<p>Okay, so my SAT is really low (2070), but I find it kind of impressive, because I study English as second language in high school and it has never been a language of instruction.
I have no idea how to calculate my GPA, becayse I don’t know how to convert my bulgarian grades to american(i found different conversion tables)
My extracurrics are bad, but this is not my fault, because in Bulgaria, like in most of Europe, grades are everything and extracurriculars, essays, personal qualities etc have ABSOLUTELY NO importance whatsoever, so there are only few extracurrics available at my school - volleyball team, MUN, Ecology Club, soccer and bridge club… That’s all, really!.. From time to time some small projects arise, which i always participate in, because I know how important it is, but the overall picture is really bad and it gets worse: it is illegal for people under the age of 16 to have a job and for people under the age of 18 - to have a full - time job. I have had a job, but still it’s not enough…
Extracurriculars and Jobs opportunities for high school students in the United States seem to grow on trees, really!
And… In Bulgaria we are not allowed to choose our subjects andthere is a fixed curriculum, every discipline is x4 years</p>
<p>The only advantage I seem to have are my essays, which are great, and the fact that I study in the most prestigious and selective public high school in my country, which is known for its rigorous curriculum. (well…it doesn’t rank)</p>
<p>So I pretty much know that I am future NU rejectee, but I am still wondering, what the acceptance rate of Medill is?</p>
<p>well i know medill itself is a pretty competitive journalism school. Do you have a counselor? Maybe he/she could explain your circumstances a little? Just the fact that you’ve apparently sought these activities I think says a lot about your potential. I think you have a good chance to get in if you’ve demonstrated your express interest in journalism somewhere in your application. </p>
<p>and a 2070 for a non native speaker is really impressive. how did you manage to learn english so well if it’s not at all encouraged at your school?</p>
<p>Unfortunately there are no counselors in my school… and that goes back to grades meaning everything… Here’s how Bulgaria’s system works:
If you want to study mathematics(for example) in college you take an exam and then you add your grades in maths in 11th and 12th grade to the grade you’ve recieved on the maths exam and those with the highest score after this simple addition can study maths…
The system is so simple, that counselors are completely useless.</p>
<p>I wrote about my interest in journalism in my “why I want to study in NU” essay, but it is still a disadvantage that my school doesn’t have a newspaper and I have basically almost no experience.</p>
<p>As far as I my English is concerned, I studied it pretty much on my own, because the elementary level in my school didn’t help much. When I decided to study in the US, I started to watch CNN every day (the only english-speaking channel I have access to, besides MTV and VH1), I read the news daily on the website and with the time I learned a lot of english words and phrases, even my pronounciation changed (If you hear me speak you would think that I am American) What’s more, I became emotionally involved with what’s going on around the world, so to speak, and this is how my interest in journalism developed… I even had the opportunity to talk to a CNN reporter and I am really proud of that And I still watch the news every day - I can’t live without 'em
Another factor is that I am good at languages - I speak English, German, Bulgarian, Spanish and conversational French and I plan to study more languages while in college…I hope while at Northwestern : (</p>
<p>i’ll just say this: you are amazing. i wish i didn’t suck so bad at languages :(</p>
<p>have you explained how you got to learn english and how that all relates to your interest in journalism? because that’s a fantastic thing to let them know about yourself.
now, i’m not such an expert on how colleges pick their international students, but i would think you have a pretty good chance given your circumstances. </p>
<p>i’ve applied this year as well for their radio/tv/film major, but i have nothing as impressive to say as you do :P</p>
<p>confidence! yes! haha i’m just a little anxious b/c NU is pretty much my top choice right next to Columbia. It seems like a lot of people in these forums are highly competitive, but i just like to think that these are people who care A LOT and that there are those many other students applying who don’t spend hours on these boards already. :D</p>
<p>Oh, no doubt you care a lot…and that most people on these boards care a lot; I just think you should give yourself a break. You’re pretty awesome! Don’t say you’re not impressive in every response post. =P</p>
And I still watch the news every day - I can’t live without 'em