Country-specific: Portugal
Brief explanation of universities admissions in Portugal:
Here the admissions process is very different from the admissions process in United States universities. Each high school student choose a subject in the beggining of 10º grade (first high school year in Portugal), my subject is Economics but i could also chose Humanities, Science or Arts. From here, we take different classes about our subject and when the classes end we’re classified from 0 to 20 depending on our performance in the class. When we end 12º grade, all grades that we have are divided by the number of classes that we had = average grade (0-20). Students are also required to take Nacional Exams in the end of 11º grade and 12º grade (4 exams in our field of study). One of this exams will be our admission to university exam (universities choose the exam that they value the most depending on the major we choose); this means that this exam will be add to our average grade like this: average grade + national exam score (0-20)/2 = admission average grade. From then, we apply to universities; their only admission criteria is this admission average grade and the students with the best admissions average grades are the ones who get into the best universities.
Why am i explaining this? This admission process makes the National Exams we take one of the most important thing in the application (50% weight). However, when we apply to universities in US it seems that, based on what i’ve researched, that american universities will not care about our grades in this National Exams.
Do they take our National Exams (given the importance that they have in our country) into acount in our application? I believe this exams are one of the best tools that US universities could use because this exams are estandardized and there are statistics that show the nacional student average grade in those exams and that could be usefull if you want to compare a student to the rest of students in the country.
Also, are there other ways for an international student to stand out from the rest?
Both the 9th grade and either actual or predicted 11-12th grade results in national examinations are counted.
But overall, they read all applications from continental Europe and choose the mist exceptional ones.
What types of colleges are you thinking of? If you are going for super selective colleges, you might be aware that American colleges are very interested in what you do outside of school. They also like to see AP classes if they are available, or SAT subject tests. If you haven’t already done so, find out when you can take the SAT test too,becasue I am pretty certain they will all want that, regardless of how selective they are. And the TOEFL will probably required.
Gladly, my nacional exams were always above average. Pretty much going to do everything to nail a perfect score in 12th grade exam in Math A (20 out of 20) and a pretty competitive score in Portuguese next year (+17 out of 20).
@Lindagaf I’m thinking about selective colleges. Did my research and i’m aware of that. I’m planning to do all those things that you’ve mentioned this year and in the next year.
17+ in all 4 subjects will serve you well but won’t be sufficient. Find something to get involved in and make an impact.
The exception was B History where i got a 16 out of 20. But i guess that won’t really hurt my application since it’s not one of the strenghts that i want to point out. If anyone thinks it will please tell me, i still can take the exam next year.
@MYOS1634 I’m working on a summer project and preparing to do a big thing during my school year. Projecting also something for next summer, still don’t know what. If you have any sugestions i would apreciate if you can tell me (studying Economics).
it hasnt been mentioned yet on this thread , but the vast majority of US colleges require International students prove the ability to pay for tuition room and board before they even review your application.
Do you have $250,000 in american $$ set aside for college here in the US?
Financial aid is rarely available for International applicants.
I don’t have $250.000 set aside for college. Instead i’m aiming for selective colleges that offer need-blind admisions for international students or need-aware but that usually give huge amounts of money through financial aid for international students. External scholarships are an option too.
^ op is aiming at colleges that meet full need (and, I suppose, merit scholarships).
Obviously, the more op can pay, the easier the admission.
With a 17+ all Portuguese universities and most European ones are safeties.
That’s right.
Hypothetically, if i wasn’t accepted at any of the 7 universities that i’m going to apply in United States, i would still have time to apply to Universidade Nova de Lisboa (best university in Economics and Management in Portugal) or another high-level European university.
Considering how selective they are, I’d strongly advise you to apply to more than 7 highly selective universities.
It’s highly likely you will not be admitted to any of these (simply because, as an international, and an international who need financial aid, your odds are less than 5%)
At some point it’s not an advantage to frequent certain universities in United States. I mean, if i could enter in a top selective one in Portugal why should i apply to medium level universities in United States? Correct me if i’m wrong, but considering financial aid for international students given in the past years and need-blind for international students universities i couldn’t find more than 7 universities worth apply. But maybe since you know United States universities better you can point me a few more that are also high-level… I thought 7 was enough.
OP is starting senior year. Presently does not have a competitive profile, so wants to delay applying in order to average in entire year’s senior grades to boost current 3.5 GPA, then take a gap year to pad CV w some new ECs. Hasn’t even taken SAT/ACT yet. Wants to use the gap year to study for the SAT/ACT.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1911009-finishing-high-school-before-applying-to-college-p1.html
Right and wrong.
Yes i want to delay my application to boost my current 3.5 GPA to 3.8 GPA (if you even consider possible to convert portuguese grades into american gpa; from what i’ve been told in this topic you shouldn’t do that).
However, i’m taking TOEFL Exam in October 2016, SAT Subject Tests in November 2016 and January 2017 and SAT in March 2017. This means that i’m taking all this exams during my 12th grade not during my gap year.
ECs: working on a summer project (should be accomplished by the end of September); planing a big thing during 12th grade (it’s actually starting right now).
This means that i’m not using my gap year to quickly pad my CV with new ECs; i’m taking a gap year in order to average in entire year’s senior grades and also allow me to impress colleges with other things like nacional portuguese exams, for example. Of course that i will use the time available between the time when my school year project ends and the time off my application (January 2018 due to the fact that i’m taking a gap year) to add a stand out EC. But the way you were talking seems like i’m going to add a bunch off random ECs whitch is not true.
OP,
those 7 highly competitive colleges are not going to be" impressed" by an International student trying to “impress” them, by doing in 13 years what competitive US HS applicants are expected to have accomplished in 12. .
There are too many other students , mostly from the US , with higher GPA’s and test scores also applying to those same 7 colleges. Take a look at those colleges common data sets to see the stats of the majority of enrolled students at each college. Those are the stats you should have in order to be truly competitive at the end of 12 yrs of HS.
Being an International applicant by itself is not a hook and wont get your application a second look unless your GPA is much closer to 4.0, your test scores are very high and you have achieved something truly extraordinary during your HS years.
Taking a gap year is recommended by universities like Harvard, so i don’t really think it will hurt my application. Also, the university application process in Portugal starts after 12th grade exams (that will be June, July), and that’s the same in most European countries, so i believe is very common for students in Europe who want to study in US to apply only after 12th grade.
Again, don’t try to convert portuguese grades. From what i’ve been told in this topic they can’t be comparable. My average grade will, by the end of 12th grade and the beggining of applications process in Portugal, be very competitive.
Finally, i’m aiming for 1550-1600 score in SAT, that will improve my chances i guess. AP Exams may be an opportunity too show my academics strenghts as well. Portuguese exams in A Math and Portuguese, TOEFL, SAT Subject Test (2), i still haven’d done none of this, if i get an excellent grade in each one it can really boost my application in terms of academics.
I believe that what will matter the most, after my academics are at a top selective university level, are the ECs and my Recommendation Letters. I have about a year and a half to pad my CV with oustanding ECs (summer 2016, school year - my 12th grade, summer 2017, september 2017 - january 2018) and i’m planning them. Also, i already know which teachers i’m going to ask for recommendation and i think they’re going to highlight my capacities and do a great job for me, based on what i’ve done in 11th grade and what i will be doing in 12th grade.
This is indicative of the issue. Colleges will immediately notice that you are doing EC’s merely to pad your CV.
Correct
It won’t improve your chances; it will get you in the ballpark to be seriously considered. But this is really moot until you have actual results.
Not to discourage you, but Harvard has the grand total of one student from Portugal, which means that you really need to be the best applicant from your country to really even be considered.
http://www.hio.harvard.edu/statistics
@skieurope:
Correct me if i’m wrong but withing a year and a half range doing ECs colleges can’t really say that i’m doing those ECs to pad my CV. Especially if those ECs have a long duration. Also, i don’t believe colleges will neglet outsanding ECs accomplichments just because they were done in your junior/senior years.
I know that right now it’s just talking but, based on what i’ve seen about SAT exams, i really believe that i can get a 1550-1600 score. That score getting me in the ballpark to be seriously considered is a beggining i know, but it’s essencial to even be considered.
That’s true but i don’t think that there are many applicants from Portugal and i believe that i can be the best applicant from Portugal. That’s a big claim i know but the way colleges admissions work in here gives me huge advantage because most students only care about grades and the opportunities for ECs are low. That gives me a chance to stand out from the rest, accomplishing stand out ECs.
Anyway you spin it, Harvard and similar schools are still a high reach for you.
Harvard and simillar schools are a high reach for everyone.
If i came here with my 12th grade finished, excellent exams and grades, oustanding ECs accomplished, maybe all of you would react differently. All the discuss on this topic refer to my hypothetically improvement within a year and a half period. I’m just saying that if i accomplish what i want withing this period (finishing January 2018) my chances will improve a lot.