Hello, CC community.
So, I’m from France and would really like to pursue higher education in the United States (for several reasons). However, before really engaging myself in the college app process, I would like to be “chanced”, because it is a lot of time and money and not worth it if I don’t have any chances of getting into my “dream schools” [knowing I have other options, such as McGill - which I hope I could get into -, or also some of the best schools/curriculums in France].
I haven’t taken the SAT yet (and I won’t if I don’t have any chances at the following colleges), but I’m aiming for a ~2200 (I took a “mock” with little to no prep and got a 1900). As for SAT II, I would take Lit, US & World History, German with listening & maybe Bio. I would also have to take the TOEFL.
The schools I’m currently considering are (I will narrow the list down) :
- Barnard
- Middlebury
- Oberlin
- Carnegie Mellon
- Tufts
- Vassar
- Wesleyan
- +Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown & Yale (yep)
My major is undecided, although it would be either education or something environment protection-related (w/ maybe a double major in Drama).
So. Stats. I’m not taking the IB, but following the traditional French Baccalaureate path. I’m in the “Literature” section, which, according to Wikipedia, “weighs French literature, philosophy, history & geography, and foreign languages heavily.”
In 9th grade (which was last year of middle school/junior high for me in France), I had the equivalent of a 4.0 GPA and was in the top 1% of a 180 student class. At the end of junior high there is a national examination (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_diploma_%28France%29) , on which I had the best “mention” with very good grades.
Then, in 10th grade, I got into one of the best high-school (public) in France (ranked #3 this year, including private schools). It was significantly harder than before, so my grades weren’t as good : I guess it could translate to a 3.5 GPA (my grades were especially low in the scientific fields: physics, chemistry and maths).
11th grade (junior year) is where I am now, and the year I could choose my “section” (ie. Scientific, Economic and Social & Literary). I went for Literary, so my classes are the following :
Commom core (= mandatory)
- French Literature (7 hours)
- History and Geography (5 hours)
- Sciences Bio, Chemistry & Physics
- Research paper (2 hours)
- History in English (1 hours)
- PE
Then, my options/chosen classes are :
- English (3 hours)
- English Literature (2 hours)
- Torough English (2 hours) (option I took instead of maths)
- German (2 hours)
- Cinema & Audiovisual (2 hours)
My GPA would be a ~3.9, I think.
Next year, it will be about the same, except I won’t have to do a research paper (done yeah), and will have 8 hours of philosophy. I also plan on taking a theater option (my school doesn’t offer it so I have to go somewhere else and it didn’t match my hours this year) and maybe Sign Language.
Okay, my ECs are :
- Class representative (elected)
- Member of the school board (elected)
- Member of the student council (elected) (+ I plan on campaining for VP next year - our principal being the President)
- Member of the academic student council (elected)
In all of these authorities, I do a lot of projects. Some of the things I did are in charge of communication, meatless monday, campaigns against sexism, racism & homophobia, shared bookcase, “Integration Day”, “Green high-school”, promoting youth expression by organising days about “How to create your high-school newspaper” etc. - Contributor to the schools newspaper (and editor in chief to be)
- Drama club and Improv club. (4 hours/week).
- Member of the Parisian Council of the Youth
I’m also part of a project by a great theater in France (Théâtre de l’Odeon - Europe), which consists of 19 auditioned young people coming from Paris and border territories, writing their own play on improvisation basis. We’ll be playing in nationally recognized theaters (so I play and play the guitar in this project).
When I was 13 (I’m 15 now) I won a national price (from the government) for my poetry which was published. On my spare time, I also used to translate TV shows (from English to French). And I have a photography portfolio, also.
I volunteer 3 hours a week, to help underprivileged kids with their school work.
Last summer, I travelled (West coast of the USA & Tanzania) and this summer I’ll be doing an internship (at the Ministery of Education) and summer job (baby-sitting + tutoring).
And I don’t know if this is relevant/should appear on my applicaiton, but in 7th grade I went (alone, withouth my family) to the US to study in an american high-school (in Washington D.C.) for a few months (3 months - I was supposed to stay longer but had to come home from personal reasons).
And as I hope you can see, I’m quite fluent in english.
I’m really afraid that my because of my 10th year grades I’ll be rejected everywhere, + I don’t know how good I can score on the SAT (I & II) (which I’d be taking in October). I also don’t show much leadership (but there is no presidency of clubs here). Though, I am in the process of creating a MUN club at my school, and next year a freidn of mine will put up a musical and I’ll be in charge of the theater/drama part.
So, CC community, should I engage myself in the College App process and go for it, or is it just not worth it ?
Thank you very much !