do want to work in one for a few months, just for the experience. However, now is not the time, and I think I can rack up enough money for college in Germany or France or something anyways.

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This is an interesting thread. I hope you go on Reddit. There are a few international kids (more structured schooling) who managed to get full rides to smaller SLACs. Might be a better forum than CC (don’t kill me - USbased parent centric) for ideas.

Your life story might be very compelling to the right US school.

As for Waterloo (my alma mater!), they take notice of their math competitions. If you get a perfect score, might get more $. It’s risky to rely on co-ops especially since you have to pay to live wherever you are.

This is an example - international full ride to WandLee and Colby. But the poster was enrolled in school and tons of structured activities. Even took a gap year to re-apply. If you can use the next year to engage in extracurriculars that are compelling in some way (I am not an AO - i have no idea).

https://www.reddit.com/r/collegeresults/comments/ttjp5n/filipino_kid_who_got_massacred_in_fall_2021/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

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OP- gonna give it to you straight.

I’m the child of both immigrants and refugees and boy, your attitude does not jive with what they experienced. You would take a minimum wage job but “now’s not the time?” When you need money for your education? You won’t consider something that isn’t prestigious- when your options at home are so limited? Berea is beneath you? You need a job that’s impressive? You want a magical competition which will show a foreign university that you are worth taking a gamble on AND helping you get a visa AND funding you for a Bachelor’s degree?

Not in my family. That’s not how it worked. I won’t bore you with the picking plums and hiding in forests and escaping from concentration camps and all that jazz… but the bottom line is that money is money (do ANYTHING you can right now to build up your education fund), work is work (and it’s all valuable, whether you love it or hate it), and thinking that you’re going to find a prestigious program somewhere in the world to pay you gobs of money to attend is just magical thinking.

Earn money. Starting tomorrow. Continue to research your options- New Zealand? Netherlands? Yeah, you are a strong student. Along with tens of thousands of other young people in the world trying to move from country A to country B, all of whom need money and a visa.

Your parents only think that a handful of universities are worth attending? Too bad, that’s on them. Get your Bachelor’s. Do well. Then you can figure out the next step. I’ve got family members with Bachelor’s from U’s you’ve never heard of. And then Doctorates from some of the most famous places on the planets (fully funded), AND student visas and then- the coveted “Alien of exceptional ability” visa for the US.

Now is not the time for what- you’re going to create nuclear fission in your bathtub over the next few months? No. You are fully baked as a HS student. Your job is to find enough money to get yourself out of the country and launched academically. There is no international competition prestigious enough to overcome your geographic and financial hurdles… so leave that plan by the side of the road. Start waiting tables and practicing your German if that’s the lowest barrier to entry for you.

Get practical. Successful immigrants are resilient and practical and don’t care about prestige (you can’t eat prestige). Start acting like a successful immigrant.

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113

Hey thanks for the feedback! I’m gonna assume you didn’t read everything I said, and I don’t blame you, there’s a lot of things now lol. By the things you said, I can see that you misunderstood a lot of what I said, but there’s still a lot of truth and wisdom coming from you regardless, and I’m gonna take this valuable wisdom into my considerations.

First of all, I’m not an immigrant nor a refugee, I left just before the peak of the war began, so I haven’t really felt the pain, plus I’m generally emotionally detached so these things won’t affect me much anyways. I kinda exaggerated by an “impressive” job, I just meant something a little unorthodox, which an interpreter/translator is.

I do not want a prestigious program for my bachelor’s. I’ve said this before, but all bachelor degrees are equally impressive for me. It’s the connections you make and things you do outside the university curriculum that really build your strength up (according to my intuition at least). The place where I’m gonna be studying is what really matters to me; lifestyle options, costs, culture, weather, opportunities, etc. My dad had this discussion with me too: he told me I can go to the worst university in Syria for my bachelor’s if I want, and then get a Master’s, doctorate or a PhD at MIT for example, and that will be what everyone will look at when they hire me or analyze my background.

With how I’m setting up my plan, I won’t need to rack up money if I go to Germany or France or somewhere in Europe, but I do want to start some sort of work asap; there’s nothing to lose after all, only gain. I think I have enough options right now too, any more and I’ll just be spending too much time planning and researching without getting anything done.

Hmmm… Creating a nuclear fission in my bathtub? I like the sound of that. But seriously, after I smoothed out some kinks in my thinking, I realized it’s not important to do something huge to try and get a huge scholarship based off that; after all, I still don’t have enough information, no guarantees, and no backup plans if I dedicate myself towards it. It’s still something I should look out for so I don’t miss it, but it shouldn’t take away my focus from moving forward. My priority is getting out of the country and beginning uni asap, where I can get all the information I want, make all the connections I need, and there I will be able to create a nuclear fission reactor in my bathtub :wink:.

I’ll be honest, I’m mentally spoiled. Everything’s been too easy for me so far, except the clear impossibles which I often discarded. I don’t yet understand the worth of work (like, a job), the value of money (I do, but only through intuition, and through experience on a tiny scale), nor the importance of hard work (work ethic and discipline). I do know for a fact I’m much, much more capable than others, but I know that I sucked at getting things done, and the fact that I’m still inferior to many others in a lot of areas. I’m just raw talent right now, and I believe I need refining through discipline and really hard failures, and the presence of a strong community.

But don’t let that take away from the fact that I was heavily affected by circumstances, analogize that to obese people in poor families. But at least I’m self aware of this now, and I’m actively working on correcting it.

Much, much thanks for your bluntness. Hearing sharp, blunt feedback really humbles me and kinda makes me scared, like someone attempting to cage a bird, but makes me come clean and spit out all my wrong thinking and think more realistically, yet still creatively.

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Hey man thanks for the awesome feedback! I’ve dug on reddit for more than I’d like to admit, but it hasn’t occurred to me to look there for financial prospects :exploding_head:, thanks for the inspiration! I’m getting plenty of help here even though it is US based, cause the help I need is generic for the most part (but specific to my case) so anything works really, but I am using multiple platforms for feedback and information.

I’ve took a shallow dive at what competitions are present in Canada, things like Euclid and Sir Isaac newton, and the competitions look to be well-within my knowledge spectrum, but I need some practice to get used to answering contest-style questions. And even with a perfect score, it’s not guaranteed to cover the costs among other things; North America is ruthless when it comes to money.

I’ve also taken a look at the reddit post you linked, and delved a bit into that subreddit and a few related ones… and I gotta say I feel super humbled (and inspired) right now lol, but still confident I can continue with my plan. A gap year sounds great to focus on building up my EC repertoire, but there really ain’t much for me to do here. I still think the best thing to do is just focus on leaving the country and getting admitted someplace where tuition is nearly free, like Germany, where I’ll then be able to do all the extracurriculars I want to, contribute to the university, and make a huge network.

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Have to completely agree with @blossom. You are not getting it. Brutal honesty:

Your, what appears to be, narcissistic attitude does not bode well for any success, anywhere.

What century are you living in? You were asking for financial aid and found out that that’s not going to happen in this part of the world. You said you were guaranteed admission in any college because of your grades. Newsflash, millions of students get great grades. You are assuming everything will be free. How will you eat? I suspect you will respond to my post because each of your posts make excuses for why you can’t work if the job isn’t prestigious, why you can’t worry about saving cash, etc.

I do know for a fact I’m much, much more capable than others,
The Value of work, money, and work ethic IS what is expected of every college student. You don’t seem to grasp this, nor appear to be mature enough to even begin at a university setting.

If you were much more capable than others, you wouldn’t be in this situation.

  • Capable university-level students meet deadlines, because future students know that this is a life skill, and is necessary to function in countries throughout the world.

  • Capable university-level students, without funds-requiring financial aid, will do anything and everything to get a bare bones job, to get cash in hand. In this current economy, everywhere in the world, everything costs money. You don’t speak the language in Germany and France and will need to self support. Sugar Daddy’s don’t happen that often.

  • Capable university-level students are not so full of themselves, that they can’t see that there are other students who are more capable and who are extremely gifted, strong, intelligent, have the right coursework, attitude, recommenders etc. In other words, you have only provided a lot of naive assumptions, no credible research, and conceit. That’s how you come across.

There appears to be a gap in your receptive language skills. You don’t appear to listen to experience. This does not bode well for networking with university professors and classmates. Just my take on how you come across.

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116

Go to uni-assist.de. Ive copied out the most important requirements for admission to a German university:

  • In order for the GCE to be recognised, you must provide evidence of four examination subjects that are independent of one another and have general education (non-vocational) content.

  • These subjects must include a) a language and b) mathematics or one of the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, or physics).

  • A minimum of three of the four examination subjects must have been passed on the level of GCE AL. The level GCE AS is sufficient for the fourth examination subject.

  • If you intend to study a subject related to natural science, you must demonstrate a total of two GCE AL examinations in the subjects of mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics.

  • These Language certificates are accepted by all universities:
    DSH

  • TestDaF (You can find notes on submitting this in our FAQs)

  • Certificates issued by the Goethe-Institut

  • The DSD German language diploma (“Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz”)

Each university you apply to through uni-assist.de will determine whether you satisfy their requirements. If they decide that you don’t, they will place you on a one year bridging course called Studienkolleg, at the end of which you will have to pass examinations in order to be admitted. Since you have dropped out of high school, they may place you in the bridging course regardless, for you to prove that you can function in a classroom setting. It adds another year to your bachelors, but will be fully funded.

Because that is the thing about Germany: if you are admitted to university (and physics isn’t oversubscribed) and can gain residency, you can apply for federal aid and will be funded (grants and loans), and you can also work, but within limits, as MYOS explained.

Since your parents are required to support you until you have completed your degree, someone is going to contact your parents and try to get them to pay child support within their means. This will not be enforceable in Syria or the UAE but it would be only fair if your parents complied with supporting you within their means, or least provided information or even documents why they couldn’t, so the poor person in charge of trying to explain this to parents worldwide, which, depending on state, might be yours truly, can at least close the file.

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117

I’m inclined to think there are language and cultural barriers, rather than receptive language issues.

OP, how much education have you had in English and how much interaction have you had with native English speakers?

If you are indeed self-educated, then I congratulate you.

Anyway, you seem on your way to getting a college degree in the west.

If I were you, I would apply to your dream US schools and a few schools known to give full aid to foreigners. In addition to German and French schools. Get fee waivers for US applications.

Try to take SAT.

US STEM graduates are eligible for 3 year stem opt visas after graduation.

And apply to the US diversity green card lottery annually.

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Diversity-Visa

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118

There are very few physics programs taught in English (engineering, much better odds!) and none at universities that I can find, except for this one, which I’d check out asap if I were you:

German universities don’t care about competitions or ECs or how much or how little you studied in order to get your qualifications (with the exception of your not having been to high school for two years, but that’s why I think they may steer you to Studienkolleg whether you satisfy the A level requirements on paper or not). And if they admit you, they won’t mind your delusions of grandiosity. They will look at how well you do in their exams, intermediate and final. That’s it. If you are for real (I admit I have doubts) and if you are as good as you say, you will succeed.

But if you really only spent one or two hours a day on studying, and never worked, what on earth did you do all day? Read, watch TV, play games? German universities don’t care, but if you do apply to US unis, and why not, you’ve got all the time in the world now since you still don’t appear to want to work, US adcoms will.

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Exactly. I cannot find this story now but there was a poster (Reddit? Cc?) studied while bombs were flying around in Afghanistan. Sexual minority, so persecuted. Had extracurriculars. Full ride Harvard.

I think I read about a Mongolian goatherd somewhere as well getting a full ride too.

If I am reading this right, OP has a cushy-ish life in his/her milieu. Enough kids have excelled at their studies and extracurriculars while dodging bombs and evading religious authorities or marauding wolves.

That’s your competition, OP.

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120

I think so too.

@ScrollG you are coming across to Americans (and probably Canadians) as very arrogant and that’s not a good thing.

We don’t have that cultural tradition of market haggling that you do in your part of the world and I’d guess that some of that is coming across in your posts. “This student is the best! He shines above all others! He can do anything he puts his mind to!” This sounds like arrogance and bragging to American ears and we have plenty of arrogant jerks here already, not particularly looking for more. Canada is known as the land of niceness. That kind of thing doesn’t strike me as something that will go over well there either. I don’t know much about Germany at all, but tone it down.

Emphasize your willingness to work hard for sure, but drop the rest.

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