I'm writing this post because I wish I had found something like this two years ago, when I first decided to apply to US Colleges.
To all my fellow international students: do not be discouraged! You can earn your place at a college, no matter your financial situation! And you do NOT have to be a genius; you just gotta believe in yourself and work your butt off.
To prove it, here is my story.
I'm an international high school student from Greece. My family earns less than $65k.
At the beginning of my junior year, I started to become more and more disappointed with the educational system in my country. I wanted to work hard and climb the socioeconomic ladder and escape the vicious cycle of financial instability most young Greek people are going through. That's when I decided to apply to the US.
I was always a good student, but I knew that financial aid for students like me is limited. If I really wanted to study in the States, I would have to exceed every expectation. I raised my SATs from a 1970 to a 2290 in a year and worked hard at school and my extracurriculars. I applied to every need-blind college I could find and to a ton more full-need schools. I wrote essays restlessly. But the deadlines were closing in, and I had never felt more insecure.
I thought about the prestigious schools I was waiting answers from. I thought, "why would they ever choose me? I'm not extraordinary. I'm not the best in my class, nor have I won any important awards. And I also need financial aid! Why would any college pay to have ME, when they could have a wealthy competitor with better grades?"
Boy was I wrong.
A week ago, I accepted my offer of admission to Harvard. So do not be discouraged, dear international reader. You might think you have nothing going for you right now, but that will make the victory even more sweet. As I stayed hunched over my desk, sleep-deprived and hopeless during the December holidays, I only looked forward to one day: the day in late March or Early April that everything I had worked for would pay off. And it finally came.
Now, you might be thinking: this person must have spent a ton of money on tutors and SAT prep schools! What a hypocritical thing to say! I don't have that kind of money! Well, surprise surprise. Neither did I :) I studied on my own with the help of prep books and the only person who has read my essays is my little sister. I am NOT a varsity athlete or a talented musician. I am just an honest student that decided to take a risk. It paid off.
In conclusion: NOTHING can stop you from achieving your goals. Take risks! Work hard and dream big! You will be surprised by the results. And remember, you ARE worth it! You do not have to be perfect to get into a good school. You just have to become the best version of yourself. Be confident in your abilities, because you can indeed do anything! And NEVER, EVER limit yourself to fulfilling others' expectations. They don't know you! They have no idea what you are capable of!
There is hope, my friends.
Please contact me if you have any questions. I would love to hear from you.
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