American Girl In Egypt Needing Your Help!

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 5:42am

Hello Parents, how are you all?
I decided to ask for your advice because I need someone mature to help me with my problem.

I’m American, live in Egypt and attend an Egyptian private secondary school. The school system in Egypt is -in some ways- similar to the British one. You get your secondary school certificate after 11 years, only that the last two years are the ones that count, as in the GSCE but we don’t have coursework during these years.

I’m in year 10 now studying: English " Language", Arabic, French, Maths “Calculus, Trigonometry and Algebra” and Chemistry. Next year I’d be studying: English “Language”, Arabic, Physics, Maths “Dynamics, Mechanics, Solid Geometry, Trigonometry and Algebra”, Economics&Statistics and Geography. The courses are all one throughout the whole country and there aren’t any advanced courses.

I have two Problems:

I’m afraid my course of studies is not impressive if compared to the course of studies of a student in an American school because I haven’t had advanced courses such as honours and AP’s.

2) I don’t have decent EC’s because schools in Egypt don’t offer any and the only way you could participate in one is through a club -in case of sports- and through taking Music lessons in the Opera House. I am practicing fencing at the club and I’ve been taking Piano lessons for the last 10 years, however, I couldn’t participate in competitions because I’m not Egyptian. So I don’t have any awards.

I’m sure you’d ask me why I am not studying at an American school. American schools cost $12,000-15,000 a year, which we can not afford. Well, I hope colleges would take that into consideration.

I hope I get some ideas about how to make my chance better so I can get into one of my dream colleges which are:

Harvard (Legacy), MIT, Boston U, NYU, Dartmouth, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UT-Austen, UCLA, UCB, CalTech and Washington U-St. Louis.
Intended Major: Biochemistry.

Oh, my SATs so far are: Verbal&Maths 1600, SAT II Writing 780, SAT II Chemistry 800, still MAths IIC and Biology.

Thank you for your time,
Nora

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 7:09am

No one at all?! Have I mentioned that i’m an orphan?

overseas · May 22, 2005, 7:43am

People probably aren’t up yet. Nora, a reflection on your course of studies is your SAT results. If you are in need of financial aid, you will want to apply to a range of schools including some of the ones that you have mentioned. Although this is a link for international students <a href=“http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/reac-europe/intfinaid_awards.html[/url]”>http://www.bibl.u-szeged.hu/reac-europe/intfinaid_awards.html</a>, it may serve you well as an American overseas. It gives you examples of schools that are looking to increase their “international” population and are willing to do that with money. As an American, your financial aid package may be greater than shown on the list after the first few schools that offer complete packages. Unless you can claim California residency, I would discount the UCs. The same may apply to other state schools such as UT Austin, Chapel Hill. Someone else would have to comment on those schools. What about other LACs?

binx · May 22, 2005, 9:20am

Nora, I think (hope!) that schools are somewhat aware of what other countries offer by way of course load and opportunities. So I think your “competition” will be against others in similar situations (and there are more than you think – my D for one.) Your SATs show your achievement (that’s what the “a” stands for in SAT), and I think you will get credit for “taking the highest courseload available.” What language are your classes taught in?

I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about the schools you’ve posted. However, if you have good recommendations and such, it seems you would have as good a chance as anyone.

I’m curious about your last statement “I am an orphan.” Who do you live with? It would be unusual for an American orphan to be in an overseas foster care situation – Do you live with other relatives who happen to be posted in Egypt? I used to be a foster parent, and I know there is a certain amount of financial aid available to kids who don’t have parents.

Overseas – Thanks for the link!

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 9:38am

Thanks Overseas for the links, it helps a lot! Binx, thanks for your reply!
Well, my mother was Egyptian and she had our custody (Me and my younger brother). After she passed away, we remained in Egypt with our Grandmother. We’re paid $700 a month but the embassy doesn’t pay for education. BTW, a distant aunt offered to help with my college expenses, so I think I wouldn’t have a problem. Oh, about the CA residency, I used to live in CA when I was in the States and my Uncle lives there, does it help?

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 9:40am

About the LACs, I’m not familiar with them and I’m planning to take Pre-med courses, I’m not sure if they offer them.

overseas · May 22, 2005, 9:48am

Nemesis, Premed programs exist in LACs (Liberal Arts Colleges). Many are listed on the link I gave you. CA residency is based on continuing residency in the state, not on the fact you lived there once.
Uncles and Aunts don’t count.

jmmom · May 22, 2005, 10:02am

Nemesis - Glad to have you on this board. As overseas indicated, it might take a while for you to get responses as it is still quite early, esp. in the Western states. But, stay around and you will find many helpful posters.

Binx and overseas have provided good info. IMO, your stats are quite strong for any school, and if you have taken the most challenging courseload available to you, I wouldn’t worry to much about not taking AP/Honors when you didn’t even have the option.

That said, I hope one of the most valuable aspects of this board for you will be to broaden your ideas of possible schools for you.

I totally agree with binx that you may have “as good a chance” as anyone. But be aware: no one’s chances at many of these schools are good. They just accept too few of their applicants for anyone to count on being accepted. Go for it with these schools. But spend as much time as possible looking into other schools which are strong in your area of interest, but which have much higher acceptance rates. Other posters will make specific suggestions, but what you are looking for is not reach schools (which most of your list is), or even 50/50 schools (schools where your chances (at 50/50) are much better than at reach schools, but for “sure bet” schools. These are schools where your stats make you a virtual shoo-in. You especially want to look for such schools which allow Early Action or Rolling Admissions apps. Then, you can obtain an acceptance to such a school early, relax that you have one great option all lined up, and seek admission to the reach or “lottery” schools if you want.

Re costs and financial aid: I think you should have a heart-to-heart with your distant aunt to see exactly what she has in mind in regard to helping with college costs. Does she plan to pay the full cost at ANY school, pay the full cost at certain schools, make a contribution to your costs and, if so, how much? It’s important to discuss this with her now so that you don’t apply to schools which won’t work financially.

Then, if you will be eligible for fin aid, discuss how you will complete the FAFSA/CSS Profile in your case. (Some posters here may know the answer, or you may want to consult a fin aid officer at one of the schools you arec onsidering). Will it be just your income and assets? Those of the family members you are currently living with? Here in the states, it is common for parents to handle a lot of this part of the app, but many kids do it on their own. tlaktan comes to mind - look for some of his posts. I just know he will be glad to advise you as well.

Sorry for the long post, just want to be as much help as possible while you are waiting for the rest of us ccers to wake up. :)

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 10:52am

Thanks Overseas for your reply. Too bad Uncles don’t count CA is great and it’d feel like home. I’ll also look into LAC’s they give some real good financial aid which will help a lot.

JmMom, thanks for your post, you’re a great help! I don’t want to seem stupid, but what’s FAFSA/CAA? Will it be that hard to complete the application on my own?
I thought all you have to do is fill-in the application and post your scores.

About my aunt’s offer, she offered me $20,000 a year. So, for most of the colleges it’s amazing money. I’ll also look for a job to cover my living expenses.

I heard that firms and employers look too much into the applicants college background, for example: the more “prestigious” your college, the more likely you get the job. I’m worried about that. Is it true? Also, could I get into a prestigious Grad school with a sort of humble Undergrad school? I don’t know much about these things because I’m living abroad, so pardon my ignorance :)

So, you think I could get into most of my college-list colleges? What about Harvard? Or is it a LOOONG reach? Oh, please feel free to suggest safety schools.

dogs · May 22, 2005, 11:06am

You appear to be a competetive applicant at any of these schools, while I agree that there are no sure bets these days. Still, you have a range there and a compelling “story” that makes you unique in terms of what you bring. I wouldn’t worry at all about the courses. Schools know how to take the whiole picture into account.

You may want to ask the financing questions on the Fin. Aid borad on CC since they are complicated but since you are a US citizen I would think yoiu would be eligible for aid and with your SAT scores you might also receive merit scholarships at some of the schools listed.
Check out the individual school web sites for aid and pre-med info. BU also has a 7 year BA/MD program as do many other schools. Most of the Boston and NYC area schools have a lot of internationals.

Nemesis · May 22, 2005, 11:14am

Dogs, thanks for telling me about Fin. Aid board and about the Boston U BA/MD.
Guys, you’re so very much cheering me up! I love you!

jamimom · May 22, 2005, 1:27pm

You seem to have a lot of factors going your way. That you are going to be applying as an American can make a big differnece in the financial aid you can get. Since your anut and uncle are willing to help you, a visit with them in the States should be scheduled and you should bone up on what it takes to go to college in the US. Perhaps they can contact a private counselor to help you out. Because you are an orphan, the financial part of your situation needs to be carefully organized so that you can get financial aid. You may well be able to get state residency somewhere. These are all issues that you need to resolve with a private counselor who can research any of the questions he cannot immediately answer. I speak as someone who took in a niece and nephew at ages 9 and 15 and went through the highschool and college process with them. They were able to get full financial aid but we did have to preplan with a financial firewall between them and us to avoid being put on the hook for their education costs, which we would have somehow paid if necessary, but did not want to if not necessary, given that we had 4 other children, younger, at the time and limited assets and income. There are really too many individual issues here to address on internet boards.

Your stats are such that you would be in the running for top schools. As to curriculum and grades, it seems to me that the school is preparing you well, given your SAT2 scores. You might want to purchase some AP books and take some sample test and if they look doable to you, see if you can take those next year. But I think your curriculum is fine even for the top schools. You need to get some less selective schools on your list, figure out what you can afford for college and get some financial safeties if necessary. When you visit your aunt and uncle, it might be a good idea to visit some colleges. You have legacy at Harvard; you may want to call their alumni office and arrange some visit through them. Perhaps get in touch with some of your father’s old friends who can assist you as well. But you should have a counselor to advocate for you and advise you. Since your aunt and uncle are willing to help with college expenses, if they start with that expense, it may save a lot of money down the line, if you can get full aid which given your stats and your possible need may be possible since you would be a good candidate for full aid schools, not to mention merit aid.

momrath · May 22, 2005, 8:31pm

Nemesis, Your scores, grades and background will be very appealing to many American colleges. As others have cautioned, the best known colleges are VERY competitive. Try not to fixate on any one, but have a good balance of selectivity.

Your life experience is the best EC you can get! International students (with advanced English communication skills) are in great demand at selective colleges as part of the whole push toward diversity. The fact that you live in an Islamic country that is of great interest to the US politically is a bonus.

You should focus on your background and personal experiences in your essays and your activity lists. You need to articulate what you can contribute to the college community because of your exposure on several levels global, Middle Eastern, Islamic.

Your course load is plenty impressive. Dont give it another thought.

I see absolutely no problem in what youve got to work with. Your challenges will be to put together a compelling application (meaning the non-statistical areas like essays, resume, recommendations) and to assemble a thoughtful list of colleges. Im sure the people on this board can help steer you in the right direction on both those counts.

Have you or will you have a chance to visit colleges in America? Many of the schools on your list are very different from each other in physical surroundings and in teaching style. If you are unable to visit, youll need to do a good amount of research on the overall ambience of the school. Again, this board is a good place to start.

I would suggest that you consider some of the smaller liberal arts colleges. Some of the top names are Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst, Pomona and Wellesley. The quality of education is topnotch and the environment can be especially welcoming for a student who is living in the US for the first time. They all have excellent track records for getting their graduates into top medical schools and other graduate programs. Although these colleges are also extremely selective, they are aggressively seeking students from diverse backgrounds. Another excellent school is Smith. I think it could be considered a safety or solid match for you.

Financially, it sounds as if your relatives will be able to help you cover about half of your tuition etc. When you apply for financial aid, Im not sure if you would have to declare this potential contribution. Conceivably, you could see what the colleges offer, then use your relatives money as an insurance policy to fill in the gaps. (Im not an expert on financial aid, so please clarify with others on this board.)

Finally, many, but not all, selective schools are needblind. What this means is that if they accept you they will most likely figure out a way to make it financially possible for you to attend. It seems from what you say that you are an American citizen and therefore will not need to secure a US visa. If that is truly the case then you have the best of both worlds an American with extensive international experience. As I said, this is a highly desirable commodity.

jmmom · May 22, 2005, 9:15pm

Nemesis - FAFSA is the federal application for financial aid used by virtually all schools. CSS is a different form, required by many schools for financial aid. jamimom has suggested you work with a private counselor and this person will know all about these forms as well as how to identify the best colleges for you and how to fashion your best possible application packages. They are a bit of a pain but I wouldn’t say difficult. There are tons of knowledgeable folks here on this board to help you. Jamimom is truly one of the very very best, so I take her suggestion to mean that your situation really requires hiring such a counselor to get you the best outcome. I hope you will be able to do that.

Damaris · May 22, 2005, 10:37pm

Ivy league schools like Harvard will want to see something more than good grades and scores. I strongly suggest that you find one or two extracurriculars that show initiative and leadership on your part. Perhaps you can help a scientist in a lab, or get involved in helping Egyptian women get better medical care, or something similar. A recent Intel Science winner in Massachusetts started a program in high school to go into the local elementary public schools and teach the kids about science four times a year. The program was named Exciting Science. I believe. You are going to have to prove to the colleges that if you get an education at their institution, that you are going to make a difference in the world. Also, be sure to make good use of your summers.

KrazyKow · May 22, 2005, 10:39pm

I would suggest applying to USC because they seem to be very generous in scholarship money right now in an effort to attract good students. I was able to use an offer from there to obtain more money from another school. Also, Rice might be a good choice for you; it’s right next to the Texas Medical Center in Houston and is about $35,000 a year, less than most other selective private universities. It has a small student body of about 2500 undergrads.

I know that UT-Austin won’t take more than 75% of any program through the top 10% auto-admit state law, though they do admit others from in-state, so there may be more space available there than at other state public universities. If you do want to go there apply EARLY for housing.

Good luck in your college search; make sure you find a way to use your surely interesting experiences in your college essays.

jmmom · May 22, 2005, 11:16pm

This is one approach - to find some extracurriculars that will help you get into certain college(s), or at least you hope they will.

Another approach is to find colleges which fit with who you are/what you have done. You are a sophomore, so you do have some time to “add” some activities, but I’m not sure you want to choose activities based on how you think colleges will like them. It’s just two different ways to look at it.

reidm · May 22, 2005, 11:42pm

I’d keep fencing. That may score a point or two in the northeast.

Anyway, you are a strong candidate for just about any school, and liberal arts schools would make as much sense for you as a larger university. Given your unique situation you should apply to a good-sized list of schools in a range of selectivity and cost.

What sort of resources for college research do you have? As a sophomore, it would be nice if this summer you could come up with a couple dozen schools that interest you, with the idea you would whittle it down by half before you apply. Ordinarily I wouldn’t recommend that many applications, but your situation is pretty unique.

I’ve dropped a financial question related to your posts on the Financial Aid board.

Nemesis · May 23, 2005, 2:03am

Thanks Jamimom, Momrath, Jmmom, Damaris, KrazyKow and Reidm.

A private counselor sounds great. That will help with a lot of things.

I’ve been searching for more colleges and I came up with U-Michigan-Ann Arbor, U-Wisconsin-Madison, USC, Rice, Amherst, Pomona and Williams. According to the link Overseas gave me LAC’s are generous with the money they give, so it’d be great.
About visiting colleges, I haven’t visited any. I had in mind to visit the colleges I get accepted to and decide which to go to as to save extra costs.

BTW, as I’ve said before, in Egypt it’s only 11 years of school, so I’m a Junior, not a sophomore. I’ve been searching for a summer job during this summer, the jobs available are mostly at magazines, I think It’d be impressive and I also like writing. I could also check out the posts at the embassy for activities.

Thank you for the amazing advice!

calmom · May 23, 2005, 2:43am

Nemesis, how old are you? If you will be 17 or under when you finish school in Egypt next year, I wonder if you might consider coming to the US for a year and living with your aunt and uncle in California, while attending a US high school or perhaps a community college. It would be the equivalent of a gap year - but the advantage would be that you probably could establish residency in California that way, and you could take some of the advanced courses that you are concerned about missing. I asked about your age because you might feel out of place if you are older than your classmates – but if you are 17 you will be the age that most American kids are when starting 12th grade.

American Girl In Egypt Needing Your Help!

CONNECT WITH US