<p>“snooker, I believe one has to be either a citizen or a permanent resident (of USA) to apply for Early Admission. Anyone ? (I only looked at a few colleges that interested me, so correct me if I’m wrong)”</p>
<p>true</p>
<p>I immigrated to the US from india 2 weeks into second semester of junior year. My grades tanked for that entire year, and a few people on this board will understand when I say that to study for the Indian Institute of Technology - Junior Entrance Exam, you have to almost abandon 11th/12th grade study.</p>
<p>Let me just say this Abhi - don’t prop up your application on stilts like that.
1)Mention all the things you have done matter-of-factly - don’t blow them up
2)Thousands apply from India each year as international applicants. Most good schools have admissions officers who visit specific parts of the world and stay informed about the situation there. These people are the ones who will see your application - so don’t talk about India - they already know everything
3) the focus of your essay should not be about each activity is separate paragraphs - write about how your experiences have shaped you and about also, maintain a theme throughout the essay. For example, i love computers, and I focussed my essay about the things I have done in this field, but without making me sound like a nerd (for I am not one, and an essay from the heart will convey that with no problems)
4) Get your essay proof-read by 10 different people if English isn’t your strongest point - grammatical mistakes make you look incompetent, even though it may not your fault - some people are naturally not good with a language.
5) add extra material to your application. If the college website doesn’t specifically say not to send in extra materials, send in all the certificates you have from all your extra-curriculars. Also, spend time and make a professional resume and send it in with your application. It will help.</p>