As an international student, i think that the fact we want to go to study to another country and go through so many stages and procedures to acchieve the requirements I think that shows how much does it mean to us to get quality education.
i think when it comes to extracurriculars the system is unfair to other countries. As a spanish person, we don't have the culture that the us has, of doing 3 sports a year, going to a bunch of clubs, being the president of those, getting super involved in the school, etc. There's not a possibility of doing that based on how society works here, so there's no way for us to put that in our admissions
It's kinda survival of the fittest. If you can't build yourself to have a lot of ECs, you won't be able to fit in US colleges. That's also one more way how rich internationals fare way better than poor ones.
@@om5621 yeah, but life in other countries is not built properly to allow people to do a bunch of extracurricular, neither is the school system. Sometimes having over 2 ecs is impossible specially if they're sports
as a latina I can say this is not true. if you're commenting on this video it is clear that you own a device and have internet at home. the easiest thing nowadays is to find extracurricular opportunities on the internet! I am currently in +4 organizations (including UN) and also co-founded one! most of them work 100% online since there is people from all over the country (not only bc of the pandemic). you just need to put yourself out there. i am going to list some activities I know you can do 100% online specially right now that COVID is a thing: Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA), Girl Up (you can either enter one or create your own), debate groups, MUNs, create an NGO related to a matter you care about. even if you work, it can be counted as an EC. there are endless opportunities for us but you must be willing to take a step out of your comfort zone.
also, us colleges are willing to accept people who want to make an impact and will actually do important things in the future. if someone can't manage to be innovative or contribute to their community in high school, they probably won't get involved with anything in the future.
@@stephanynazario5719 thank you so muuuch. my school this senior hs didn't hv an organization or any ECs so it was hard for me to apply internationally esp in america. i'm gonna find an organization now!! ty again for this comment!!!
so in a nutshell: If you're international and you are trying to get into US uni you either have to be a) bloody wealthy (come on, 70k/year tuition is ridiculous) b) be a PERFECT applicant with superb scores So most of us don't really have a chance.
I doubt it gets the whole picture. I have so many friends from my country(Kenya) who get in and still are from low-income backgrounds. But I guess their essays were so good.
I am an International student in my first year of college and I used to be afraid that I wouldn't get admitted. Honest truth is believe in yourself. Do your research. Find the right school for you, it'll work out in the end.
When she said most of the countries like India only care about grades and often ignore extracurricular. I was like yea! I mean I was taught just to focus on studies for my whole life and now when I'm seeing how can I achieve my dream, they are like : all you did is study. You can't get in,we need something more Like what do you expect me to do now?cry?😂
If you are aiming for the ivy League schools, you need to show them something that makes you special, because all the other applicants have great grades, it's not that rare to have great grades, they want to find in you something that they didn't find in the other applicants . Otherwise you can go for other good US colleges
Exactly! Most kids in my class have top grades but don’t have a single extracurricular. I think the extracurricular thing is because for entrance exams like JEE and NEET require you to prep from 3-4 years constantly without having any time to do anything else. Dark side of overpopulation
ikr :( plus i had student government i dint use it for my benifit cus i dint wanna look like a nerd i regret it vvv much now, if i met me back then id punch me hard
@@shreyaskumar1034 I think if you want to go abroad then it's better to just focus on preparing for that and give up on the idea of top local unis altogether. It's same here in Sri Lanka, Government unis only take A/L into account so the exams are super competitive.
In India there is less practice but more theory... that's why some graduate students are so unqualified about the degrees what they hold....as life is not depends upon theory but on practical
Extra-curricular activities are just a fluffy way to say "What the hell are you doing when school is out?" to which international students answer "Why do you care? Just get me in: I'm here to learn and not to play football like most of your top class students".
But you need to have more to your personality that just being able to score a 100% on that math test. Even when u graduated and get a job. Please don’t tell me ur going to spent the rest of your life only doing that job and nothing else lol
Bruh. That’s a dumb reason. Did you watch the video? Extra curricular activities include clubs and other things. And these things teach and help you learn and expand your knowledge. Only idiots think that extracurricular doesn’t help a person. Sports isn’t the only extracurricular yk. Watch the video again and listen to them explain why American schools want extracurricular activities. They don’t want robots. They want people.
i get it. i'm a broke international applicant from an over represented Asian country so i won't get into any of the colleges. cool. cool. cool. i'm obviously not having a mental breakdown right now. cool. P.S. Got into my dream college and i just wanna say don't lose hope guys. We got this!
Oh wow that’s so great to hear! I was about to lose hope because I’m international and broke too but that’s just great! Will you maybe tell us which one you got in? :))
Alexej Belov True 😭 And who knows how Brexit will change the UK prices :/ I feel like everyone is going to go to the Netherlands, Germany, and Skandinavia.. Greetings from Hungary 🇭🇺🇭🇺
Fun fact: I was in a MIT workshop here in Brazil where the teachers were all MIT students sent by the MIT Brazil program. There were six alumni and only one of them was American, sadly none of the were Brazilian too.
The whole admission process in the US is just much much harder for international students than it seems when you actually been through it. As an asain students we were taught to be disciplined, be humble, study hard, earn good grades. Grades always come before anything because they believe good grades are the only ticket of being successful in the future. Then I went to an international middle/high school, and when I first came in I struggled to learn and study everything in English(it gets progressively better though). But basically we have to study all the academic subjects in a language completely different from our native language(not even like most western countries that at least have more similar language systems), and we are expected to compete with all the thousands of students who were born and raised there(US). And even though it's an international school, and they promote the so-called "western education", it's still "culturally Chinese". we have the fixed schedule like the local high schools here(long school hours, 9-10hr, and we go to cram school after that), loads of homework, projects, exam, but at the same time we also have to somehow squeeze out time for ECs because we are all (the majority)expected to apply to top colleges in the US, not to mention it's even harder to do activities outside of school simply because we just don't have this culture(you have to be x2 try-hard basically:/). And like she mentioned in this video, the cultural difference really hit me, because before I started preparing for college stuff and researching videos like this, I never really thought about anything about my passion, identity, uniqueness, individualism, etc.(those what US admissions expect to see from us), because there's really no such things as I grew up, no one ever teaches us to be like that but instead it's more like being humble and respectful, collectivism, unify people and all that. So I actually find myself very lost when I think about it (i'm starting my junior year soon). Even when we got into university, we don't pay the in-state tuition, not even the out-of-state, but the international tuition which is sometimes 3 times more than domestic. even worse is that most colleges don't provide financial aid for international students, so you either be super intelligent and earn scholarships, or you have to have rich parents, or you bankrupt your parents. at the end of the day the thing that stresses me out the most is that after all these extra barriers and difficulties, we are aiming and competing for the same thing with people who don't have these problem, and the fact that you can't really do anything about it because you got to admit US have most of the top universities in the world and everyone wants to study in the US including me(like if you don't like it you can leave). But anyways I'll still continue to work hard, hopefully i get into my dream college:)))) Forgot to mention we also have to take away even more time on preparing TOEFL(a whole lot of money for cram school), so yes 2 standardized tests.
Honestly, these videos should be watched as a 9th grade student. I started watching them as a senior but it’s simply too late. And as an international student, I wasn’t worried about college until recently.
I used to try to apply US College as international students, then they rejected. Later, my family got the immigrant VISA from the cousin who had lived in USA. We got Green Cards and later, I tried to apply the universities. After that, they accepted me without any concern. Therefore, I had many opportunities to learn English and study my Major which they rejected at the beginning of applying the paperwork.
Blert Shabani It actually turned out to not be that much of an problem. I got into Most colleges I applied for and I am currently enrolled in at a 4 year private university that offered me more than half of my tuition covered. In fact, I just recently learned I got more in scholarships and grants than my roommate who is in marching band and did much more extracurriculars than me.
I’m international applying for Fall 2022 and reason four HIT ME, as a teen from Chile, we don’t get to have 10 different extracurriculars as an american teen would, Chile focuses only on grades and scores, schools don’t have any clubs or organizations and it’s really difficult to find something you like to spend time on, a sport is like the only extracurricular a chilean could have, i’m really struggling with extracurriculars, I swim, paint, and go to english classes on an institute, that’s it, that’s all I do, anyone have any ideas of what I could do?
I suggest you do what you love and stick to that. Universities want to see passion and determination to elongate that. Wish you luck! From another international student, still a 9th grader and am stressing...
Learning other languages, taking online EdX course, play an instrument, if you have interest learn software, help people, etc. I believe you can do it. My situation is the same but we will succes.
@@isidoramendez7036 Sorry for the late response! But i really don’t know since im applying here in Chile too (and i need to prepare for the PTU). And u?
Dragoon GT This is not a personal self-pity thread. People get rejected from schools all of the time, and not necessarily as a result of inadequacy. The school may simply have not been a good fit for you. Plus, there’s always other schools you can go to. I’m sorry that you didn’t get in, but you should instead cheer up and provide comments to help other people or provide feedback, not complain. If you cannot do this, go mope elsewhere. Self-hatred is a waste of both your time and ours.
I have been binge-watching this channel because I REALLY want to get into Cooper Union for Architecture being an international student from Central America, wish me luck :)
I applied to several top universities in the United States as an international student asking for A LOT of financial aid and guess what even though I got rejected by a bunch of them I ended up getting into RICE WITH A LOT OF AID!!! Don't lose hope!!!
@@skifast_takechances No its not. Thats if you want to go to Harvard. Most schools take rich Chinese. My school had an army of Chinese students. But I get it, if you want to go to the US, may as well live a dream. I tell the Chinese born here, they are not special because even the best of them are only mediocre when it comes to the other Chinese coming here. The truth is, what school wishes to be marginalized with one ethnicity?
I just got into my dream major in my first choice university in Brazil, so I'm pretty happy and relaxed right now, but I'm still waiting for decisions from US universities. I foresee many rejections because of financial aid lol But let's see what happens! Thank you for the video!
I agree with the cultural divide point. In my country, students focus mainly on our standardized test rather than school grades because the testing is what determines whether we got into a good college or not. But I never knew that grades were important in the American college process so I did doom myself from the beginning. I am applying next year (I was going to apply this year but the virus messed everything up) so i'm currently trying to get those grades up.
I was born and raised in America till 7th grade. In 8th, my family moved to India. So I am VERY worried for the extra curricular activity thing. In the school that I’m going to, is very conservative, ergo, girls can’t really do anything. 😐
Hey, I'm from Germany and my parents have low income, so i'll need financial aid. I don't know why, but I'm allready freacking out because of the U.S. admissons procces, even though I'm a 9th Grader
Hey! I‘m also from Germany. Guessing your 15 max by being in 9th grade. When you turn 16, immediately find a good part time job which pays 450$ a month and save up until you finish Highschool (Abitur). Find a good scholarship which covers fees well + fafsa + cheap apartments (its hard to find a good cheap one), and once you arrive in america, immediately look for another part time job to get a income again (It will be super stressy though). Don‘t rely on previous saved money from germany while on part time job and also dont rely on scholarships and your fafsa. Anything can go wrong anytime.
@@AIanSaverio why don’t you guys go to the free German universities? I’ve always been curious about the low attendance rate at all the free universities in Europe.
Wonderful video! As an American living in India and helping my friend with her US college admission, I couldn't agree more with the points you presented. :)
We, International Students have your own dignity and is not that too much important if the universities that we've applied, we don't get into.. we will stay at home, and build our Owns.
here's a tip for my fellow internacional students from latin america: florida's government offer something called latin american-caribbean scholarship. its a scholarship for florida's public universities that allows u to pay in-state tuition. all u need is to have a gpa of at least 2.75 and a 500 dolar financial aid from an university!
Excellent video Informative and Straight to the point With so much information out there regards the admissions process its difficult to know what exactly colleges look for in a prospective student
I am.from Kenya and.with many attempts I did to get scholarship and chance to study in the States went fruitful when one university .,university of Hawaai received my email and now am a proud product of faith and prayer 🙏
well as a freshie i cant give much advice, but from what ive seen colleges want to see you do extra curriculars that interest YOU and not just for the heck of it
I’m an international student in my senior year for my Bachelor’s Degree. Don’t get discouraged! Research different colleges before applying. Look at their statistics, reputation, graduation and success rate, and most of all inclusivity (the biggest and most important one). You’ll find the one right for you. And if you’re a junior or senior in high school and viewing this, try to get involved in some extra curricular activities, volunteer work, or even if you have a part time job that is good because it shows you are productive outside of school. While test scores and gpa matter, extra curriculars does too! And may I say, I believe money is the biggest reason for why int’l students are accepted because they support the U.S economy by the billions every year. So even if you are just an above average student, that doesn’t mean you won’t get in. If you show that you have the money to study in the US that is also a huge factor.
Basically if you are international like me , don't ever think you know what the Americans want just because you watch alot of tv be special and get an extracurricular activity that you love , hope for the best.
Damn, I’m well you can say half Malaysian, (my mom is Singaporean, dad is Malaysian, I’m Singaporean though), I feel really bad for him, 35 ACT is such a good score! 18 schools, that’s a lot, has he tried NUS, NTU or SMU? He might have a better chance there, it’s much cheaper and are really great schools. Plus, it’s close to Malaysia so he can meet family easily!
The most unfair thing is that school is much harder in Europe, and the US universities do not take that at all into account. I have a GPA of 5.5 out of 6, which places me at the top of my graduating class of more than 200 people, and it is super hard to get. On the other hand, students in the US can easily get a 4.0 GPA with a little work -which is completely impossible in Europe...
I'm a senior right now in japan. You're right it's all about grades and test scores here when it comes to college admissions that's why they lack individualism because they don't look at the applicants as a whole
I interview for MIT now (was an international student from Canada). Need aware universities: international applicants are trading a much lower rate for more financial aid. Need blind universities depend on the university. Obviously when we're talking MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton ... these are looking for different things. Yes, you have to be pretty awesome. One point that I'd add for #4 extracurriculars is that a lot of internationals like to put stuff down like "hours spent." (So very boring.) Let's flip it around from a different perspective: If you think about life after college -- so you have a job: If you are reporting hours a week, usually these are menial jobs. If you report or focus on responsibilities, you are a worker bee. And if you report accomplishments, you are a leader. It should come as no surprise that when the need blind universities are looking for leaders, they focus in on accomplishments.
I hope you can make a video about universities that provide full-scholarships for international students and what qualifies a. student to get them! Since I've faced a problem while applying that I thought some Universities can meet my funding need if I qualify but afterward I'd find out that I was mistaken, or that I thought that a certain Uni. doesn't provide international scholarships and after the deadline I'd be surprised that it actually does 😅
Hey all of the colleges I'm applying to will give me full scholarship if i get in. Best thing to do is just to research colleges you like then check the financial aid page on their website.
I am from India and I do agree with you that the emphasis here is on grades and academics achievements . But it is also true that if u ask a teenager as to how special he is and how he is going to change the world then that iiself is a lofty and unrealistic question.
@Ellie haha I'm not applying to US now, because of the whole coronavirus and international applicants situation. Also, because a college counselor told me that for the very top universities in US, my profile still needed improvement. But for the top universities in UK, I had a great profile. So, I'm trying UK now. What colleges are you applying to anyway? I'm sure I can help in some way
@Ellie Even I am not applying abroad now, because of coronavirus, I gave my SATs two days ago, and for co curriculars I have literally done everything my school has to offer, the only place I lag is my marks so :/
Hi! I’m a Mexican 10th grader studying in a public high school. In here, they don’t offer much activities or courses that can help me gain enough admission points for U.S colleges which is really stressful to me because I’m trying to find online AP courses that sometimes can be really expensive and overwhelming... so can you please recommend me good ones and how many do you think I have to take? (I want to study BUSINESS in CUNY Baruch or in SDSU) I really love your videos, I find them super helpful... THANKS!
I'm an International student who what to go to UNC. And the only problem I have is MONEY!!! I have an individualism. I always volunteer. One time organize a event to raise money for charity and one time I made hygiene kit for the homeless. I practice at school activities I'm a successful writer at this social site called "Wattpad", my book is in the English language, I grew as a person after something happened to me and I know I'm good at writing essays and I'm sure I'll get a good GPA and SAT I'm not lost in translation! I can write how volunteering change me well. But I don't have enough money to attend my dream university. It's so sad to think about, but that still doesn't stop me from trying
guys,YES what she said is partially true BUT have faith YOU CAN DO IT many international students got in due to hard work,effort and time they put in to study abroad in top unis and colleges.DON'T LOSE HOPE! NEVER GIVE UP! at least try you never know this is an unpredictable process.The majority of ivy league students NEVER thought they would get accepted but they did!!!!! to wrap this up just wanna say don't let her make you lose hope please DON'T!! you never know,you can be the next Einstein if you tried :)
on the money bit- she really tiptoed around this point but i think it's HUGE- in the overwhelming majority of cases, international students exist for schools to make money. colleges that seek to proliferate knowledge and provide students with a great education will almost never extend those principles to international students because they make the colleges so much money.
4:33 oh my God! This is soo true.. I am from India and all my life I have been hearing is get good scores in tests and you will be accepted in a good college and university
I'm also thinking to do my undergrad from USA but after seeing this video see demotivated me a bit but it is not true at all means so many international students get the universities they want in USA
@@anjan4154 That's survivorship bias at work. Those who get rejected everywhere don't come out and announce so, those who get in somewhere tell everyone. That's why it seems everyone ends up somewhere good. It's nearly impossible to get into a great college with great aid if you're an average topper at your school (even district). US unis don't excuse you if no one else was pursuing extra curricular activities. You may believe me (go to r/collegeresults on reddit if you want more proof, I have seen IOI* medalists getting rejected everywhere) and evaluate your next steps accordingly, or you may be in for major disappointments. If you want to get into a top 20 uni in US, you must be: ~Full pay and have a profile similar to a domestic student who would get in. or, if you want aid: ~Super loaded and unique profile, at least 8-9 ECs and at least a few awards. With the above, you *must* have explosive essays and letter of recommendations. A lot of students (especially from countries like India and China) get rejected everywhere. * Not Silverzone or SOF's (Indian students will recognize this). IOI where only five students from whole country go to compete with all countries in the world.
As an international applicant, I got into Stanford, MIT, Yale, Brown and Cornell. I got waitlisted at Princeton, and rejected at Harvard and Columbia. I took SAT only once and my verbal was 470 (out of 800), because I started learning English in Grade 10 - in the year I immigrated from Korea to Canada. My grade 10 GPA was like 2.0, but it started improving rapidly. So she is entirely right: Numbers, if taken out of the context, mean nothing to top college admissions. Any questions?
In your essays, it would help you stand out really well. But if you are wondering if you can get admitted on a full scholarship for a sport, this may not work. I would do some thorough research though :)
That's for super competitive schools that only accept 4% of applicants. You can get a great job going to UT Dallas with a 79% acceptance rate or some other less selective university and get a great job. I know foreigners who did it. I know foreigners who started at community College even and later transferred to a four year university.
Hi Brooke, I have been watching your channel for quite a while; keep up the good work! It would be very helpful if you could provide an example application and go through the applicant's strengths and weaknesses. Honestly, I get what you mean about the similarity aspect of international applications. Almost everyone loves doing olympiads and research.
I am an international student, I know I can’t work on a student visa while studying, but is there another way where I can work outside of the campus while studying?
F1 visa students can work outside campus under OPT (Optional Practical Training) for 1 year (can be extended to 2 for STEM major). That's it. You can later apply for H1B visa (kinda permanent type for work and requires a lot of luck to get) or Investor visas (If you invest creating employment opportunities for americans, difficult if you're poor).
You can work on campus 20hrs pr week or a paid internship outside of uni related to what your studying but get a letter from your uni after you've scored that internship. My advice when your there thug it out learn a real skill on the side that you can use to make money remotely nomatter where you are, after find a way to be self employed or start a business that costs very little to start. At the end of the day its about the money start early you could be richer than your fellow students just research and do it right
POV: You are a broke international student with hopes of getting to study in the US and you just saw this video and lost every single piece of hope left in you.
Not every country is as flexible as US. Not every country has education system like US. Not every student from a lot of countries have exposure or infrastructure or correct facilities that help build their portfolio of extra curricular activities and fit(personality) Like in my country India, most of time is taken up by preparing for our exams and building our in depth theoretical knowledge of a subject. Have you even seen the question papers? A lot of them are known to be notoriously tougher than of US or UK or any other country exam perhaps. They are not even considered higher secondary school level by some country academics. We have to attempt that and get good marks and ranks, there is a lot of competition. So naturally we dont have time to sit and do sports and extra curricular activities, apply 100 different applications to universities in foreign and in India or go build a nuclear reactor in our garage as we don't have a garage to start with or the facilities or just cant afford it. Here we are robots, yk like the type that is shown in another brick in the wall by pink floyd. So since we dont have clubs that we can join or have time to pursue our artistic interests let alone get good sleep. If we focus on extra curricular, we will fall behind on grades, if we focus on preparing for grades, we dont have time for extra curricular.
as a fellow indian i agree, we literally just give exams and study. our school even got rid of extra curiculars after grade 7 so kids can focus on studying
@@aayushikapse1428 I'm indian aswell, it's very hard for us since we don't have things like clubs, and, class monitor is like litterally the only achievement you can have in school except well, good-grades. I actually plan on participating in extra-curriculars outside my school to better my chances in getting into an ivy league school, but then again i need to make sure i get a scholarship for that aswell lol
@@Ifyouseekyou imagine having the time to participate in extra curriculars tho. Especially with like boards and stuff for JEE and all its kinda impossible
I just really wanted to know what subjects you are expected to take as an international student. Here in Portugal, in the end of ninth grade you have to chose an area of study, such as arts, science and humanities. I am applying to arts which means I won’t have neither math, science (biology), physics, chemistry or history (except for arts history). I wonder if this would make me unable to apply to US schools. Thank you for all the great advice, SuperTutorTV
Oi, acho que, no site do college board, você pode ver o perfil de cada universidade e ver +- quais cursos ela espera/necessita que vc tenha tido. não sei se isso se aplica aos estudantes internacionais, mas imagino que sim. boa sorte!! (ps sou do brasil, imagino q tenham algumas diferenças na escrita, mals ae)
US students: "OMG I'm so sad because I need student loans to go to college, I'll be in so much debt" meanwhile, international students don't have the option to get in debt, we NEED to convince a school we're good enough for them to pay us full ride. Thank you brooke for pointing out how much harder we international students have it.
@Saffron Sinclair True, but you ignore the fact that the int students that do get in go through a much more difficult selection. I just got into MIT, I'm Brazilian. There is a School in the Boston area that approved 16 students, that's more than all of Latin America. Now don't you think these student had it much easier? Or do you really believe that there are more qualified students in that school than all of Latin America? And the school just coincidentally is a 20 min drive from MIT
I am from Peru and here grades at school or extracurricular activities are not important to get into the university...(there is an exam to get into the University that has nothing to do with the school) if the students have low grades at school but are good at the pre-university and take a good exam they get into the university. Plus the university does not care if you know three languages and help the community. -first and second students in a class or national champions have an easier exam with less competition.
The last reason is probably going to stop me from getting into college. My school doesn’t offer AP or IB classes, so I took an extra Latin class. I’m part of my school choir, we often travel a lot and collaborate with choirs from other countries, plus I’m part of my school’s basketball team. I don’t know if that changes anything or even counts as extracurricular activities 🤷🏾♀️.
Same thing I play soccer in here and im pretty good But never got involved in any events since my country really don't care about these things So im kinda worried to mention being a "good soccer player" only while applying to a college in the us
that does count as an extracurricular, heck, that's a VERY SOLID one doing good in s cool, being a part of the basketball team, collaborating with choirs around the country, and learning an extra language. Just make sure that they're solid and that you're acc playing a part in the team
I have long since graduated. I was born in Michigan and grew up in Dominican Republic. Having stayed in touch about many of the nuanced things about American culture helped me a lot when applying to colleges. The video really is spot on in that other countries emphasize academics as the one thing that you need to focus on. There was not a single school that had extracurricular activities or clubs. To the schools their only obligation was to teach and nothing else. Read several comments below that while well-meaning also are a tiny bit condescending: just start a club. Yeah, sure. If it was that easy then as they say, everyone would do it. It's more about students who plan to apply to a US college to be able to find the information to increase their chances of getting accepted. My dad was one of those that even having studied in the US. kept nitpicking at my essay and telling me to emphasize my academics. Thankfully my instructor for a prep class for TOEFL told him that that was a sure way to torpedo my chances of getting accepted.
do I need a certification or something like that to prove I do some extracurriculars? I love drawing and have tons of drawings in my room, also I love playing volley with my friends, will that count of do I need some kind of '' solid proof''?
Marianne Rose You would have a better chance of admission, but I don’t think it’s even worth it at that point. Paying upwards of 70k/yr to go to a prestigious private college is not worth it if you’re taking on almost that entire price tag in student loans. In-state public colleges should always be cheaper and easier in the admissions process, while allowing you to actually apply for financial aid in the process. Should the expensive private college without aid route be your itinerary, I would hope that your parents are able to pay that kind of tuition out-of-pocket.
I'm trying to apply as a transfer student in Michigan (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, or Wayne State University). I was accepted in Wayne State University in Detroit as a study abroad student for Fall 2019. After studying there for a semester, I am determined to go back in America and pursue my academic goals there. I enjoy watching your videos. Wish me luck!
I had a GPA of 95.46 on a 100 scale up until the end of my junior year. My SAT score is 1520, and my IB predicted grades are 42/45. It may increase to 43/45. I have a bronze medal in Baltic Sea Philosophy Essay Event and represented my country in International Philosophy Olympiads and was a coder in my school's FRC team that was invited to the finals in Houston. I applied to US universities with financial aid request this year. I was rejected from Amherst, Williams, Fordham, JHU, and UChicago. Overall, applying with financial aid request as an international student sucks.
If ur aiming for top schools NEVER apply for financial aid request!!! Most schools accept a lot of international students just because they make more money! Thres no point in them accepting you if they dont make money (mainly private schools)
when the colleges make a mistake , and have to re-imburse students , they blame it on staff that have left , conveniently reassigned or hidden from view at the front desk where the student lodged a complaint
You're considered Americans. This helps with schools like MIT that are looking that their promise to offer full need based aid, but you're still coming from a competitive context as kids from expats tend to be impressive. But it's unlikely to be more competitive for you than it would be for a kid from east coast elite schools etc.
The hardest thing for international students like me, is extra-curricular parts. I can take AP lessons, have perfect grades, and be academically really well, but when it comes to extracurriculars i have very few things. In my country, there is only one hour club time which we cant be leaders. There is no such thing as tutorship, or etc. I'm still trying to do these, but it's being very hard to me. Once me and my 2 friends designed a rocket and made it by our physics teachers help, and attended a competition. It went very well, but idk really if US universities would care about that. I attended MUNs, (been outstanding delegate twice but never the best), took AP's, tried to do these extracurricular things, played piano at orchestras and attended piano exams, and yet i had to work on my own countries' curriculum. It's been very harsh to me and I'm scared that all of these would go for nothing, because my country is one of the most hated among the world and it is very hard for international students. Maybe i should just give up and just study my own curriculum and get into my states' best university... Because my school helps only by that way.
hi! i think for the freshman and sophomore year, you should worry more about getting involved in your extracurriculars + getting good grades. i recommend taking the sat in the end of junior year or beginning of senior year, so you should start your prep around the beginning of junior year. remember that the sooner the better, so if you have free time, try to look for colleges and sat practices as soon as possible. also, there are many websites that offer a schedule for applying! you should definitely search for those, good luck!!!
What happens if you were born in the US but your whole life you lived outside the US? Am I considered an international student? (I moved from the US when I was about 1 year old)
We have the same issue. I was born in the U.S but graduated from an high school abroad. So now i am considered as an international student but with an U.S citizenship.
You're viewed as an American then, and much of this may not apply to you (though the last three points may still resonate depending on your cultural exposure).
@So Who's the Dummy Now? Because the education isn't nearly as good as at an American institution-like the equivalent of a community college. Just for a way better chance in the job market too.
@So Who's the Dummy Now? It may appear so, but they all dream to study at a prestigious American school (Harvard and MIT r my friends' dream, they really come out with the cream of the crop) I mean some American schools can justify 70k pricetags, just not must.
rak1116 It’s really not that German schools have a poorer education standard than US colleges and many schools have way better performance and academics than US schools at large. It is quite a statement to compare one of the best educational systems in Europe to US community colleges. Not to mention, nearly every single persons in Germany goes to university, and they don’t have the consideration of not being able to afford to go to a school they’d otherwise deserve to get into. Therefore, getting into one of the best schools in Germany is really comparable to getting into an Ivy League school when it comes to acceptance rate at least. However, many want to get into Harvard/any other really prestigious schools because they sound really good when you’re getting hired (no one’s gonna care that you went to Arizona State but Harvard or Yale and definitely Oxford? yeah they’re gonna care) and secondly, many people see these schools as dream schools as they’ve seen them in movies and tv all their life and of course you’re gonna have an idealized vision of them, just like American kids do. Those were my two cents 😊
Want to read instead of watch? supertutortv.com/videos/why-us-colleges-reject-international-students
I am a low income student from Argentina and I got into Northwestern University ED for the class of 2024 with full aid ✨ I am really happy
Congrats
drop your stats 🙏🏼🥺
aluacage That's good to hear!!!! Congrats!!!!
@@sharpayevans4356 come on stop using these begging crying emojis. This is bliody disgusting and ridiculous
Congratulations aluacage 🎂🎂
International student waiting for decisions clicked as fast as possible.
Agree
Couldn't agree more😂😂
Fact
Fax
Literally in a nanosec
I'm from the United States so I'm not sure why I'm here. I believe in you guys!
Thank you😭😭💀
I'm a US citizen and I just watched this for....no reason really.
Thank you so much💖🌺
thats so sweet!!
Thanks
That title sounds sad to me
•Jojo A• It is.
yes
yup
Same.
let's all cry together
1.- Money
2.- Cultural divide
3.- Lost in translation
4.- Lack of extracurricular activities
Thank you
As an international student, i think that the fact we want to go to study to another country and go through so many stages and procedures to acchieve the requirements I think that shows how much does it mean to us to get quality education.
totally agree
I need administration to study in university
Can you give me administration
Send me yr administration from
Send me yr administration from
i think when it comes to extracurriculars the system is unfair to other countries. As a spanish person, we don't have the culture that the us has, of doing 3 sports a year, going to a bunch of clubs, being the president of those, getting super involved in the school, etc. There's not a possibility of doing that based on how society works here, so there's no way for us to put that in our admissions
It's kinda survival of the fittest. If you can't build yourself to have a lot of ECs, you won't be able to fit in US colleges. That's also one more way how rich internationals fare way better than poor ones.
@@om5621 yeah, but life in other countries is not built properly to allow people to do a bunch of extracurricular, neither is the school system. Sometimes having over 2 ecs is impossible specially if they're sports
as a latina I can say this is not true. if you're commenting on this video it is clear that you own a device and have internet at home. the easiest thing nowadays is to find extracurricular opportunities on the internet! I am currently in +4 organizations (including UN) and also co-founded one! most of them work 100% online since there is people from all over the country (not only bc of the pandemic). you just need to put yourself out there. i am going to list some activities I know you can do 100% online specially right now that COVID is a thing: Latin American Leadership Academy (LALA), Girl Up (you can either enter one or create your own), debate groups, MUNs, create an NGO related to a matter you care about. even if you work, it can be counted as an EC. there are endless opportunities for us but you must be willing to take a step out of your comfort zone.
also, us colleges are willing to accept people who want to make an impact and will actually do important things in the future. if someone can't manage to be innovative or contribute to their community in high school, they probably won't get involved with anything in the future.
@@stephanynazario5719 thank you so muuuch. my school this senior hs didn't hv an organization or any ECs so it was hard for me to apply internationally esp in america. i'm gonna find an organization now!! ty again for this comment!!!
so in a nutshell:
If you're international and you are trying to get into US uni you either have to be
a) bloody wealthy (come on, 70k/year tuition is ridiculous)
b) be a PERFECT applicant with superb scores
So most of us don't really have a chance.
I doubt it gets the whole picture. I have so many friends from my country(Kenya) who get in and still are from low-income backgrounds. But I guess their essays were so good.
@@liaenriquez2008 true
@@liaenriquez2008 Lose*, do you really attend an ivy?
Silver Moon she just said she goes to an ivy so why ask. If you don’t believe it then don’t believe it and waste time asking dumb questions.
@@shinysphinx8849 he was juste making a joke because there was a mistake. It was funny, not aggressive
I am an International student in my first year of college and I used to be afraid that I wouldn't get admitted. Honest truth is believe in yourself. Do your research. Find the right school for you, it'll work out in the end.
where do you go to?
Thanks
needed this
Are you on scholarship and what university did you get admitted to?
Hey I just want to ask you how was your personal essay ? And what was it about
Thanks
When she said most of the countries like India only care about grades and often ignore extracurricular.
I was like yea! I mean I was taught just to focus on studies for my whole life and now when I'm seeing how can I achieve my dream, they are like : all you did is study. You can't get in,we need something more
Like what do you expect me to do now?cry?😂
If you are aiming for the ivy League schools, you need to show them something that makes you special, because all the other applicants have great grades, it's not that rare to have great grades, they want to find in you something that they didn't find in the other applicants . Otherwise you can go for other good US colleges
Exactly! Most kids in my class have top grades but don’t have a single extracurricular. I think the extracurricular thing is because for entrance exams like JEE and NEET require you to prep from 3-4 years constantly without having any time to do anything else. Dark side of overpopulation
ikr :(
plus i had student government i dint use it for my benifit cus i dint wanna look like a nerd i regret it vvv much now, if i met me back then id punch me hard
@@shreyaskumar1034 I think if you want to go abroad then it's better to just focus on preparing for that and give up on the idea of top local unis altogether. It's same here in Sri Lanka, Government unis only take A/L into account so the exams are super competitive.
In India there is less practice but more theory... that's why some graduate students are so unqualified about the degrees what they hold....as life is not depends upon theory but on practical
Extra-curricular activities are just a fluffy way to say "What the hell are you doing when school is out?" to which international students answer "Why do you care? Just get me in: I'm here to learn and not to play football like most of your top class students".
😂😂😂😂
Accuratteeee
But you need to have more to your personality that just being able to score a 100% on that math test. Even when u graduated and get a job. Please don’t tell me ur going to spent the rest of your life only doing that job and nothing else lol
Bruh. That’s a dumb reason. Did you watch the video? Extra curricular activities include clubs and other things. And these things teach and help you learn and expand your knowledge. Only idiots think that extracurricular doesn’t help a person. Sports isn’t the only extracurricular yk. Watch the video again and listen to them explain why American schools want extracurricular activities. They don’t want robots. They want people.
@@hariniel I know right.. swiftie here btw
@@hariniel we don't exactly have clubs in other countries
i get it. i'm a broke international applicant from an over represented Asian country so i won't get into any of the colleges. cool. cool. cool. i'm obviously not having a mental breakdown right now. cool.
P.S. Got into my dream college and i just wanna say don't lose hope guys. We got this!
Omg which college did u get into
One of the best edits. Best wishes!
Wait are you for real? Please tell me how did you do that?
Very happy for you, and it’s absolutely horrid that some colleges reject students just because they’re Asian and Asians do too well in academics.
Oh wow that’s so great to hear! I was about to lose hope because I’m international and broke too but that’s just great! Will you maybe tell us which one you got in? :))
I live in Eastern Europe... there’s no way I can afford to pay full tuition to an american uni :/
Bruh, we cannot pay even one decimal of their tuition fees. Greetings from Slovakia 🤪
Alexej Belov True 😭 And who knows how Brexit will change the UK prices :/ I feel like everyone is going to go to the Netherlands, Germany, and Skandinavia.. Greetings from Hungary 🇭🇺🇭🇺
Do you even bother researching the varsities? Most offer financial aid, and very generously too.
@@ale9507 u mean sport scholzrships? Do they have any for volunteering work ?
So don’t go then . It’s not for u
Haha I’m screwed
Nah a lot of international folks do get in, including those who can not pay most of money. Don't you worry
Ikr im so worried rn
lol same 😭
Lol mood
😭 same
Do u think u can make a video about scholarships for international students?
OMG I NEED THIS ONE
YES PLS
I’m also from the US and have no idea why I’m watching this, I hope all you kids wanting to go to College here, hope you get in!
Fun fact: I was in a MIT workshop here in Brazil where the teachers were all MIT students sent by the MIT Brazil program. There were six alumni and only one of them was American, sadly none of the were Brazilian too.
@Fernando Souza Yes. What do you want to know?
@@andrecampanelli8159 I would actually love to know if any of them were Turkish
@@eylulefsunseferoglu5100 No Man, none of them were. I'm sorry.
the program was in Brazil but there weren’t Brazilians students?? :( sad
Woow Em qual cidade foi isso?
The whole admission process in the US is just much much harder for international students than it seems when you actually been through it. As an asain students we were taught to be disciplined, be humble, study hard, earn good grades. Grades always come before anything because they believe good grades are the only ticket of being successful in the future. Then I went to an international middle/high school, and when I first came in I struggled to learn and study everything in English(it gets progressively better though). But basically we have to study all the academic subjects in a language completely different from our native language(not even like most western countries that at least have more similar language systems), and we are expected to compete with all the thousands of students who were born and raised there(US). And even though it's an international school, and they promote the so-called "western education", it's still "culturally Chinese". we have the fixed schedule like the local high schools here(long school hours, 9-10hr, and we go to cram school after that), loads of homework, projects, exam, but at the same time we also have to somehow squeeze out time for ECs because we are all (the majority)expected to apply to top colleges in the US, not to mention it's even harder to do activities outside of school simply because we just don't have this culture(you have to be x2 try-hard basically:/). And like she mentioned in this video, the cultural difference really hit me, because before I started preparing for college stuff and researching videos like this, I never really thought about anything about my passion, identity, uniqueness, individualism, etc.(those what US admissions expect to see from us), because there's really no such things as I grew up, no one ever teaches us to be like that but instead it's more like being humble and respectful, collectivism, unify people and all that. So I actually find myself very lost when I think about it (i'm starting my junior year soon). Even when we got into university, we don't pay the in-state tuition, not even the out-of-state, but the international tuition which is sometimes 3 times more than domestic. even worse is that most colleges don't provide financial aid for international students, so you either be super intelligent and earn scholarships, or you have to have rich parents, or you bankrupt your parents. at the end of the day the thing that stresses me out the most is that after all these extra barriers and difficulties, we are aiming and competing for the same thing with people who don't have these problem, and the fact that you can't really do anything about it because you got to admit US have most of the top universities in the world and everyone wants to study in the US including me(like if you don't like it you can leave). But anyways I'll still continue to work hard, hopefully i get into my dream college:)))) Forgot to mention we also have to take away even more time on preparing TOEFL(a whole lot of money for cram school), so yes 2 standardized tests.
I'm not gonna read all that but imma take your word for it
Honestly, these videos should be watched as a 9th grade student. I started watching them as a senior but it’s simply too late. And as an international student, I wasn’t worried about college until recently.
Literally!! And it's unusual to start thinking about college so early as an international 😔
I am in 8th grade and I'm watching this
That's exactly where I'm at rn... not sure if I'm gonna make it cause or seems late
I used to try to apply US College as international students, then they rejected. Later, my family got the immigrant VISA from the cousin who had lived in USA. We got Green Cards and later, I tried to apply the universities. After that, they accepted me without any concern. Therefore, I had many opportunities to learn English and study my Major which they rejected at the beginning of applying the paperwork.
Which country are u from?
That’s reason 4 hit home ...while applying the thing I was most insecure about was my lack of extra curricular activities.
hey so how did it go
Blert Shabani It actually turned out to not be that much of an problem. I got into
Most colleges I applied for and I am currently enrolled in at a 4 year private university that offered me more than half of my tuition covered. In fact, I just recently learned I got more in scholarships and grants than my roommate who is in marching band and did much more extracurriculars than me.
@@matymbye8989 glad to hear that!
@@matymbye8989 wow! Congrats! 😃
@@matymbye8989 which college and what’s your major
i’m not an international student and i already applied to all my schools why am i watching this
same here
Which schools ?
Where did u get in
Welp atleast you can learn to appreciate the fact that it’s easier for you than for most of us bahaha I hope you got in your schools too btw 👍
I’m international applying for Fall 2022 and reason four HIT ME, as a teen from Chile, we don’t get to have 10 different extracurriculars as an american teen would, Chile focuses only on grades and scores, schools don’t have any clubs or organizations and it’s really difficult to find something you like to spend time on, a sport is like the only extracurricular a chilean could have, i’m really struggling with extracurriculars, I swim, paint, and go to english classes on an institute, that’s it, that’s all I do, anyone have any ideas of what I could do?
I suggest you do what you love and stick to that. Universities want to see passion and determination to elongate that. Wish you luck! From another international student, still a 9th grader and am stressing...
Hi! I really hope u see this cause im from Chile too and im struggling with the same. Did u get any other info about it?
OMG IM FROM CHILE TOO , are u gonna give the SAT?
Learning other languages, taking online EdX course, play an instrument, if you have interest learn software, help people, etc. I believe you can do it. My situation is the same but we will succes.
@@isidoramendez7036 Sorry for the late response! But i really don’t know since im applying here in Chile too (and i need to prepare for the PTU). And u?
Damn, I got rejected from one of my schools today.
Rejection is redirection. Calm down.
@@unlockwithjsr Just sugarcoated words, in reality, I wasn't good enough.
Dragoon GT This is not a personal self-pity thread. People get rejected from schools all of the time, and not necessarily as a result of inadequacy. The school may simply have not been a good fit for you. Plus, there’s always other schools you can go to. I’m sorry that you didn’t get in, but you should instead cheer up and provide comments to help other people or provide feedback, not complain. If you cannot do this, go mope elsewhere. Self-hatred is a waste of both your time and ours.
Aw sorry to here
Valeska Caceres UT Austin- well I got capped, but it doesn’t make it any better lol
I have been binge-watching this channel because I REALLY want to get into Cooper Union for Architecture being an international student from Central America, wish me luck :)
I applied to several top universities in the United States as an international student asking for A LOT of financial aid and guess what even though I got rejected by a bunch of them I ended up getting into RICE WITH A LOT OF AID!!! Don't lose hope!!!
If you mind, could you share your stats? Gpa, ECs etc
Share some stats?
more videos for international students like these, please! that was great!
Can you make a video about ways to afford your dream college,
scholarships!
As an international student, I am relieved to find none of this applicable to myself.
but you still have a high chance of facing rejection.
farhan sadik 😷It depends form university to university 😷
I wish I was you
I’m not an international student... why am I watching this??
Because Supertutor TV is the best channel
You lucky bastard!😂😂😂
@@Lavender2884 don't worry, even us American students have a really tough time when it comes to more competitive schools.
Me too lol
😂😂😂😂
You have to be a lot lot better than the statistics shown on the offical college website if you are a international applicants in China.
That's cuz too many chinese students get 1580+ on their SATs when applying to US schools
@@skifast_takechances No its not. Thats if you want to go to Harvard. Most schools take rich Chinese. My school had an army of Chinese students. But I get it, if you want to go to the US, may as well live a dream. I tell the Chinese born here, they are not special because even the best of them are only mediocre when it comes to the other Chinese coming here. The truth is, what school wishes to be marginalized with one ethnicity?
I just got into my dream major in my first choice university in Brazil, so I'm pretty happy and relaxed right now, but I'm still waiting for decisions from US universities. I foresee many rejections because of financial aid lol But let's see what happens! Thank you for the video!
What colleges did you apply to in the US? And what were your stats?
Good
E ai conseguiu??
@@marisartori5045 hello
@@marisartori5045 can i ask a question
I agree with the cultural divide point. In my country, students focus mainly on our standardized test rather than school grades because the testing is what determines whether we got into a good college or not. But I never knew that grades were important in the American college process so I did doom myself from the beginning. I am applying next year (I was going to apply this year but the virus messed everything up) so i'm currently trying to get those grades up.
I was born and raised in America till 7th grade. In 8th, my family moved to India. So I am VERY worried for the extra curricular activity thing. In the school that I’m going to, is very conservative, ergo, girls can’t really do anything. 😐
That’s literally me as well
About the moving to India thing
Since all of us have similar situations, what if we made a groupchat? i think discussing it would help
nis srini sure
if you do find something outside of school u could use that as an essay topic ?
Hey, I'm from Germany and my parents have low income, so i'll need financial aid. I don't know why, but I'm allready freacking out because of the U.S. admissons procces, even though I'm a 9th Grader
Hey! I‘m also from Germany. Guessing your 15 max by being in 9th grade. When you turn 16, immediately find a good part time job which pays 450$ a month and save up until you finish Highschool (Abitur). Find a good scholarship which covers fees well + fafsa + cheap apartments (its hard to find a good cheap one), and once you arrive in america, immediately look for another part time job to get a income again (It will be super stressy though). Don‘t rely on previous saved money from germany while on part time job and also dont rely on scholarships and your fafsa. Anything can go wrong anytime.
Welcome to the 9th grade paranoid about US admissions team! Greetings from a Singaporean
@@AIanSaverio why don’t you guys go to the free German universities? I’ve always been curious about the low attendance rate at all the free universities in Europe.
@@dougt4174 Because German universities are hard.
Yet ironically the strictest parents who care the most abt college admissions are from international backgrounds. Mm
Wonderful video! As an American living in India and helping my friend with her US college admission, I couldn't agree more with the points you presented. :)
She dropped massive golden nuggets here. WOW! Thanks for this video!
We, International Students have your own dignity and is not that too much important if the universities that we've applied, we don't get into.. we will stay at home, and build our Owns.
here's a tip for my fellow internacional students from latin america: florida's government offer something called latin american-caribbean scholarship. its a scholarship for florida's public universities that allows u to pay in-state tuition. all u need is to have a gpa of at least 2.75 and a 500 dolar financial aid from an university!
Excellent video
Informative and Straight to the point
With so much information out there regards the admissions process its difficult to know what exactly colleges look for in a prospective student
I am.from Kenya and.with many attempts I did to get scholarship and chance to study in the States went fruitful when one university .,university of Hawaai received my email and now am a proud product of faith and prayer 🙏
Hi i'm also from Kenya trying to look for admission.Is there a way i can reach you to inquire about the process?
@@judithchepkopus8935same
Do you Coach international Students through the Wohle application? If yes bow much?
Yes!! For information on tutoring / coaching see: supertutortv.com/tutoring-information
What if I’m a US citizen but living abroad? Will I be reviewed on the need-blind basis then?
Rejecting international students might actually be a very stupid idea for colleges including UCF.
im still in grade 10 so hopefully i can do some extra curriculars....although i literally have no idea what i can do so like😭😭😭
well as a freshie i cant give much advice, but from what ive seen colleges want to see you do extra curriculars that interest YOU and not just for the heck of it
@@bootymanjesus672 bestie we in 10th grade now
You could learn an instrument
Gonna be in 10th soon, and I'm hoping to find some good stuff for me too although I don't know anything whatsoever I hafta do...
I’m an international student in my senior year for my Bachelor’s Degree. Don’t get discouraged! Research different colleges before applying. Look at their statistics, reputation, graduation and success rate, and most of all inclusivity (the biggest and most important one). You’ll find the one right for you. And if you’re a junior or senior in high school and viewing this, try to get involved in some extra curricular activities, volunteer work, or even if you have a part time job that is good because it shows you are productive outside of school. While test scores and gpa matter, extra curriculars does too! And may I say, I believe money is the biggest reason for why int’l students are accepted because they support the U.S economy by the billions every year. So even if you are just an above average student, that doesn’t mean you won’t get in. If you show that you have the money to study in the US that is also a huge factor.
Basically if you are international like me , don't ever think you know what the Americans want just because you watch alot of tv be special and get an extracurricular activity that you love , hope for the best.
Im a malaysian and my friend just found out he got rejected from all 18 of his schools...he had an ACT score of 35
Maybe he applied to AID. That is really bad as an international schools.
wow, does he know what the issue was?
Yea he did apply for AID because his family isnt doing very well financially at all. But its rly sad because he really is a gifted student :((
What ECs and GPA did he have?
Damn, I’m well you can say half Malaysian, (my mom is Singaporean, dad is Malaysian, I’m Singaporean though), I feel really bad for him, 35 ACT is such a good score! 18 schools, that’s a lot, has he tried NUS, NTU or SMU? He might have a better chance there, it’s much cheaper and are really great schools. Plus, it’s close to Malaysia so he can meet family easily!
The most unfair thing is that school is much harder in Europe, and the US universities do not take that at all into account. I have a GPA of 5.5 out of 6, which places me at the top of my graduating class of more than 200 people, and it is super hard to get. On the other hand, students in the US can easily get a 4.0 GPA with a little work -which is completely impossible in Europe...
That’s just..not true. American school is equally hard, just different and less objective.
@@leogordon9787 You sound very American
@@leogordon9787 I’ve studied both in Europe and in the US and I can assure you that a school in the US is so much easier than in Europe
@@leogordon9787 and actually American hs is way more objective
What if you get 7.9 gpa?
I'm a senior right now in japan. You're right it's all about grades and test scores here when it comes to college admissions that's why they lack individualism because they don't look at the applicants as a whole
The same happens here in Egypt
I wanna join a university in the US but I'm not financially able and I don't know what to do
Freshman here in Japan! Any tips and tricks for a high schooler here? I'm completely lost on to what extracurriculars I should be doing
Would a non-US citizen/permanent resident who was educated entirely in the US educational system have a greater chance than those in other countries?
legal permanent residents are treated pretty much the same as citizens.
@@brookifyd I mean those who are on a visa, for example, students who are children of a person working in the US.
This is just the perfect video rn
Have you applied to Universities in the US too?
@@SandeepMuthu yep!
@@pipersolanas3322 which universities have you applied for?
I interview for MIT now (was an international student from Canada).
Need aware universities: international applicants are trading a much lower rate for more financial aid.
Need blind universities depend on the university. Obviously when we're talking MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton ... these are looking for different things.
Yes, you have to be pretty awesome.
One point that I'd add for #4 extracurriculars is that a lot of internationals like to put stuff down like "hours spent." (So very boring.)
Let's flip it around from a different perspective:
If you think about life after college -- so you have a job:
If you are reporting hours a week, usually these are menial jobs.
If you report or focus on responsibilities, you are a worker bee.
And if you report accomplishments, you are a leader.
It should come as no surprise that when the need blind universities are looking for leaders, they focus in on accomplishments.
I hope you can make a video about universities that provide full-scholarships for international students and what qualifies a. student to get them! Since I've faced a problem while applying that I thought some Universities can meet my funding need if I qualify but afterward I'd find out that I was mistaken, or that I thought that a certain Uni. doesn't provide international scholarships and after the deadline I'd be surprised that it actually does 😅
Did u find out abt full scholarships?
I want to know this too
Hey all of the colleges I'm applying to will give me full scholarship if i get in. Best thing to do is just to research colleges you like then check the financial aid page on their website.
@@ayomade7496 what r the colleges u r applying to?
@@nehajha9935 The main ones are Amherst, Bowdoin Colgate Columbia Harvard Northwestern and Williams
I am from India and I do agree with you that the emphasis here is on grades and academics achievements . But it is also true that if u ask a teenager as to how special he is and how he is going to change the world then that iiself is a lofty and unrealistic question.
8:35 is so true. A lot of time they makes me feel like an idiot 😂
When you talked about India and marks, it hit hard. It is true. Every word you said. Thanks, this is very helpful. I am applying to the US this year.
I know right? I am Indian as well, and I am applying this year, and I am so anxious about my extracurriculars.
@Ellie are you asking me or Shreya Saxena? Lmao
@Ellie haha I'm not applying to US now, because of the whole coronavirus and international applicants situation. Also, because a college counselor told me that for the very top universities in US, my profile still needed improvement. But for the top universities in UK, I had a great profile. So, I'm trying UK now. What colleges are you applying to anyway? I'm sure I can help in some way
@Ellie Even I am not applying abroad now, because of coronavirus, I gave my SATs two days ago, and for co curriculars I have literally done everything my school has to offer, the only place I lag is my marks so :/
@Ellie I am sorry idk whats PU . But, my dream school was Harvard since like forever. And I wanted to go for Psychology.
Hi! I’m a Mexican 10th grader studying in a public high school. In here, they don’t offer much activities or courses that can help me gain enough admission points for U.S colleges which is really stressful to me because I’m trying to find online AP courses that sometimes can be really expensive and overwhelming... so can you please recommend me good ones and how many do you think I have to take? (I want to study BUSINESS in CUNY Baruch or in SDSU) I really love your videos, I find them super helpful... THANKS!
I'm an International student who what to go to UNC. And the only problem I have is MONEY!!! I have an individualism. I always volunteer. One time organize a event to raise money for charity and one time I made hygiene kit for the homeless. I practice at school activities I'm a successful writer at this social site called "Wattpad", my book is in the English language, I grew as a person after something happened to me and I know I'm good at writing essays and I'm sure I'll get a good GPA and SAT
I'm not lost in translation! I can write how volunteering change me well.
But I don't have enough money to attend my dream university. It's so sad to think about, but that still doesn't stop me from trying
Same. Already applied for Fall 2021. Waiting for decisions.
guys,YES what she said is partially true BUT have faith YOU CAN DO IT many international students got in due to hard work,effort and time they put in to study abroad in top unis and colleges.DON'T LOSE HOPE! NEVER GIVE UP! at least try you never know this is an unpredictable process.The majority of ivy league students NEVER thought they would get accepted but they did!!!!! to wrap this up just wanna say don't let her make you lose hope please DON'T!! you never know,you can be the next Einstein if you tried :)
Yeah at a certain point a lot of it becomes luck-based
on the money bit- she really tiptoed around this point but i think it's HUGE- in the overwhelming majority of cases, international students exist for schools to make money. colleges that seek to proliferate knowledge and provide students with a great education will almost never extend those principles to international students because they make the colleges so much money.
4:33 oh my God! This is soo true.. I am from India and all my life I have been hearing is get good scores in tests and you will be accepted in a good college and university
Yeah it's true but if you want to do some extracurriculars you really love you can do those.
Yeah it's true but if you really love some extracurriculars then you can do those
I'm also thinking to do my undergrad from USA but after seeing this video see demotivated me a bit but it is not true at all means so many international students get the universities they want in USA
@@anjan4154 That's survivorship bias at work. Those who get rejected everywhere don't come out and announce so, those who get in somewhere tell everyone. That's why it seems everyone ends up somewhere good.
It's nearly impossible to get into a great college with great aid if you're an average topper at your school (even district). US unis don't excuse you if no one else was pursuing extra curricular activities. You may believe me (go to r/collegeresults on reddit if you want more proof, I have seen IOI* medalists getting rejected everywhere) and evaluate your next steps accordingly, or you may be in for major disappointments.
If you want to get into a top 20 uni in US, you must be:
~Full pay and have a profile similar to a domestic student who would get in.
or, if you want aid:
~Super loaded and unique profile, at least 8-9 ECs and at least a few awards.
With the above, you *must* have explosive essays and letter of recommendations.
A lot of students (especially from countries like India and China) get rejected everywhere.
* Not Silverzone or SOF's (Indian students will recognize this). IOI where only five students from whole country go to compete with all countries in the world.
@@om5621 you're also an student, who wants to get into those top tier colleges????????
Btw Hello ,
As an international applicant, I got into Stanford, MIT, Yale, Brown and Cornell. I got waitlisted at Princeton, and rejected at Harvard and Columbia. I took SAT only once and my verbal was 470 (out of 800), because I started learning English in Grade 10 - in the year I immigrated from Korea to Canada. My grade 10 GPA was like 2.0, but it started improving rapidly. So she is entirely right: Numbers, if taken out of the context, mean nothing to top college admissions. Any questions?
How did u do this, so much respect
What were your ECs? Which country are you from?
As a Thailand student at a trilingual school ,I feel great and bad the same time ESPECIALLY when I want to go in HAVARD...
Status?
Thankyou Supertutor, very informative. Would like to see more videos like these
Make a video about Minerva Schools at KGI
I have played a lot of cricket upto state level but will colleges value that as much as other sports considering cricket isn't that big in the US
Ofcourse! What matters is the time youve invested in it and how it comes out in your essays and rec letters
It's a cool thing, but in reality, it's useless.
YES it makes you stand out more
In your essays, it would help you stand out really well. But if you are wondering if you can get admitted on a full scholarship for a sport, this may not work. I would do some thorough research though :)
6:43 Typo: That's Reason 3!
That's for super competitive schools that only accept 4% of applicants. You can get a great job going to UT Dallas with a 79% acceptance rate or some other less selective university and get a great job. I know foreigners who did it. I know foreigners who started at community College even and later transferred to a four year university.
Hi Brooke,
I have been watching your channel for quite a while; keep up the good work! It would be very helpful if you could provide an example application and go through the applicant's strengths and weaknesses. Honestly, I get what you mean about the similarity aspect of international applications. Almost everyone loves doing olympiads and research.
Very helpful. Thank you
God, am freaking out..am now waiting for my decisions to come on march, but I've already given up💔😥 watching this video...
So what happened
Are you going to give us any update?
Yeah😢 I got rejected, I had a 3.7 GPA and I applied with a financial aid😢😢
@@Grkbkasys where u applied to? How many schools?
I am an international student, I know I can’t work on a student visa while studying, but is there another way where I can work outside of the campus while studying?
F1 visa students can work outside campus under OPT (Optional Practical Training) for 1 year (can be extended to 2 for STEM major). That's it. You can later apply for H1B visa (kinda permanent type for work and requires a lot of luck to get) or Investor visas (If you invest creating employment opportunities for americans, difficult if you're poor).
You can work on campus 20hrs pr week or a paid internship outside of uni related to what your studying but get a letter from your uni after you've scored that internship. My advice when your there thug it out learn a real skill on the side that you can use to make money remotely nomatter where you are, after find a way to be self employed or start a business that costs very little to start. At the end of the day its about the money start early you could be richer than your fellow students just research and do it right
Thank you, I needed this video. I was so disappointed I didn’t make it to one of my options, I’m a transfer student so I guess it’s harder
POV: You are a broke international student with hopes of getting to study in the US and you just saw this video and lost every single piece of hope left in you.
Not every country is as flexible as US.
Not every country has education system like US.
Not every student from a lot of countries have exposure or infrastructure or correct facilities that help build their portfolio of extra curricular activities and fit(personality)
Like in my country India, most of time is taken up by preparing for our exams and building our in depth theoretical knowledge of a subject.
Have you even seen the question papers?
A lot of them are known to be notoriously tougher than of US or UK or any other country exam perhaps.
They are not even considered higher secondary school level by some country academics.
We have to attempt that and get good marks and ranks, there is a lot of competition.
So naturally we dont have time to sit and do sports and extra curricular activities, apply 100 different applications to universities in foreign and in India or go build a nuclear reactor in our garage as we don't have a garage to start with or the facilities or just cant afford it.
Here we are robots, yk like the type that is shown in another brick in the wall by pink floyd.
So since we dont have clubs that we can join or have time to pursue our artistic interests let alone get good sleep.
If we focus on extra curricular, we will fall behind on grades, if we focus on preparing for grades, we dont have time for extra curricular.
as a fellow indian i agree, we literally just give exams and study. our school even got rid of extra curiculars after grade 7 so kids can focus on studying
@@aayushikapse1428 I'm indian aswell, it's very hard for us since we don't have things like clubs, and, class monitor is like litterally the only achievement you can have in school except well, good-grades. I actually plan on participating in extra-curriculars outside my school to better my chances in getting into an ivy league school, but then again i need to make sure i get a scholarship for that aswell lol
@@Ifyouseekyou imagine having the time to participate in extra curriculars tho. Especially with like boards and stuff for JEE and all its kinda impossible
@@aayushikapse1428 yeah plus we'll have to give SATs PSATs ACTs and stuff. It's gonna be hectic.
@@Ifyouseekyou ikr this is why I'm aiming for UTokyo or IIT Bombay for computer science
I just really wanted to know what subjects you are expected to take as an international student. Here in Portugal, in the end of ninth grade you have to chose an area of study, such as arts, science and humanities. I am applying to arts which means I won’t have neither math, science (biology), physics, chemistry or history (except for arts history). I wonder if this would make me unable to apply to US schools. Thank you for all the great advice, SuperTutorTV
Oi, acho que, no site do college board, você pode ver o perfil de cada universidade e ver +- quais cursos ela espera/necessita que vc tenha tido. não sei se isso se aplica aos estudantes internacionais, mas imagino que sim. boa sorte!! (ps sou do brasil, imagino q tenham algumas diferenças na escrita, mals ae)
Laura obrigada pela dica 🥰
US students: "OMG I'm so sad because I need student loans to go to college, I'll be in so much debt"
meanwhile, international students don't have the option to get in debt, we NEED to convince a school we're good enough for them to pay us full ride. Thank you brooke for pointing out how much harder we international students have it.
samuel prieto lima this is so sad. I’m an international student too 😔
samuel prieto lima some countries that are in Europe give college for free so US students still have it bad.
It's an extremely hard process. But if you get accepted, at least your financial aid package is full of grants and no loans! :)
@Saffron Sinclair True, but you ignore the fact that the int students that do get in go through a much more difficult selection. I just got into MIT, I'm Brazilian. There is a School in the Boston area that approved 16 students, that's more than all of Latin America. Now don't you think these student had it much easier? Or do you really believe that there are more qualified students in that school than all of Latin America? And the school just coincidentally is a 20 min drive from MIT
@@samuelprietolima1330 congrats of getting into MIT! That’s a goddamn hard school to get into
I am struggling to apply for scholarship in usa from ethiopia. I don't know where to start
Hi! Please make a video about how international students can manage to study in the US
I am from Peru and here grades at school or extracurricular activities are not important to get into the university...(there is an exam to get into the University that has nothing to do with the school) if the students have low grades at school but are good at the pre-university and take a good exam they get into the university. Plus the university does not care if you know three languages and help the community.
-first and second students in a class or national champions have an easier exam with less competition.
Bruh same here in Chile😭😭
Same in Bolivia
The last reason is probably going to stop me from getting into college. My school doesn’t offer AP or IB classes, so I took an extra Latin class. I’m part of my school choir, we often travel a lot and collaborate with choirs from other countries, plus I’m part of my school’s basketball team. I don’t know if that changes anything or even counts as extracurricular activities 🤷🏾♀️.
Same thing
I play soccer in here and im pretty good
But never got involved in any events since my country really don't care about these things
So im kinda worried to mention being a "good soccer player" only while applying to a college in the us
Our school doesn't have a choir, or many other clubs. The basketball team usually consists of family members of the staff :(
that does count as an extracurricular, heck, that's a VERY SOLID one
doing good in s cool, being a part of the basketball team, collaborating with choirs around the country, and learning an extra language. Just make sure that they're solid and that you're acc playing a part in the team
I have long since graduated. I was born in Michigan and grew up in Dominican Republic. Having stayed in touch about many of the nuanced things about American culture helped me a lot when applying to colleges. The video really is spot on in that other countries emphasize academics as the one thing that you need to focus on. There was not a single school that had extracurricular activities or clubs. To the schools their only obligation was to teach and nothing else.
Read several comments below that while well-meaning also are a tiny bit condescending: just start a club. Yeah, sure. If it was that easy then as they say, everyone would do it. It's more about students who plan to apply to a US college to be able to find the information to increase their chances of getting accepted. My dad was one of those that even having studied in the US. kept nitpicking at my essay and telling me to emphasize my academics. Thankfully my instructor for a prep class for TOEFL told him that that was a sure way to torpedo my chances of getting accepted.
How do these factors apply to someone living in the UK?
The world needs this video
make a video about extenuating circumstances please
do I need a certification or something like that to prove I do some extracurriculars? I love drawing and have tons of drawings in my room, also I love playing volley with my friends, will that count of do I need some kind of '' solid proof''?
join art competitions or volleyball tournaments, if you have a physical education class talk to your teacher about it and see what they can do
So I’m a international citizen (not a permanent resident) studying in the US. Do I still count as an international student?
Me too. But I think we're still international. It's not fair we still have to take the TOEFL.
André Campanelli whattt thats so stupid
Yeah bc you don’t qualify for federal aid. 😕 but you’re less likely to struggle w issues 2-4 I mentioned (on the upside)
SupertutorTV would I have a better chance of acceptance if I didn’t apply for aid at these schools?
Marianne Rose You would have a better chance of admission, but I don’t think it’s even worth it at that point. Paying upwards of 70k/yr to go to a prestigious private college is not worth it if you’re taking on almost that entire price tag in student loans. In-state public colleges should always be cheaper and easier in the admissions process, while allowing you to actually apply for financial aid in the process. Should the expensive private college without aid route be your itinerary, I would hope that your parents are able to pay that kind of tuition out-of-pocket.
I'm trying to apply as a transfer student in Michigan (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan State University, or Wayne State University). I was accepted in Wayne State University in Detroit as a study abroad student for Fall 2019. After studying there for a semester, I am determined to go back in America and pursue my academic goals there. I enjoy watching your videos. Wish me luck!
I had a GPA of 95.46 on a 100 scale up until the end of my junior year. My SAT score is 1520, and my IB predicted grades are 42/45. It may increase to 43/45. I have a bronze medal in Baltic Sea Philosophy Essay Event and represented my country in International Philosophy Olympiads and was a coder in my school's FRC team that was invited to the finals in Houston. I applied to US universities with financial aid request this year. I was rejected from Amherst, Williams, Fordham, JHU, and UChicago. Overall, applying with financial aid request as an international student sucks.
If ur aiming for top schools NEVER apply for financial aid request!!! Most schools accept a lot of international students just because they make more money! Thres no point in them accepting you if they dont make money (mainly private schools)
I am screwed if this is you rejected
when the colleges make a mistake , and have to re-imburse students , they blame it on staff that have left , conveniently reassigned or hidden from view at the front desk where the student lodged a complaint
but what happens to american students that live internationally 😖😖
You're considered Americans. This helps with schools like MIT that are looking that their promise to offer full need based aid, but you're still coming from a competitive context as kids from expats tend to be impressive. But it's unlikely to be more competitive for you than it would be for a kid from east coast elite schools etc.
The hardest thing for international students like me, is extra-curricular parts. I can take AP lessons, have perfect grades, and be academically really well, but when it comes to extracurriculars i have very few things. In my country, there is only one hour club time which we cant be leaders. There is no such thing as tutorship, or etc. I'm still trying to do these, but it's being very hard to me. Once me and my 2 friends designed a rocket and made it by our physics teachers help, and attended a competition. It went very well, but idk really if US universities would care about that. I attended MUNs, (been outstanding delegate twice but never the best), took AP's, tried to do these extracurricular things, played piano at orchestras and attended piano exams, and yet i had to work on my own countries' curriculum. It's been very harsh to me and I'm scared that all of these would go for nothing, because my country is one of the most hated among the world and it is very hard for international students. Maybe i should just give up and just study my own curriculum and get into my states' best university... Because my school helps only by that way.
Oha Türk buldum
Don’t give up! Your so lucky my schools doesn’t even have extra curricular activities
@@princessglandy6776 yeah it is hard for both of us... i just try to spend every free time to extracurriculars, my school has no longer club hours :/
Hey, when should you actually start with this prep as I am a freshman and an international student
hi! i think for the freshman and sophomore year, you should worry more about getting involved in your extracurriculars + getting good grades. i recommend taking the sat in the end of junior year or beginning of senior year, so you should start your prep around the beginning of junior year.
remember that the sooner the better, so if you have free time, try to look for colleges and sat practices as soon as possible.
also, there are many websites that offer a schedule for applying! you should definitely search for those, good luck!!!
+1... better look at it now than later, every university has different requirements. I’m doing IB so gotta start now, it’s not a choice...
This is a heavenly video.
What happens if you were born in the US but your whole life you lived outside the US? Am I considered an international student? (I moved from the US when I was about 1 year old)
You're still a US citizen.
We have the same issue. I was born in the U.S but graduated from an high school abroad. So now i am considered as an international student but with an U.S citizenship.
What if you are an American who goes to an American school but has never lived in America?
You're viewed as an American then, and much of this may not apply to you (though the last three points may still resonate depending on your cultural exposure).
then You're an American son
When my German friend wants to transfer from TU Berlin-->Harvard
Me knowing it'll never happen :(((((
Wish I had friends like you who cared.
You never know.. maybe he will
@So Who's the Dummy Now? Because the education isn't nearly as good as at an American institution-like the equivalent of a community college. Just for a way better chance in the job market too.
@So Who's the Dummy Now? It may appear so, but they all dream to study at a prestigious American school (Harvard and MIT r my friends' dream, they really come out with the cream of the crop) I mean some American schools can justify 70k pricetags, just not must.
rak1116 It’s really not that German schools have a poorer education standard than US colleges and many schools have way better performance and academics than US schools at large. It is quite a statement to compare one of the best educational systems in Europe to US community colleges. Not to mention, nearly every single persons in Germany goes to university, and they don’t have the consideration of not being able to afford to go to a school they’d otherwise deserve to get into. Therefore, getting into one of the best schools in Germany is really comparable to getting into an Ivy League school when it comes to acceptance rate at least. However, many want to get into Harvard/any other really prestigious schools because they sound really good when you’re getting hired (no one’s gonna care that you went to Arizona State but Harvard or Yale and definitely Oxford? yeah they’re gonna care) and secondly, many people see these schools as dream schools as they’ve seen them in movies and tv all their life and of course you’re gonna have an idealized vision of them, just like American kids do. Those were my two cents 😊