<p>I have an american citizenship as well as an israeli citizenship. but I was only born in the states and my entire academic record is in israel. will my application be considered international? financial aid is- not- the issue.
also, should I apply before my MANDATORY military service and then request a deferal for two years or should I apply after?</p>
<p>well, since you have an american citizenship, if you indicate that on the application, despite where you have studied, you would be put into the us applicant pool. answering to your second question, it really depends on you, but i would suggest applying before the service. My friends' sons who are in simliar situation as you are seem to apply BEFORE the service and request a deferal because they say that it feels nice to have a college on your belt before going off to the military. wouldn't it be annoying/stressful to worry about college applications after coming back from military? but it's really up to you..i hope this helps.</p>
<p>thank you so much. I have a question though- it really doesn't matter that I moved to Israel at age 1? I mean I shouldn't even know english that well, how could I be considered a regular US applicant? Also, do you know if deferals are easy to get? I mean, do they pretty much give them out if you get accepted?</p>
<p>Well, you are domestic for most practical purposes: in particular, you would be eligible for federal financial aid (even if you don't need it) and you don't need a visa. Academically your application is evaluated based on your individual background because obviously the school system in Israel is different from the school system in the States. </p>
<p>I would recommend you to think hard about which language you want to indicate as your first language. If you say it's not English, some colleges will ask you for a verification of your language skills, i.e. TOEFL scores. The TOEFL is not particularly challenging if you are comfortable with everyday English, but I personally think that standardized tests are a huge pain in the *** in general and I would avoid them whenever possible.</p>
<p>Deferrals are pretty much automatic at most colleges. You just write a letter stating why you want/need a deferral and that's it. I would suggest you apply to college while you are still in high school because it's easier to arrange for recommendations, transcripts etc while you are still in school and see your teachers every day.</p>
<p>^i agree with b@r!um. You should definitely think about which language you will indicate as your first language. The college will see that you brought up in Israel (schoo system and such) and some will be lenient with the language issue, but some might not. take TOEFL if your SATs don't turn out too well; it can make it up (a lot in your case). but if you manage to get 700s in CR and W, I wouldn't worry about taking the TOEFL. it is pretty simple to get deferrals (so many international applicants have to serve in the military), but here's a tip: while you are applying, don't mention that you will be asking for deferral due to the service. Mention AFTER you get into a college.</p>
<p>Whether or not you end up taking the TOEFL, if you have not had any of your formal education in English (or very little in English), do make a serious effort to improve your familiarity with higher level uses of English. You may be able to find a textbook or reader designed for university level ESL courses that are classified as "English for Academic Purposes". The level of English that you will be expected to read, and to write, in a US college or university may be tougher than you are used to working with. If you have two years of military service ahead of you, you can plan ahead to squeeze in some English work as well.</p>
<p>thank you so much everybody! I would love to apply while I'm still in high school I think that would be great. the problem is, that in israel you finish your high school studies with final tests and at the end of 12th grade you get a "bagrut" certificate indicating all your grades and in what levels. I know it sounds like the final tests in the states but this is the certificate you bring everywhere to try to get in. if I apply during high school I won't have the certificate, meaning i'll have to bring just regular report cards from a few semesters? how does that work?</p>
<p>Just about everyone applying to college/university in the US is still in HS when they do that. Their school sends copies of their academic records up to that particular date. In other words, if you submit an application in October of your last year, the HS sends your records through the end of the previous school year, with comments on your progress so far. The HS might be asked by the college to send your mid year grades after the end of the first term, and the HS will definitely be required to send your final grades after the school year ends. By then students normally have been accepted by a college/university and have paid their deposits. Every year some students lose the places that they had reserved for the fall term because they had really bad grades in their last term of HS.</p>
<p>For specific information on how you as a graduate of an Israeli school can find the right college/university in the US, you should visit the local office of EducationUSA:</p>
<p>Fulbright Commission Tel Aviv
Mailing Address:
P.O. BOX 26160
TEL AVIV 61261
ISRAEL 61261</p>
<p>Walk Up Address:
1 Ben Yehuda Street
Tel Aviv
ISRAEL 61261</p>
<p>tel: 972-3-5172131
e-mail: <a href="mailto:adviser@fulbright.org.il">adviser@fulbright.org.il</a>
website: <a href="http://www.fulbright.org.il/index.php?id=665%5B/url%5D">www.fulbright.org.il/index.php?id=665</a> </p>
<p>For more general information on undergraduate education in the US, see their main website:</p>