10 Things International Students Must Do Before Senior Year

1.    Take standardized tests such as the SAT to get a benchmark for your base score. If you need to take them again in the Fall of senior year, then that will still be an option for you. For the SAT and ACT, the final score is added together from the best section scores among all the times you took the test.

2.  Similarly, take any exam prep courses during Junior year that you feel could boost your success on the tests.

3.   Nail down a list of colleges. If you already know the field you want to go into, look for schools that excel in that area, rather than general name recognition schools that may/may not be strong in that discipline. Using this criterion for selecting schools most likely will give you overall greater satisfaction out of your university experience.

4.  Think about whom to ask for recommendations and think carefully. The instructor or coach with whom you have the best rapport may not be the same one who sees how outstanding you are in a particular subject that really fascinates you. Think hard about how your potential references likely perceive your work ethic, leadership abilities, and compassion. If your favorite teacher probably has not seen you at your best, you may want to consider another source.

5.  Take a look at the visa requirements for your country and start gathering any esoteric documents you might need. Incomplete visa applications could cause unnecessary stress later down the road.

6.   If you are not currently involved in activities that provide leadership opportunities, consider how you can gain some leadership experience. Learning how to delegate tasks, manage and motivate people are life skills that many admissions officers are looking for in successful candidates.

 7.   Watch your grades Junior year—these are probably the most important and most scrutinized marks on your transcript.

8.   Seize opportunities to travel or be away from friends and family for short periods of time. It is crucial to get used to the feeling and potentially mitigate any serious bouts of homesickness that might arise. You will be farther from home than most of your fellow students and won’t be able to pop in to do the laundry at Mom and Dad’s house every month.

9. Visit schools if possible. It is especially useful to visit schools during term time, if possible, when you can attend a lecture, speak with students and even stay in the dorms overnight.

10. If the essay writing process is likely to leave you stumped, take a look at the Common Application essay topics and read (but do not copy!) sample essay responses to get an idea of what other students talk about and how they structure their application pieces.

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