Hello, I’m a student from Poland applying to US colleges. I have some questions about the stuff I need from my school to be delivered to a college. As for the letters of recommendation, it’s straightforward: I’ll just ask my math teacher for one, and my english teacher to translate and write one of her own. But I have no idea where even to begin with all the other documents.
The info I found on different schools websites is inconsistent, does it mean that every college requires different stuff, or maybe they’re just called different, but they’re the same thing. We don’t have a counsellor in Poland so it complicates things further, since some schools apparently require counsellor’s letter too. Can anyone tell me what actually I need to supply? What should I do if my school doesn’t have a counsellor? What’s the difference between a school report and a school transcript? For the secondary school stuff do I have to go to my secondary school get something from them, or are the grades just fine?
You would benefit from assembling all the pieces you can (with help from CC). For latter stages, your colleges of interest, once identified, will assist you. These schools will welcome your interest, understand your obstacles, and have the experience to help you.
A school report describes general school characteristics and policies that will provide context for your personal transcript.
Thanks for the response! What’s a CC?
CC referred to the College Confidential community.
The head of your school can write the counselor summary. Or a lead teacher.
High school is considered “secondary school” here. Are you still in high svhool?
Oh, ok that makes sense. I thought it meant middle school. Does the counselor summary differ from a LoR? Can my maths teacher (who is also my lead teacher) write both? Noone in the administrative body of my school knows much about me, so that’d be the best option, I think.
Yes, they differ. The counselor is supposed to add a “big picture” perspective. Not how well you did in any particular class, but how your academic performance compares to other students at your school across the board. What’s your estimated class rank? How rigorous were the courses you completed compared to what was available? Whether you have ever had any disciplinary issues or problem behaviors. Any life context that may have helped or hindered your academic performance. Stuff like that.
It’s common for guidance counselors not to know their students well. The average American counselor attends to about 500 students.
https://www.commonapp.org/resource/quick-guide-counselor-recommendation
Try to google for the actual form and info about the letter.
Many countries have a group that supports international applicants.
Have you checked with the EducationUSA advising center closest to where you live? The counselors there should be able to help you with all of this. https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center?field_region_target_id=&field_country_target_id=220&field_center_level_value=All
So I’m doing the Common Application and I need some help:
“Please list all courses you are taking this academic year. If you are not currently enrolled, please list courses from your most recent academic year.”
I have no idea what that means and I need to type in at least one. Could anyone please explain?
List your classes this academic year. Not sure why this is confusing. Fall period and spring.
It is asking you to specify what class subjects you are currently taking in school.
Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, English, etc…
If you are already finished with high school, then list the subjects you took last year.
You’re likely taking English: 6th year? 7th year? => English 6 (or English 7)
Is it a difficult/rigorous class or a “blow off class for a rigorous academic high school”? If “rigorous compared to other classes” add “honors”.
Math: are you studying integral&differential calculus? Multivariate calculus? Statistics? Discrete math? Linear algebra?
List the type of math. If you’re in the science track, add Advanced.
Other classes you may be taking:
Polish literature
Spanish (3, 4, 5?)
Philosophy
European history
Contemporary history
Economics
Government
Geography
Calculus-based physics
Physics: mechanics
Physics: electricity
Physics: astronomy
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Biology
Physiology
Engineering
CS: Creation and technology
Computer science: programming
Visual arts
Theater technical skills
Drama
Photography
Graphic design
When the class represents your track for Maturity, add Advanced. If it’s rigorous, add honors. (There’s a pull own menu).
Since you attend an academic high school, most classes would either be advanced or honors.
You have to be precise and not just list ‘Math’, ‘Science’…
Ok, so I have a total of 9 subjects. The ones that my class has “extended” are Math, Physics, Informatics (I’m not exactly sure if it’s the same thing as CS. We have programming, spreadsheets, as well as graphics, networking, systems etc. generally a lot of things computer-related) and English, so I’ll list them as advanced. The other ones are Polish, German, History and Society, Religion and PE. I can’t really tell which ones are rigorous though. Maybe Math and Physics. My physics course is similar to the one you need to pass SAT II, maybe a little more in-depth. Mathematics covers a lot more stuff than what you need for Math II (a lot of calculus and fancy geometry), but it also omits some (like imaginary numbers and conic sections). Should I add honors?
Oh and I’ll take the Polish Maturity, but on “basic” level, everyone has to take it, so is it advanced or regular?
Also there is another thing called honors, I believe it’s about contests and such. I can enter only the ones I got in 9th grade or later, but 9th grade is the last year of middle school in Poland. There is no indication that the honors HAVE to be from secondary school, so can I type in my middle school contests? There is especially one, that matters a lot, it’s called Voivodeship Mathematics Contest, which I won, didn’t have to take the middle school math test and automatically got 100% on it.
Advanced - everybody in an academic high school takes the Maturity, not everyone your age who’s not in jail (trying to find an equivalent.) The Matura is inherently advanced.
Calculus with analytical geometry, Physics, Informatics, and English (6?7?) = Click advanced
Then German, Polish literature*, History, Religion are all honors.
Physics Ed is regular.
*I suppose your class title is ‘Polish’ except you’re Polish so it’s not a class about learning polish like German is, I assume you read important literary works.
They’re asking the courses for the present academic year. Most important are cores- math, sci, language/lit, foreign lang, social science (history, etc.) But you include all.
That simple.
Middle school doesn’t count, in this case.
@MYOS1634 in transcript or activities, he/she can include 9th thru present year, is that right? 5 years? (Been a while since I’ve seen an international app.)
Yes - this student likely falls under the most recent reform and would have to produce transcripts for classes since 9th grade and/or lower school exam results taken at the end of year 8 ie., 9th grade and/or any entrance exam for liceum or teknikum.
So can I include my middle school competitions?
I’m talking about this tab:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FHc1IWbWyx0/maxresdefault.jpg
(I’m not sure if it even is about competitions)