<p>Your counselor will need to provide a detailed profile of the academic system in Finland, your school’s place within it, your place within your school and within the country’s system. The fact you got the Laudatur will have to be explained and emphasized, as would the non competitive nature of your culture (this may hurt you since American colleges want prizes and awards).</p>
<p>You should realize that students don’t just apply to one college.
They apply to several safeties (for internationals, there are no safeties, so they must apply to some colleges that admit 60+% students or where they qualify for guaranteed honors), 3-5 matches, then only do they add reaches and crapshoot colleges (like Yale, where selectivity is so high even the most accomplished applicants are denied.)</p>
<p>Don’t assume the SAT is easy just because the questions are easy. The test is geared toward 10th-11th grade levels, with about 1/3 questions at the 7-9th grade level. It is MEANT to be like that. The test actually wants to see how fast and accurately you can answer and it trips many internationals who, like you, only see the academic level. not only do you need to be fast and accurate but also rank high <em>in relation to all test-takers</em>.
Plan to prepare using preparation books, number2.com (free website), and “Real SAT’s”.</p>
<p>Take Math2, not Math1: Math1 is virtually useless and the curve is wicked. Take World History (study seriously through sparksnotes) and another subject (English Literature? A Foreign Language? Foreign Languages are only tested at A2 level so the test should be rather straightforward.)</p>
<p>What you’re doing with the vocational school is called being “dual enrollment” in the US. It’s seen very positively.</p>