How do I prepare my younger sibling for College? First generation kid.

Applying to College
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<p>It’s long but please read and reply. </p>

<p>I feel that if my sibling can get the help that I did not receive during college apps, he will have more chance to attend college and succeed. We can’t afford to pay for summer courses nor for fantastic ECs. Academia sucks in our country so he will need to be good in something else to stand out. </p>

<p>I know that it’s early but I think that if it will be good if he start early, so he can find a passion and excel at something. </p>

<p>Do you know any cheap way for him to get ready? Dance is expensive so if he does not get a scholarship to join a dance troupe, he won’t go. Do you know any program that gives scholarship to foreign Highschoolers? It would be great if he can spend 9th grade in Spain or even in the UK or Germany. Our country does not participate in Exchange programs, therefore, he will need a scholarship to go abroad and I will have to take full responsibility for his trip. </p>

<p>Right now, I can’t really tell too much about his academic performance because I left home when he was going to start middle school. He will be in 8th grade next year. He is doing great but I don’t really know its strength. He was extremely good in math and poker (LOL) when he was young so I expect that he still smart in these two areas. He also liked to teach as a young child and often simulate to be a math teacher. He loves reading and dancing for sure. Sadly, we don’t have science Olympiade competition in the mother land nor prestigious Awards for students.
These are my plans for him:</p>

<p>Visit a friend abroad with him next summer or winter break so he can practice one of the foreign languages that he is best at, and become fluent by the time he attends college. </p>

<p>I saved some bucks to pay English and other languages courses for him this summer I would like to propose him to take music and dance classes. Last time I talked to him, I encouraged him to do a sport that he likes. I will be home this summer, so I will practice English and other languages with him. We will also go to sport’s club together. </p>

<p>If I am able to get a summer job the next summer, I will try to get him spend summer with me in the US to help him practice English. A friend of mine is an artist (he paints clothes and does sculpture); I am trying to find out if he will let the young sibling become his assistant; if the little sibling likes it or have some talents, he can stay and keep painting or do other style of Art.</p>

<p>I will encourage him to get involve in community service too. ECs is not a part of our education system and community service is the last thing that people in our country would care about. </p>

<p>Please give me some ideas. I won’t force him to do anything; I will just suggest and see how what he likes it. I am not trying to make him do things for college, I simply want him to start getting involved in fun activities that young people do. Like:</p>

<p>Music
Dance
Languages immersion programs
Sport
Community service
Reading and Writing</p>

<p>THANKS IN ADVANCE I wish you good luck with your final exams</p>

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<p>bump because I think this is important</p>

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<p>Can I ask which country you are from? That might help other posters here give more specific advice.</p>

<p>In terms of exchange-type programs, have you tried looking into the Rotary Club? I don’t know very much about it, but I know a few of my friends are going on exchange programs that are at least partially funded/organized by the organization, so that might be something to look into. Lion’s Club might also have something.</p>

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<p>I saw a rotary sign once in my town. I will to find their office when I go back. I never heard of Lion’s club. Thanks for telling me about it. I will do some online search.</p>

<p>bump too since only two people answered :P</p>

<p>Sorry guys, I made a lot of mistakes and typo and in my previous post.</p>

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<p>Wow dude I’m impressed. Your younger sibling is really lucky to have someone like you to look up to. What I would suggest to you -I haven’t yet gone through the college application thing but I will next year- is let your sibling -brother, right?- decide what interests him whether its newspaper/journalism/etc. or math/science/etc. or speech/debate/politics/government/etc. or music/art/etc. or pick a couple of these and just create opportunities cause colleges will be looking for determination and initiative and stuff like that, which it seems like you guys have got. So just keep at it and create opportunities out of anything your brother is passionate about it and I really wish you the best of luck.</p>

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<p>Three international exchange programs worth investigating are:
Rotary International
AFS [AFS</a> Intercultural Programs](<a href=“http://www.AFS.org%5DAFS”>http://www.AFS.org)
YFU [Youth</a> For Understanding](<a href=“http://www.yfu.org%5DYouth”>http://www.yfu.org)</p>

<p>Sorry I don’t know the link for Rotary, but if you google it, you should find the link and then be able to track it through to your country.</p>

<p>I take it that you are currently in the US and your brother isn’t. Did I get that right? How would he pay for his education here? Is this the best/only place for him to go to college?</p>

<p>Not every college expects international applicants to be clones of US applicants, which means that extra-curriculars aren’t always as important. If you are indeed in the US, you could make an appointment with the international admissions office at a college/university close to where you live and ask what your brother would need to do in order to be admitted there.</p>

<p>If you haven’t already read everything on the International Forum, take a look at it. To find it, click on “Discussion Home” at the top of the page, and then scroll down.</p>

<p>Wishing the two of you all the best.</p>

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<p>Thank you Happymom and Poupoupidou. I am not sure if AFS will work but I will take a look at YFU. </p>

<p>I might be able to pay for his college by the time he graduates from HS. I am not preparing him for US colleges, I am just preparing for colleges and life in general. I hope that he will become fluent in English just because it is important to know English and other languages. I am familliar with the admission process for international students. US is not the only option. It does not really matter if he stays home for colleges or go abroad. We travel a lot ( for linguistic purpose) so we are open to any places. The best place for him will be where he will be happy. That’s why I will go abroad with him before he starts colleges, so he can decide in which country he will be studying if he leaves home.</p>