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Reply 1
You can hire a private college counselor if you really want to.
The thing with US admissions, is that it's not like oxbridge, where if you interview well you stand a great chance. Instead they want some very strong extracurriculars that you have been dedicated to for a few years, strong exams results from yr10 onwards and very strong recs, which you can't pull out of the bag with a few hours interview coaching.
Reply 4
What are "recs" if I may ask?
Reply 5
Letters of recommendation from your teachers.
Reply 9
Well, it really depends on whom you choose to write your letter. But admissions officers can usually tell from the content of the letter how well the teacher knows you, how reliable a teacher's report is, and how they go about writing letters of recommendation.
Some teachers are really succint in letters of recommendation; others are not. Some only will write letters for their best students and will tell you to get a letter from someone else if they feel they will write poorly about you. It is in the applicant's best interest to choose teachers whom they got on well with, though it isn't always the best to chose your best subject if you showed real dedication in a tough class or something along those lines.
At my high school (which is not typical) I had four teachers fill out evaluations about me for the counselor to write a uniform report AND submitted two other personalized letters from my English teachers.
My AP English teacher told us quite clearly they will not try to disparage you and will write about your strengths, but at the same time, they will be completely honest. It was like her grading; she didn't hand out A's for merely doing the work.
On the recommendation form, there are various places to check about work habits, disiplince, integrity, academic ability, creativity, written expression of ideas, ect. Below average, above average, top 10, top 5, one of the top students encountered in career.
Some teachers are really succint in letters of recommendation; others are not. Some only will write letters for their best students and will tell you to get a letter from someone else if they feel they will write poorly about you. It is in the applicant's best interest to choose teachers whom they got on well with, though it isn't always the best to chose your best subject if you showed real dedication in a tough class or something along those lines.
At my high school (which is not typical) I had four teachers fill out evaluations about me for the counselor to write a uniform report AND submitted two other personalized letters from my English teachers.
My AP English teacher told us quite clearly they will not try to disparage you and will write about your strengths, but at the same time, they will be completely honest. It was like her grading; she didn't hand out A's for merely doing the work.
On the recommendation form, there are various places to check about work habits, disiplince, integrity, academic ability, creativity, written expression of ideas, ect. Below average, above average, top 10, top 5, one of the top students encountered in career.
Reply 11
Louise_1988
The thing with US admissions, is that it's not like oxbridge, where if you interview well you stand a great chance. Instead they want some very strong extracurriculars that you have been dedicated to for a few years, strong exams results from yr10 onwards and very strong recs, which you can't pull out of the bag with a few hours interview coaching.
What would be "very strong extracurricular"?
I have participated in all the school's sports teams and orchesta and choir but not in the past 2 years because I haven't had the time to commit to so much.
Reply 12
Haha. I'm sorry, but
'What would be "very strong extracurricular"?
I have participated in all the school's sports teams and orchesta and choir but not in the past 2 years because I haven't had the time to commit to so much.'
To an Ivy, or a top LA college is sorta ridiculous. The types of schedules the kids who get into these places have, is equally ridiculous. There was a guy set for UPenn. He played Varsity football, for three hours practice every afternoon, plus a game - was captain and had been varsity for three years. He also did Varsity track, and had V and JV letters from freshman year (year seven). He was ridiculously smart, taking mostly AP subjects - aka, as high as A-level, if not broader, had 1000 hours of community service, was in various clubs and stuff, officers, etc. He's at Rutgers, which is a good uni, but not an Ivy.
The kids who DID get in - one set up an international charity against AIDS in children, is the son of a fairly influential minister, has met a lot of major people around the world, has done internships in Washington DC's oldest think-tank, had perfect scores, athletic requirements, community service, runs his own company, and manages not to be an arsehole ALL the time! - is at Harvard.
They make time. Seriously. Kids will sleep six hours a night, get up, shower, do school from eight til two/three, then spend three hours doing sport/activities, eat dinner, spend an hour in an extracurric, then do homework for two/three hours, then socialise/extracurrics, then sleep six hours and repeat. At weekends, you get serious amounts of extracurrics and community service, plus sport matches, crammed in.
'What would be "very strong extracurricular"?
I have participated in all the school's sports teams and orchesta and choir but not in the past 2 years because I haven't had the time to commit to so much.'
To an Ivy, or a top LA college is sorta ridiculous. The types of schedules the kids who get into these places have, is equally ridiculous. There was a guy set for UPenn. He played Varsity football, for three hours practice every afternoon, plus a game - was captain and had been varsity for three years. He also did Varsity track, and had V and JV letters from freshman year (year seven). He was ridiculously smart, taking mostly AP subjects - aka, as high as A-level, if not broader, had 1000 hours of community service, was in various clubs and stuff, officers, etc. He's at Rutgers, which is a good uni, but not an Ivy.
The kids who DID get in - one set up an international charity against AIDS in children, is the son of a fairly influential minister, has met a lot of major people around the world, has done internships in Washington DC's oldest think-tank, had perfect scores, athletic requirements, community service, runs his own company, and manages not to be an arsehole ALL the time! - is at Harvard.
They make time. Seriously. Kids will sleep six hours a night, get up, shower, do school from eight til two/three, then spend three hours doing sport/activities, eat dinner, spend an hour in an extracurric, then do homework for two/three hours, then socialise/extracurrics, then sleep six hours and repeat. At weekends, you get serious amounts of extracurrics and community service, plus sport matches, crammed in.
cloudofcalm
Haha. I'm sorry, but
'What would be "very strong extracurricular"?
I have participated in all the school's sports teams and orchesta and choir but not in the past 2 years because I haven't had the time to commit to so much.'
To an Ivy, or a top LA college is sorta ridiculous. The types of schedules the kids who get into these places have, is equally ridiculous. There was a guy set for UPenn. He played Varsity football, for three hours practice every afternoon, plus a game - was captain and had been varsity for three years. He also did Varsity track, and had V and JV letters from freshman year (year seven). He was ridiculously smart, taking mostly AP subjects - aka, as high as A-level, if not broader, had 1000 hours of community service, was in various clubs and stuff, officers, etc. He's at Rutgers, which is a good uni, but not an Ivy.
The kids who DID get in - one set up an international charity against AIDS in children, is the son of a fairly influential minister, has met a lot of major people around the world, has done internships in Washington DC's oldest think-tank, had perfect scores, athletic requirements, community service, runs his own company, and manages not to be an arsehole ALL the time! - is at Harvard.
They make time. Seriously. Kids will sleep six hours a night, get up, shower, do school from eight til two/three, then spend three hours doing sport/activities, eat dinner, spend an hour in an extracurric, then do homework for two/three hours, then socialise/extracurrics, then sleep six hours and repeat. At weekends, you get serious amounts of extracurrics and community service, plus sport matches, crammed in.
'What would be "very strong extracurricular"?
I have participated in all the school's sports teams and orchesta and choir but not in the past 2 years because I haven't had the time to commit to so much.'
To an Ivy, or a top LA college is sorta ridiculous. The types of schedules the kids who get into these places have, is equally ridiculous. There was a guy set for UPenn. He played Varsity football, for three hours practice every afternoon, plus a game - was captain and had been varsity for three years. He also did Varsity track, and had V and JV letters from freshman year (year seven). He was ridiculously smart, taking mostly AP subjects - aka, as high as A-level, if not broader, had 1000 hours of community service, was in various clubs and stuff, officers, etc. He's at Rutgers, which is a good uni, but not an Ivy.
The kids who DID get in - one set up an international charity against AIDS in children, is the son of a fairly influential minister, has met a lot of major people around the world, has done internships in Washington DC's oldest think-tank, had perfect scores, athletic requirements, community service, runs his own company, and manages not to be an arsehole ALL the time! - is at Harvard.
They make time. Seriously. Kids will sleep six hours a night, get up, shower, do school from eight til two/three, then spend three hours doing sport/activities, eat dinner, spend an hour in an extracurric, then do homework for two/three hours, then socialise/extracurrics, then sleep six hours and repeat. At weekends, you get serious amounts of extracurrics and community service, plus sport matches, crammed in.
the yanks just dont have a clue do they....
Reply 15
They make time. Seriously. Kids will sleep six hours a night, get up, shower, do school from eight til two/three, then spend three hours doing sport/activities, eat dinner, spend an hour in an extracurric, then do homework for two/three hours, then socialise/extracurrics, then sleep six hours and repeat. At weekends, you get serious amounts of extracurrics and community service, plus sport matches, crammed in.
First of all, you are referring to a minority of kids lucky enough/spoiled enough to not have any economic worries. Second of all, for me that day is full of non-academic waste of time. They do fun things such as sports. In Europe we do 6-7-8 hours of homework everyday. Don't come and say that the American high-school is superior, as that is just rubbish.
Reply 16
chrisjorg
First of all, you are referring to a minority of kids lucky enough/spoiled enough to not have any economic worries. Second of all, for me that day is full of non-academic waste of time. They do fun things such as sports. In Europe we do 6-7-8 hours of homework everyday. Don't come and say that the American high-school is superior, as that is just rubbish.
I'm sorry you feel the amount of activities we tackle to get into top schools is ridiculous, and I agree to an extent that kids have way too much pressure to be perfect, but no one on this thread has said American high school is superior- those are your words.
But I think it is a mistake to try to downplay the accomplishments of those that get in the Ivies because you look at it as fun or a waste of time. First of all, who wants to be miserable doing homework all their lives? You may think studying for 6 hours is so important, but I promise you, you may look back later and question the value of your education if you were constantly at the breaking point studying hard core.
Secondly, the kids that get into these schools for the most part are brilliant and they can do very high level work in much less time than 99% of the population, so they have more time to dedicate to their activities. And personally I think the world needs actors and musicians and writers and so forth; it would be very dull if everyone only sat and did complex math or science the rest of their lives.
Also, a lot of people are very affluent at these schools, but if you are gifted but a minority or had monumentual hardships, they take that into account and this may make you an even more admirable applicant than the CEO's son.
In Europe, education is different, and in my opinion neither better nor worse than US education, but I don't think anyone has right to harshly judge another system unless they have personal experience.
Reply 19
newbie17
thats why in usa the degree lasts for four year, because in your first year you basically do A2 levels.
I wonder where you got that from, in France and in some unis in Switzerland you're undergrad is 4 years, sometimes 5 years long. But the exams (French baccalaureate in France and Maturité in Switzerland) are MUCH tougher than A-Levels
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