Best choice for an international high-school sophomore. Take minute and share your opinion,ifyoucan.

International Students
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<p>Hello friends :-h ,</p>

<p>Thank you for taking your time and looking my post.</p>

<pre><code> I am a scholarship student in one of the Swiss international school, in the german part, a quite expensive one. This is my first year here and I feel quite grateful for this received laurel; this scholarship. My school is one of the “elite” ones in the world, and moving from a third world country here was a bitt of a shock for me. Royal families, kids of most wealthiest man’s in the world, kids of successful businessman, – from classmates who could not buy a chocolate bar, to classmates who own chocolate bar companies. The school itself offers a full range of extra curricular activities; and a great support for the scholarship students, as the uniform, ski equipment etc. I can not say that they are the most selective with the students, as they are not. As in every other Swiss, or British, “elite” school … “Money talks”.

Without wanting to sound egoist or selfish, the novelty of being in a comfortable “and fun” school shortly abated as the academic weariness worries me a lot. I feel more than honoured by the grant they gave me, but the fact that the school is not academic, or even well-known worries me for my future. Even in it’s scale the school is not known as the most prestigious one, as “Le Rosey” is. Personally I think that even with the scholarship students the school is not selective; the school current abode is a wealthy sloth state, and not a glimpse of academic ardor rests there. What I want to ask from you, CC community, is " Is it worth applying in another, well-known more academic school as Exeter, Eton, Lawrence, Andover etc; or being a full scholarship student in any of the schools would have the same influence in the college admissions?"
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<p>Again, I do not want to sound selfish. I am just worried about my future, getting a scholarship for university is way more competitive than high-school, so I need the best preparation. In the end the school wont lose much, it is my future which is embroiled. </p>

<p>Note : Without wanting to sound like a guy with a folly hubris, I still want to give you an idea of my achievements which give me the confidences to embroil myself in this situations, which might jeopardise my bursary here :stuck_out_tongue: . I have found my own charity organisation in my home country, i am an NHS member, StuCo member, and founder of Key Club in my school. I am founder of film and music club in my school. My grades are exceptional and sports too. I’ve travelled a lot during summers by winning scholarships from different organisation. I work every brake to help my economic status of myself and my family. I do believe that I now, after gaining experience with many applications, know what schools ask from a scholarship student.</p>

<p>Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,</p>

<h2>ErgoCS. ^:)^ </h2>

<p>“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”-Appius Claudius Caecus =; </p>

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<p>No. Just excel in the most rigorous courses your school has to offer and you should be fine. There is no need to transfer for the purpose of college admissions. </p>

<p>I hope you don’t take offense, but your writing seems a bit pretentious and clunky. You might work with an English teacher to learn to write more simply and direct. Also, read novels and stories by Ernest Hemingway! Writing skill and style is often weighed heavily in admissions to top tier universities in the United States.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Hello @arwarw‌ ,</p>

<p>Thank you for replying.
Ok, you might be right. I am taking BIO, CHEM and PSYCH HL ( IB next year ) so I think it’s fine.</p>

<p>Absolutely no offense taken, Thank you for telling me; and you are right. The thing is that when I learn new words in class as “laurel” ( from Kipling’ White Man’s Burden…clunky ) ,I want to use them anywhere I can so I learn them properly. In this case using a 18th century word ( you can find the definition I used it for only in some dictionaries online > honour or praise for an achievement) … was not the best thing to do. There a couple of other words like this one … well if I don’t try I don’t learn :D.</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<p>Sincerely,
ErgoCS. ^:)^</p>

<p>“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”-Appius Claudius Caecus =;</p>

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<p>It’s not just vocabulary, it’s the grammar that is off as well as flow; and yes, you do sound arrogant. It comes across immediately. Work on improving your writing skills-among other things.</p>

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<p>Honestly, coming out of a top NE boarding school gives you about the same chances as coming out of a top Swiss boarding school in terms of college admissions. It might help you in the American college admissions game but not by much. I would take all of the honors or accelerated classes you can find and really, really work on exhausting the curriculum and/or maintaining a 4.0 or similar GPA. I’m sure you’re doing that already, if you’re finding it so unchallenging. Whatever you do, make sure not to specialize in a certain field of study and only double up there- for example, don’t take two college science classes and let a history class go senior year. A high-achieving and well-rounded high school education will be best. And, additionally, work on skills that might seem perfected in school but won’t be in the USA or in the college admissions process- writing, listening, creative thinking, etc. Keep up with sports, clubs, activities, and community service as well. As long as you appear well-rounded, you should be fine in terms of your education- not everyone at a top college graduated from a HADES school and not everyone at a HADES school attends a top college. </p>

<p>If you really think you need something different, you need to think long and hard about it and be sure to make the right choice for you and your family. Financial aid is incredibly tough to get at many of these top boarding schools, and they are capable of picking and choosing the best and the brightest from the USA and the world. If you do decide to go, then you’ll be thousands of miles away from home (if you’re European) and won’t find it easy (or cheap) to return home whenever you’d like. It’s a really difficult decision and one that requires a lot of thought and time to make it work.</p>

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<p>I would think that being an international applicant would help you if you are a good student. As long as you work hard at your current school and do everything that Ivies look for, I think you have a quite reasonable shot. </p>

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<p>@"aunt bea"‌ arrogant is a strong word … I know enough English to know that. Anyhow, Thank you for taking your time to reply.</p>

<p>@pdl100‌ Thank you for your reply. The thing is that I did not consider only the academic part, but also the financial one. Exeter and Andover pay for your flights apart from anything else. Eton in the other hand even gives you pocket money in some cases; my school offers only boarding and tuition- no pocket no flights. The financial status IS WHAT MAKES ME WANT TO CHANGE THIS SCHOOL. Being surrounded by so many rich people, and personally struggling about basic things I should buy … it’s very stressful sometimes. I though that being in a more academic school might be more comfortable. Plus the fact that Switzerland is super expensive and there are NO jobs for teens here. I have researched SO MUCH. I do not want to seem as a spoiled kid, but that’s how it is. </p>

<p>Thank you,
ErgoCS. ^:)^</p>

<p>“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”-Appius Claudius Caecus =;</p>

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<p>If you are struggling financially, then that might make sense. But there will be very wealthy kids and families at Andover, Exeter, and Eton as well who, whether or not you receive spending money, will always be able to buy more things than you. Those kids will also be the best in the country and world in their fields; it’s a different kind of stress there.</p>

<p>Also, if you are thinking about leaving, you have to account for safeties. No matter how great or talented you are, PA/PEA/Eton types are very difficult to get into.</p>

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<p>@pdl100‌ , plus the fact that the application deadline for all of them has far passed. The thing is that if there is that I also have to support my family in every way possible, so getting into a school which offers more support might be very significant not only for me, but also for my family. I should’ve added this part in the post too. Anyhow, the thing is " in any case" if I apply for Senior, would it be a super dumb decision ? … I am in IB next year so changing to another system might cost me one more year … but is one year worth the money I will save from changing school ? ---- Please let me know even if there is any kind of U.S program which offers summer jobs for international students and soo … it’s very off topic, but if you have any info it would help me a lot.</p>

<p>Sincerely,
ErgoCS. </p>

<p>“Every man is the artisan of his own fortune.”-Appius Claudius Caecus =;</p>

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<p>You won’t be able to get a summer job in the US without a place to stay, which you won’t be able to get as a minor. Applying for senior year might not make as much sense as it would to simply stay and work extremely hard, but it might for you, I don’t know. How would being in IB next year cost you another year?</p>

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<p>This ship has sailed. You’re a sophomore. Applications from juniors who’d only spend senior year at an elite boarding schools may be either impossible or made impossible to scholarship students.
Of course you can try if you find a school with a senior intake but don’t spend too much time on it as odds of getting a scholarship (let alone the type of full scholarship you’re talking about) are improbable.
(The positive is that if you find an IB school you probably wouldn’t need to repeat, but for the schools you mention you’d probably have to apply from junior year applying to get into junior year. And there’s no telling whether the costs would be any better.)
What you MUST do is focus on preparing your application for US colleges. Start working on the SAT or the ACT and take it next Fall/Winter.</p>

<p>BTW, I don’t think you’re being arrogant, even if your wording is that of a student who learned English through books. Your tactic of reusing a new word as often as you can is excellent and effective. You’ll have to learn how to write more directly before you write your essays but for now work on your reading and writing skills in whichever ways are effective for you. I would recommend you find several TV shows in the original English (with English subtitles if needed) and learn from the speech patterns there - The easiest one is NCIS (because it’s very structured and easy to follow) but you can try harder shows, from comedies such as The Good Wife (serious), Mad Men, The Americans, but do include teen shows (anything from Teenwolf to Awkward to The Fosters) and try sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory (comedies are VERY hard because most humor is referential or linked to implicit meanings). Try to pick up on colloquialisms and to reuse them, although obviously not in essays as you’ll likely be marked down for using them.
The reason I don’t think you’re arrogant is that you’re a kid from a developing country who managed not only to get into a top Swiss boarding school, but also to get a full scholarship there.</p>

<p>Look, even if your classmates aren’t too academically enclined and mostly attend because they like to ski, it doesn’t matter. The school has resources you wouldn’t find in your country and anyway you’ll be judged with what you did with theopportunities you had. The school itself can’t be bad, since it has an IB program: this is considered the most rigorous academic secondary program by US colleges. The full IB program is great (although you can combine HLs, SLs, and APs rather than go for the full diploma if you wish) but if you’re aiming for top schools you will need to have a very high predicted score. You’ll also need to distinguish yourself nationally or internationally in several ways. That will be more important than your school’s reputation.</p>

<p>Finally, America colleges rarely give full rides such as the ones you describe. Consequently, you’ll need to apply to competitive full rides in addition to the 6 “need blind/meet need” schools plus the other top LACs, plus probably some other international schools. Needing financial aid is going to make it very hard for you to get into colleges. Check with your guidance counselor, see if your school has Naviance, but remember that the situation of an international who can pay full freight is very different from an international who needs lots of aid.</p>

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<p>@pdl100‌ Changing from an IB school to another IB school would not cost me a year, but changing from IB to AP or A Levels probably would. Thank you for your attention, sincerely.</p>

<p>@MYOS1634‌ Hello, Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply.</p>

<p>You are right, the ship has already sailed :D. I was considering late applications to Phillips Academies, but it would be very hopeless and my scholarship here would probably be jeopardised. I decided not to apply in any other school as I finally decided to go with the phrase, “Don’t let the school make the name for you, but you make the name for the school ( Structure of the phrase is probably wrong as I see no better translation in English, but I hope you get the point).” The school is not bad, it’s just not well-known. I guess I overrated the effect of the famosity on the college application. The school is pretty good actually, just not the best. It is very comfortable, and this makes me worry in some ways. </p>

<p>Thank you for your MUST suggestion. I am already preparing for SAT, with the Princeton Review book, and the school pays for my SAT Prep Courses next year. It’s a bitt unfortunate that I will be old for the new 2016 SAT, but let’s hope they decide to launch it one year earlier. And about the English … Thank you again! It might seems a bitt ridiculous, but these simple encouraging posts as yours have a great effect one people’s psych or mental approach to different things, in this case, trying to improve English. I do understand that trying to use big words instead of simple plain might make you seems pretentious, but … this is not an essay or anything “important”. I watch Game of Thrones … they use a rather interesting vocabulary :D. I am applying for some different summer programmes which offer scholarships in UK and USA, where I can improve my skills somehow. Still, it’s very annoying that most of the USA summer schools, as Harvard, John Hopkins, Exeter or Andover … exclude the international students from the financial aid fund. I had a “conversation” with Harvard’s summer program, and they were very specific in explaining me the reasons why; for which they were right. Still there were some programs which did offer scholarships, as a science summer program somewhere – but their deadline had far passed. </p>

<p>“your classmates aren’t too academically enclined and mostly attend because they like to ski”
This is SO right, did you attend a Swiss school yourself? About the international and national reputation, I think that my charity group will be an interesting factor. I am planning more work which can be done in my country; with my organisation, but the money is always a problem. Founding Key Club in my school in Switzerland gave me some credits too, so maybe Kiwanis can help me with my charity organisation. Other than that I am planning on participating in Google Science Fair … but first I have to discover the “next big thing”; which 99% of the cases is impossible to do. Anyhow, this was very off-topic.</p>

<p>I am well aware about the international “full-ride seeking” student’s challenge to get into Ivy, as another scholarship student in my school did not get accepted in many of them, even though he had a great application. I want to study for medicine … which makes it 99.99999999% impossible to attend one in full ride. What I am planning to do in any case, is to find a job for like 3-4 years in Europe, and then fund my own education. This plan is for the worst case ever, if I find no scholarship from every source. There is no Naviance in my school, but will suggest it to the college counselling office.</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your attention and time.</p>

<p>Sincerely,
ErgoCS. :)</p>

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<p>The fame of a school does not matter, except in the very slim and far-between cases of the incredibly name-recognized boarding schools (such as Eton, Le Rosey, and the GLADCHEMMS schools), and that’s only because the college AOs will know them off the top of their head. After that, what school you go to (and even then) doesn’t matter at all. Don’t try and switch to a more famous school for a year thinking it will help you, because it won’t. Take all the opportunities you can and work. </p>

<p>I agree: your next step is to begin looking at college. Start collecting things now. Even easy ECs to grab might be fun and interesting to colleges (getting SCUBA certified or building a house with Habitat for Humanity, for example). Begin your research now as well, particularly since you’ll need to check into government and private funds, school aid policies, and budgets. And, almost most importantly, you’ll need to figure out how to market yourself, what your hook will be. Whether you’re going to be a humanitarian or an up-and-coming kid from a developing country, you need to figure it out and practice it. Work on your listening, reading, and writing skills, making them concise and interesting. Watch and listen to popular American music and TV, developing a sense for common running gags, themes, etc. All of these things are simple but will make a huge difference.</p>

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<p>@pdl100‌ Hi,
thanks for replying.</p>

<pre><code>My description might have not been complete, but I do know what you are talking about. I am well aware of the popular trends, music, movies, celebrities, “the normal 21th century lifestyle”. I have already started to prepare for SAT with the Princeton Review book and trying to enrich my vocabulary … this time not trying to look “arrogant” and “pretentious” :D. Since the time I post this thread things have been going great, I might organise a national science competition in Switzerland in co operation with Swiss International Schools and work on developing the computer science club in my current school. Next year we might get a ETH Zurich University speaker in our school. Briefly, things have been going great. What I hope is to get a scholarship to Eton and Andover summer schools, so I can get to check those schools up too. I am still working on the hook, you are talking about. I am trying to do more important things which will make it even more interesting and attracting.
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<p>Thank you.
ErgoCS.</p>

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<p>That sounds great! You’re working towards a really tough goal, but it sounds like it’s working out really well.</p>