i was hoping u guys will be able to give me good advice as you have done/researched everything needed.
Can I just gently remind you that YOU need to be the one that's pro-active in figuring out what you need to do, and in getting your application together?
The overseas colleges are looking for people who have initiative (among other qualities, like leadership, brains etc) - and this means that you really need to be -if you are serious about applying - finding things out for yourself.
No one else is going to do your application for you, and no one else can.
Besides, you're going to have to get more specific - which coast? what type of university? A small liberal arts college? One of the ivies? You can't put a sweeping blanket statement for a "how to" - all of the colleges have "supplements" - specific aspects of the application particular to their university. Some colleges have an entirely different application package. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to applying for colleges.
If you're serious about this - start researching now, instead of relying on ppl on a forum online to do your research for you.
PS. Also you need to clarify for yourself
why you want to go overseas and if you even really do
want this. If you do get to the stage when you're getting alumni interviews from the overseas college, they will be very seriously asking questions such as "Why X university", "Why the USA?", "What is motivating you?", "What do you want to get out of your degree?" etc. If you really don't know or are only motivated by superficial stuff like - "just because" or "because it's prestigious and I thought it'd look good" - well, I don't think that's going to look particularly impressive.
You have to realise about US admissions, that its a holistic process - they're admitting a person, not a number (ie. the ATAR or grades, or even SAT results) - and thus they take your motivations and personality very seriously in evaluating you as an applicant.
1. Doing undergraduate study in the US is essentially pointless and difficult unless you're wealthy or incredibly smart; do postgraduate study there if you're interested,
How so?
There are many reasons for going to the US for undergrad rather than grad. Top grad schools are insanely competitive, if you think that undergrad admissions are "too difficult" well, it's not like grad admissions are going to get any easier. Grad schools also follow a completely different financial aid policy - while around 7 undergrad colleges are need-blind (ie. will provide extraordinarily generous funding so that you can come whether or not you can afford it - as they will cover all financial need), no grad schools are that generous, and therefore it will probably be a helluva lot more expensive to study as a grad student. (And no, most scholarships won't cover anywhere near the amount you need, and even if it did, you can bet your life that those scholarships will be intensely competitive to get).
And how is it "pointless"? From what I have seen of aussies overseas - either reading about them (see: Amelia E. Lester ’05 an Aussie who graduated from Harvard College in 2005. At the age of 26 (!!) she's now the managing editor the The New Yorker) or meeting them (various alumni interviewers who did their undergrad at american colleges - they're currently in what seems like incredibly high paying jobs, straight out of their undergrad degrees).
From what I hear from friends who are at US colleges, the opportunities simply cannot be matched - endless semester abroad opportunities, paid internships and incredible contact networks, summer abroad opportunities, plentiful cash for research funding, a major celebrity visiting/talking every other week, being taught by Nobel prizewinners.... (the list goes on).
I'd say that going overseas is far from pointless.
It might be difficult - with acceptance rates of around 7% for the most competitive schools, and applicant numbers of over 25,000 for most of the top schools, but I would also challenge this idea that if you're "rich" you can get in easily. Far from it. The top universities (ie. the hardest to get into), are need-blind and admits without regard to your income or whether or not you can afford to go. That means that their financial aid packages are absolutely incredible - essentially guaranteeing that you pay NOTHING if your family income is below a certain level. Hence, how "rich" you are is pretty much moot - that is unless your family is planning to donate in the tens of millions of dollars to the unviersity (a situation which I rather doubt applies to many applicants).
And if you're "smart" - well yes, because these are academic institutions and they want good academics, but the other difference (and a MAJOR one at that), is that the top colleges overseas uses "holistic admissions" - that is, taking into account not JUST academics, but also on extra-curriculars, teacher recommendations and most particularly, personal essays. Trust me, if an applicant is absolutely brilliant at a certain academic subject, but shows zero personality in their essays and have demonstrated no extracurriculars - their chances of getting in are incredibly low.
Anyway, I just want to say to australian applicants:
- Figure out why you want to go overseas and what you're actually looking to get out of it. If your answers are not honest and sincere, and you don't have a genuine purpose, then that will be more than evident to the admissions officers looking at your application.
- DON'T be a total noob, and demonstrate a total lack of critical thinking skills and self direction by being lazy and asking others on the interwebs to do your work for you. Research for yourself, find out for yourself a list of schools, find out about specific programs and faculties. Do it yourself because its YOUR application and thus will meet your needs and specific interests.
- As another person said - and this links to the first point on figuring out honestly why you want to go overseas - keep your perspective open, and look beyond the US and look beyond doing an undergrad degree. If all you want is to go overseas for a jaunt - you can easily do it through numerous exchange setups at most of Australia's unis. If you're into a particular field - then perhaps you'd want to hone your skills here first and be able to get into a good masters program overseas later.
- And also realise that where you go for uni isn't going to define you. Going to a good university isn't going to make you a "good" person. Going to a prestigious place won't make you any more "elite". You're going to give as good as you get. What you can offer to the uni is as important as what the uni can offer to you.
