<p>I’m an Indian male student who already graduated from high school in May 2011. I’m in a gap year right now, which I’m spending by doing an internship with AOL India, community service and learning to live independently (I now live in a different city, alone).</p>
<p>I’m looking to move to the US for higher studies from the Fall 2012 session. I want to major in English and plan to do an emphasis/a concentration/a minor in something like Creative Writing, Film Studies or Communications.</p>
<p>By the way, I have appeared for my tests/exams and these are the scores:</p>
<p>SAT II - English Lit: 760, Math Level 2: 790</p>
<p>TOEFL iBT - 120/120</p>
<p>Sophomore Year - 95.4% (English: 91, overall school topper)
Junior Year - 78.4% (Rigor of course increased DRASTICALLY. A dip in the scores in this year is par for the course in Indian education systems)
Senior Year - 87.4% (Topped the high school in English: 95)</p>
<p>I also ranked 4th worldwide in an International Olympiad of the English Language (run by a private organization). I also have a total of 4 1st prizes in debate/extempore/speech events in high school.</p>
<p>Solid. 80-90% I’d give you. Your junior year slip stands but your senior year shows you coming back from it which they will probably see as a sign a maturity and might see you as someone unlikely to let that slip happen again.</p>
<p>I know my grades aren’t great. Now, in the Indian education system, it’s par for the course for Junior Year grades to be much lower than Sophomore Year (because the school holds the exam in the former, whereas the board holds it in the latter) and the rigor of my workload increased DRASTICALLY, but that still doesn’t excuse my low score.</p>
<p>But the thing is, I’m going to address this in my Common App essay. Junior Year started with a death in the family and a fracture in my right (and dominant) hand. I was meek and picked a workload my parents thought was best for me and, surprise, was neither passionate about it nor talented in it. I’m going to write my essay on how all these things debilitated my performance a great deal but they also taught me stuff (even if it was the hard way) and how they helped me grow as an individual. And that’s how I’m going to find a spot to explain my uptick in Senior Year scores.</p>
<p>I don’t want to sound vain but I am very fond of writing and, some would say, good at it too. This topic is very close to me and I’m confident of pulling out a great essay.</p>
<p>Now, about the supplement I really don’t know.</p>
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