Learn by Example: Experiences Abroad

Dec 4

According to Harvard College admissions statistics, about 11 percent of admitted students are from outside the United States. Though getting into Harvard as an international applicant is very competitive, experience abroad can successfully set international students apart.

Importantly, growing up in a differ ent part of the world gives the applicant distinct life experiences that can be conveyed through the college essay better than it can be described in any other part of the application.

In this section, read about a student from Kazakhstan discussing the stigma against women in her society and how she’s tried to defy stereotypes of women, and learn about how a student from Russia juxtaposes his parents’ struggle through the Vietnam Communist upheaval against his love of information technology and the sense of freedom it brings.

These international stories showcase the students’ cultural customs and experiences that are vastly differ ent from American norms to make the essay truly unique in the eyes of admissions officers. Despite its international focus, all applicants can learn from the key takeaways in this section: Students use evocative details of their home life—sights, sounds, smells—to draw a full picture of their pre- college life and how that up-bringing shaped who they are today.

Experiences Abroad

Harvard College

Enlightened by Theatre - Harvard - College admissions essay help course

Harvard College

Under the spotlight, I wore a fluffy, emerald robe and an exquisite, shining sword, with an artificial beard on my face and a wooden crutch in my hand. I was excitedly acting my role and performing the story, together with my classmates.

Harvard College

Segregation in Relationships - Harvard - College application essay help course

Harvard College

The Vardar River carves its crooked way along the bisection of my hometown Skopje. Even though it might seem as if Vardar is just a body of water, to the citizens of Skopje it carries much greater social implications.

Harvard College

Buddhist Experience - Harvard - College admissions essay editing

Harvard College

“I don’t understand. You are not Buddhist, but you spend so much time studying Buddhism.” I have often heard this statement, but coming from a monk at the renowned Shwedegon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, it resonated more deeply.

Harvard College

A New Perspective - Harvard - College application essay editing

Harvard College

It all began one day in June 2004. It was the end of the school year and everything was covered in a veil of idleness. For my classmates, this season of chirping cicadas was a time for games by the sea. Not for me.

Harvard College

Freedom In IT - Harvard - College statement editing

Harvard College

When I think about a possible future in information technology, I think first about the past, when my parents endured oppression, when I was raised in false freedom.

Harvard College

Fetish For Writing - Harvard - College personal statement editing

Harvard College

I have a fetish for writing. I’m not talking about crafting prose or verses, or even sentences out of words. But simply constructing letters and characters from strokes of ink gives me immense satisfaction.

Harvard College

Rediscovering Bulgaria - Harvard - Successful college personal statement

Harvard College

As a child raised on two continents, my life has been defined by the “What if . . . ?” question. What if I had actually been born in the United States? What if my parents had not won that Green card?

Harvard College

Breaking Through Stereotypes - Harvard - Successful college entrance essay

Harvard College

When I failed math in my sophomore year of high school, a bitter dispute engulfed my household—“Nicolas Yan vs. Mathematics.” I was the plaintiff, appearing pro se, while my father represented the defendant (inanimate as it was).

Harvard College

Overcoming Sexism - Harvard - Successful college statement

Harvard College

Growing up in a society in which any sign of femininity is associated with poor intelligence and lack of logic, I have had people frequently doubting my abilities and discouraging me from pursuing my academic goals.

Harvard College

Topher Williamson

Topher began working at Stanford University’s Career Planning & Placement Center in 1998. His career spans 30 years. At Santa Clara University, he managed Bay Area, Los Angeles and Texas territories where he recruited, evaluated, and admitted athletes, freshman, and transfer applicants. At Ohlone College in Fremont, he served as Interim Director of Admission and Records. Since 2011, he has worked in test prep and college consulting, providing guidance to families preparing their children for college.

Topher sees applicants as they are, then inspires and motivates them to step up and into their potential. His clients have enjoyed extraordinary success at institutions ranging from selective Ivies to renowned public universities.

https://www.essaymaster.com

Learn by Example: Experiences Abroad

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