How does a year-long study abroad during high school affect admission chances?Answered
Hi!
I'm a junior nearing the end of a year-long exchange in Austria, and I've been thinking a lot about how this year will affect my admissions. I'm here with a fully immersive program and have been living with an Austrian host family, as well as attending an Austrian school. However, despite school being entirely in German, I have managed to maintain the equivalent of a 4.0 GPA. Does this make me more attractive to colleges? Or will it end up being detrimental since I had to drop all of my extracurriculars this year and I wasn't able to volunteer at all?
Additionally, would it be too cliche to write my personal statement about the difficulties of moving abroad alone for a year, especially at the age of 16?
Thanks!!
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2 answers
Your time studying abroad will certainly be seen as more unique and exceptional than standard extracurriculars - every day, you've been immersed in extracurriculars like language learning, cross cultural communication, and adventuring! So long as you jump right into extracurriculars once you are back in the US, you will be fine.
I think that writing about your time abroad will not be cliche because few high schoolers have the same experiences. An essay about your year can show a great deal about your maturity, courage, and values, all while being an entertaining read. The main thing you have to do to avoid cliche is to write the essay like a story. Show rather than tell, and include lots of detail about characters, surroundings, and your own reflections. Hope this helps!
I think that if you phrase it right, any college will be able to see the benefits a program like this gave you and how this program had a larger impact on you than any extracurricular could. I wouldn't phrase it as a struggle or say it was difficult in your personal statement, but rather make it a big adventure. Use it to showcase how you will succeed in college, how you are self-sufficient, and how you are a hard worker. At the end of the day, colleges look for good students who bring a unique aspect with them. You are a unique student, now showcase what you bring to the table that no one else can.
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This was super helpful, thank you!!