^ this is is the missing element
UChicago has a core, meaning you don’t get to choose your courses. All students take the same classes in Humanities especially (and you are placed in a math class based on your academic background and future major). At most US colleges you can choose between courses within each required field - so you could choose economics or anthropology or sociology, physics or environmental science or cooking chemistry… not at UChicago.
My Leistungskurse are geography and english. My intended majors are political science, business and economics
If your soccer is good enough that they’d want you, you could honestly get in anywhere. Your grades are not good enough for the very top, not even for T20, probably. But if they want you to play soccer for them, you could wind up at an Ivy or any top school. The thing to work on now, aside from finishing up your semester with the best possible grades, is marketing yourself for soccer.
Yea I’ll do my best. Hopefully everything will go well and I’ll be able to study in the US🙏
I think that BU could also be a good option. I have to read more about the school but I know they give good financial aid and I like that it is in an urban area
BU isn’t very into sports, it’s VERY urban (no campus) and not a traditional “college experience” with big sports. They ARE D1, Patriot League (like Colgate, Lafayette, AU…) and have quite a lot of selections to the championship under their belt, so it may be a good choice in terms of soccer.
Run the NPC to see if they’d be affordable (use both parents’ income).
However, as a low-income student, urban campuses aren’t your best bet, because they imply students going out a lot more (into town), which is expensive (not to mention you’re not allowed into bars and clubs). If you don’t want rural, look into college towns, where you’ll have public transportation, concerts, all sorts of activites on campus ie., cheap/discounted for students if not free (free movies, free pizza… would be common).
Please help us figure out your soccer level. If you can’t post publicly, send me a PM.
Yea but I mean also maybe without being recruited. I also wanna have that plan B. NPC looks good for BU
Do you think I could actually mention in my application that I’m basically in the top 15% of the 40% (Gymnasium) of all „High School“ Students in Germany? Because this would mean I am in the top 6% of all „high school“ students in Germany. Do you get what I wanna express?
The top 40% of all students go to gymnasium and in my gymnasium class I’m in the top 15%
so your rank is in the top 6%. How do you prove that? You could write in the is there anything to add part of the application.
That said, as others mentioned, soccer is the key - because you need money and access. Or you need to step down the level of school you’re interested in.
I think that admissions committees will realize this. We have high schools that are competitive admission in the US, and the colleges realize that the student body at those schools are not the same as student bodies from non-selective schools.
BU is very into hockey. But really that’s the only sport of any significance there.
It’s very complicated to understand for Americans because it’s very different. We get divided based on performance and grades into three schools after elementary. Gymnasium is the highest and best one where round about 40% get into. And then in Gymnasium I‘m in the top 15%
Hopefully they will realize that because if they would understand how the system works and how selective the gymnasium is, it would make a big difference
Most major colleges will understand - but top 6% is not “top school” material in and of itself.
So if my class rank would be top 6% it would still not be enough?
As an example roughly the top 2-3% of California high school graduates are admitted to Berkeley or UCLA. Top private schools (eg Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Chicago) are generally much smaller and admitted students would typically be in the top 1-2% academically (on a state or national basis), though there are other ways in like athletics and legacy admissions.
Not likely for the top of the top - but that’s where soccer comes in as people have told you - so you need to be discovered.
btw - so you don’t go to the top of the top - so what? 99% don’t and if they’re hard workers and driven, they all end up fine. Take the focus off on having to only go to the highest ranked - it’s just not realistic for most in society.
and the rank is for marketing and magazine stories - not real life.
You will find out in life where you go to school will likely not matter - other than did you have a great experience and take advantage. Yes, some have inherent advantages over other - but you, not the school, will make your success in life.
Okay so which colleges should I take a deaper look at? T20-60? (without soccer)
Look at University of Alabama, University of New Mexico, Arizona…which all have automatic merit aid based on stats. Perhaps one of those will be affordable when you add your parent contribution and the Direct Loan you can take.
You should also see if any have club soccer which would give you the ability to play.
If you love soccer, play soccer.
Nothing has changed from what everyone has told you - reach out to coaches at the top (or not top) schools. Soccer is your key. Go read all the emails everyone has written you.
Take your mind off a # rank. If a school is ranked 500, who cares - they mint plenty of millionaires I assure you.
Find your right fit. Many have already given you suggestions and most mentioned getting in touch with coaches and let soccer be your bridge into college.