Will you stand out when applying to colleges and universities?

My response to this question I was asked to answer on the website Quora.com:

In what ways are international applicants assessed differently from domestic applicants at US universities? Apart from financial need, what different factors are looked at in assessing international applicants, unlike domestic applicants? E.g the country they are from, kind of school they are applying from, opportunities available to them, etc; How much are these (or other factors?) weighed?

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I have addressed this question in a global overview (pun intended) before, but since you have provide some details about who you are and where you are from your profile I will try to answer it a bit more specifically.


First of all, you need to do some self-assessment. Who are you and what do want from your education and what do plan to do afterward? These are big questions and require some time and effort to think about. There are, of course, no right answers to these questions but if you have some idea about your self and your goals this will help you select a set of schools to apply to. You should not pick schools based on rankings as much as on match. For example, do you want a liberal arts college or a research university? If you have not thought much about this do some research on different kinds of schools.

You need to pick a range of schools in terms of selectivity. Even if your academic qualifications are quite strong this is no guarantee you will be admitted to a top 20 ranked school. You need to have some schools that match you interests and whose selection criteria you fit in well. In addition, you need to have at least a couple of schools that you are almost certain to get into based on your academic performance.

Students in Sharjah

Once this is finished, then you need to think about how to present yourself in ways that allow admission officers a chance to get to know you. There are two ways of approaching this process. One is to attempt to create a self that will most impress people. The other is to simply write about and list the things you really care about and let the school choose you based on this. I actually think there is middle ground where you can do a little of both when you apply.

What do you actually have control over at this point? You go to a school. Is it the American Community School or a national school? Each comes with things that will make you unique. Make sure you ask for recommendations early and also see if there are ways of getting them to highlight the strengths you most wish to present to universities and colleges. I often ask students who ask me for recommendations for help in guiding me to things I should focus on. I think many teachers feel the same way. Getting across a passion for learning and a desire to contribute in activities and discussions is always good to get across.

Your numbers will be what they will be and there isn't much you can do except work heard, earn good grades and if prepare for the SAT either by self-study or by using some for of help. The more time you put in to prep the better your chances of improving your scores. It’s about the time and effort you put in rather than the name of testing prep company (for the most part anyway).

American University of Sharjah

So what is left that you should do? Here is where I can try to answer your question. You will be looked at as someone who can potentially bring diversity to a campus. Coming from the UAE is good as not many apply to US schools. Many admission officers know nothing of Sharjah and this too may be of help as you come from a place with few students applying and even fewer enrolling at any particular university. Schools look for students who can bring a background that is unique.

But aside from this what else do they look for in an international applicant? About all that’s left are your activities and your essays. In both you may have done some things that will help you come across as an avid learner who will add in and out of class? In addition, you may have leadership skills or a commitment to service or a special talent of some sort. In this you are not all that different from a domestic applicant. However, if there are activities and experiences you have that almost no other applicant has, then you want to make sure you get these across to the admission officers.

Last, but certainly not least, your essays will help (or not) convey that your background and experience will add perspective and vision to the incoming class. The question then becomes how will write your essays and what will you write about. There are no right answers to this either. If I were trying to get you to think about what to write about I’d ask you to read over the Common Application prompts and the individual questions your schools ask. Does anything come to mind? If not, then I would ask how you want to ‘theme’ yourself. By this I mean how would you like all your materials to line up so an admission officer can get a good sense of you quickly (most applications get read in 10-15 minutes tops)?

International Book Fair Sharjah

You might want to get across your sense of humor and write a funny and compelling essay about how your name gets mistake using tee award ceremony at your school s an example. At the other end you might decide you want to talk about the importance of education to Muslim women. One of these would be light and might be a way of showing your personality. The other would be serious and get across another aspect of your personality. Either of these essays could be great or not so great depending on how well you wrote them.

 You need to remember that most reading applications in the US have cultural stereotypes. You might wish to challenge them with your topic or your approach and demonstrate that you are an exceptional individual with a voice that needs to be heard. If you do this then the admission office may well fight for your admission even though some of your numbers might not be as strong as some other applicants.

I hope this addresses your question and I hope you enjoy the process of exploring yourself and the many great schools in the US who would benefit from your presence.

My answer gives some specific suggestions to this particular student. Since she is from the UAE, is from Sharjah, is Muslim, and has had people make a mistake about her name, I provided ways she might use these parts of her life to make herself more than just an international student. An international student is fad too abstract. She is a young woman with a specific history and geography and religion and name. I say all this as what any students, international or domestic, needs to do I an application is to find words and activities and interests that are specific and individually based.

Sharjah Mosque

Admission officers often say they want to hear an individual voice come through the application. A student accomplishes this by writing using details that no one else in the world has, whether they come from a suburb in New Jersey or a city in the UAE. But before this happens a student must decide what details to share. In some cases great essays have been funny; in others, they have brought tears to anyone who reads them. The subject matter is important, but the approach to the subject makes an essay stand out. A clearly told narrative of growth can be as effective as a poetic exploration of oneself and the world. It’s the words that shape the world. And if that world stands out in a great way then an admission officer will attempt to bring that student to campus to share that world with others.

Sharjah