Chance me, french applicant
Hi there, so for some context some things that are gonna be in bold are things that I wish to achieve before I apply.
Just so you know we have class from 8 to 6pm and I talked to a few college admissions counselors who told me most unis don't expect french applicants to do lots and lots of ecs, + I feel like competitions are more rare honestly.
If you're also french and applying to the us please dm mee
\*\*Demographics\*\*
\* Gender: Male
\* Race/Ethnicity: french
\* Region: Ile de France ( suburb of Paris )
\* Income: Middle class but low class compared to US salaries, I can only pay around 10k MAX per year.
\* Type of School: Public international
\* Class rank: School doesn't officially rank people
\*\*Intended Majors:\*\* biology/ microbiology/ immunology/ plant biology/theater/drama (I'm still thinking about that)
\*\*SAT:\*\* didn't take it yet hoping for **1500+**
\*\*GPA\*\*
\* 17-16/20 -> mostly compares to 4.0 with honestly a few B grades, it's complicated.
For some context I'm in the BFI program (bacalaureate french international) and therefore my curriculum is considered "harder". A few other schools have their "required grades" lower for us because it's considered harder but yeah idk.
We basically don't choose our classes (and AP isn't even a possibility) but I have math, physics/chemistry (it's a singular class) and Biology
Oh and I had to pass 2 exams to get into the bfi program.
\*\*Extracurriculars\*\*
This is not in the right order
And ik it's over 10 ecs but idk what not to put
Class president/vice president (9-11) (délégué)
In the disciplinary councils ( I vote + represent students when their place is threatened at school)
Internship at a place that would get me doxxed but it's basically a platform with cystology, hydrology ect.. + in a immunology research center which spiked my interest in immunology.
Manager and research intern in a non profit, writing articles and trying to help French students write articles about biology in both french in English (11) **hoping to recruit 200+ members and write 10+ articles**
I was part of a theater project at my local theater, a 60h+ project outside of schools + on holidays with a bunch of amateurs and a professional director, I played a famous french play at this theatre twice. (10)
2 Workshops of theatre during vacations during holidays (1 week each) (9)
Theatre classes once a week + theatre club at my school twice a week (from 2-4hours a week) **hoping to be president of this club next year** (my classes and club are doing a play at the end of the year)
Leaf course and alumni (independent research) : Biology for a better tomorrow, **and soon the morality of mathematics and the class about ai.**
(Not sure to mention it because I didn't get any awards : national and departemental math Olympiad and french brain bee Olympiad)
First aid worker/ EMT , just finished a 60h+ training at the red cross **hoping at least 50h**
working at a local food bank (**50h+**)
Yearbook committee, took photos for school events since y9.
Did a project over 1 year and a half to highlight trans people, 3 month exposition at a queer place which would get me doxxed.
**14. Helping parents of queer youth understand their kid a little better via a non profit which links parents and queer youth. (20h+ ?)**
**15. Hoping to work during the "festival d'Avignon" the whole month of July ( a really famous theatre festival in France)**
**16. Scientific Enrichment Month (SEM) Program at Columbia University's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (this July)**
Competitive college club (managed by Fullbright) selective (30% acceptance) program to help apply to selective us colleges ( not sure to mention that ?)
MUN participants
**19. Hoping to get into my school debate team and hopefully get awards**
participated 2 years in a row at a program at my local theater (not sharing the name) where we went to see shows and recreated scenes of those shows and analysed them .
Omg I forgot I have been in contact with a few researcher about a really REALLY NICHE molecule which I'm in love with **hoping to write a 5k article about it, in construction.**
Cold emailed over 50 research centers to get an internship.
**Going to mod my microscope to see fluorescent dyes**
Creative writing on A03 (20k for now hoping 100k) (I might not mention that's it's A03 another clever way to say it)
\*\*Awards\*\*
\* Award at the national Olympiad of biology (not gonna specify me be doxxed), the french national Olympiad is based on a research project and a 5min video (I won a microscope) (11)
\* Got selected to the second round of selection for the IBO (ended up 103 on 253) which is just a bit impressive considering I had to learn every biology class of next year
\* **Hoping to win a regional award on a poster I made about HIV and medication around it.**
\*\*Recommendations\*\*
Don't have them yet duh but my bio teacher will prob do one for me and people at my local theater too
\*\*Narrative + spike \*\*
Usage of the molecule I'm in love with (ec : 21) to continue cancer research.
I wanna study in the US cause research is not available in France before a phd and I want to be able to start now.
**Concerns**
I really don't wanna be taking the TOEFL because my program (BFI) already requires to be fluent and I feel like it's dumb for me to be spending money on the Toefl.
I don't know what to choose between my ecs ?? Because I love theatre and definitely want to continue theatre in college (in clubs or in school's with open curriculum) and it made a huge part of who I am but idk how to use It in my narrative.
And are my ecs weak ? Remember that french people have less opportunities than other countries because of the large amount of school hours.
And do I stand a chance for financial aid ? I'll be applying to most international need blind schools but still.
Are my ecs coherent ? I'm also a really curious person and I love doing tons of things but Ik schools are looking for a "spike"
Oh It's almost necessary for me to have gender inclusive housing
Ofc am I realistic?
\*\*Schools\*\*
(I don't know which school I want to apply Ed to, but here's a general ranking of schools.)
Cornell
Ahmrest
Brown
Dartmouth
Bowdoin
Princeton
Yale
John Hopkins
Carnegie Mellon
\+National university of Singapore
Schools I'm absolutely not sure of :
MIT
Upenn
NYU
Harvard
Stanford
U Chicago
If you have any recommendations or remarks please be brutally honest! If you also have any schools that would match my profile please let me know !!