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@Noor
0 answers, 0 votes
 • 4 years ago •
Admissions Advice

Extracurricular,AP,SAT ll
Answered

Hello I’m from Jordan. I go to unknown/not famous government school that doesn’t offer any AP , after class activities or even an admission counselor. I’m very passionate and my dream to study in us I want to improve my chances of getting accepted I have applied to Sat 1 and gotten 1560 my gpa is 3.8 I have no extracurricular and I need guidance or someone to help me, sadly my country doesn’t offer private admission counselor also we don’t have any leadership skills activities or academic clubs/teams. is signing up for archery or tennis sport good enough? please give me any advice to fix this situation since my country is very limited and thanks

ECs
SAT-subject-test
SAT
AP
0
11
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Accepted Answer
@USstudentabroad
24 answers, 16 votes
 • 4 years ago

If you really managed to get 1560 in your SAT coming from a unknown government school in Jordan and self discovering your way to US universities then buckle up: you will go far ! Please don’t stress and compare yourself to students, like myself, who live in developed countries and have plenty of opportunities. Try to create a unique profile, ideally doing some meaningful volunteering (eg in one of the many refugee camps that your country accommodates) to demonstrate that you shall make a difference once you return to Jordan after your USA studies.

With your high SAT most universities might not need TOEFL, but do check, but if you find the time do take the SAT2 in Math (where you will probably excel) and talk to some of your teachers to draft great recommendations letter for you. Good luck !

3
[🎤 AUTHOR]@Noor4 years ago

Thankyou, but since our first language here is arabic should teachers write recommendation letters in English or arabic?

@USstudentabroad4 years ago

You want them to speak English and have email to be contacted by the universities to provide references for you. Good luck!

@DebaterMAX4 years ago

So English would be the 1st choices as most admission officers speak English or Spanish. There may be one that is fluent in Arabic but don’t count on it. Best of luck!

0
@DebaterMAX
899 answers, 740 votes
 • 4 years ago[edited]

So with no extracurriculars/clubs until now you have near zero chance at ivy/ivy caliber (Stanford MIT etc) and elite schools like Virgina and UT Austin. But you have great shot at really good public schools like Iowa, non UT Austin Texas schools, Oregon and South Carolina like schools. I’d focus in the the public schools near the 100th ranking (private and public) on rankings like US News ARWU Shanghai ranking Forbes etc.

So as an international student you will have to take the TOEFL exam or depending on your school of choice the Duolingo exam. Reach out to the schools admissions office and say something like.

Hello,

I’m name from Jordan and I really am interested in your school. Can you please direct me to information about steps to apply as an international student.I greatly appreciate your help!

Thanks,

Name

Also no matter what you have some ECs whether that’s babysitting a neighbors kid or a younger sibling or you have a job or you have family duties. Or you are part of a club that plays chess once a week. Any hobby can count as an extracurricular.

Hope this helps and please comment if you need clarification. I’d be happy to help!

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[🎤 AUTHOR]@Noor4 years ago

But is any hobby enough to get into ivys ? Since so many students with perfect grades apply to them shouldn’t they have extracurriculars that stand out?

@chxm334 years ago

any activity you do in your free time is considered an extracurricular, whether it’s babysitting, working a job, helping your teacher after school, sports, music, clubs, etc, or being a member of a group outside of school. ivys really want to see that you have made a significant impact on your community and done great things with your time. they want to see a story you tell through your application of who you are, what matters to you/what your passions are, and how you explored those through hs

@DebaterMAX4 years ago

@noor They may not be enough for ivies but other elite schools are definitely possible

[🎤 AUTHOR]@Noor4 years ago

Can you give me some examples of elite schools ?

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SAT: 720 math
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