I am worried about my honors and awards profile.Answered
I'm a senior from Brazil (graduating 12/2021) applying to competitive colleges (Ivy level) due to financial aid.
9th grade - Isn't a part of HS in Brazil. I contacted the schools I'm applying to, and they do not require my grades from this year. Besides that, the school I was in did NOT participate in ANY competitions.
10th grade - My school ONLY participated in the Brazilian Public Schools Math Olympiad, nothing else. I was the only first-year to receive a certificate, but it was only for Honorable Mention (wasn't planning on applying, didn't really try, big mistake). Silver Medal on a Tech Recycling school competition that got state-wide media coverage.
11th grade - My school did NOT participate in ANY competitions due to COVID
12th - Bronze Medal on National Science Olympiad. Will not receive results on the Math Olympiad until January. Will most likely be valedictorian.
The reason I said so many times what my school did or did not participate in is that most (if not all) financially accessible competitions require a school representative or something alike.
I know this is an EXTREMELY weak honors profile for the schools I'm aiming for, though my main focus was on my grades (9.5/10) and ECs (2000+ community service hours and some other ECs as well). I am still waiting on my October 2 SAT results, but I did like the test a lot, so I'm hoping for a good score. The thing is: will this low level of awards jeopardize my chances of admission? If so, how much?
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2 answers
Hi, thank you for asking your question! As an international student, there are a few things to consider when applying to US schools and especially the Ivy League schools.
1) Grades and SAT scores will only get you so far in the admissions process. The first things that admissions officers will assess is your academic performance (which seems to be great!). If you meet their academic criteria, then other factors such as letters of recommendations, activities in your field of interest and essays will matter more. I wouldn't worry so much about honors/awards.
2) Taking the SAT is a wise choice as an international student because it allows US admissions committees to better understand your academic strengths and make a admissions decision relative to other international applicants.
3) Having an application that was impacted by COVID is totally normal, and unfortunately this has happened to a lot of students. Admissions committees know about this harsh reality and will account for it.
4) USE your essay to stand out from the crowd. If you meet the academic criteria for the schools applicants, your essays will matter a lot to admissions committees and allow you to "win them over".
If you want to learn more about admissions to top schools, I would highly recommend that you check out this video
Hope this helps!
se a sua escola nao oferece, nao tem como a facul exigir
o school profile serve pra isso
então rlx quanto a isso
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Thank you so much for your answer, I really appreciate it!