Reflection Post #2

Although I understand the basics of how to get accepted into college, and I know what are some of the top US colleges in my area of interests, I still have a hard time deciding what to do if I fail to get in, in which case I’d have to decide between the best Brazilian colleges and some other American schools, which I know very little about. If I get accepted into the colleges I plan on aiming for, I probably will face some of the hardest academic challenges of my life, and thanks to IB Prep and AL classes I already know some strategies that will help me succeed.

The interview tips presented to us last class will probably be very useful, and so will be the list of most common questions. Although I can speak about subjects that I know well, the idea of being bombarded with questions designed to result in mistakes and humiliation makes me feel completely unprepared. I simply have no idea how to answers the most random questions and have to think for several minutes, if not hours, to answer some of the most complicated common ones, especially those that ask about my previous achievements. I don’t think I have any great achievements to talk about, but I also want to go to college in order to achieve great things in life, so it’s a complicated situation. I need to find out how balanced does the “perfect college student” has to be; should I work hard to be seen as a mountain of potential or should I focus on creating an impressive curriculum before college? After all, before discussing college interviews I never really thought about making recruiters impressed with my achievements, assuming that grades were enough. My grades are not even that good, which is why I need to focus on SAT for now, and obviously, on the IB exams later.

Up to this point, although I am not sure about how being an “aware Academic Leader” will help me with interviews, I am well aware of the fact this class will help me a lot in the process of being accepted by making be a better and more impressive student in general. Knowing how to work with and lead a group will benefit me not only in college, but also during my entire life, and colleges know that.

The aspect of applying to college that seems the most complicated to me is looking like an interesting and diverse student, instead of just some guy with good grades. Right now, I am lacking in extra-curricular activities, except for sports, and this is probably the area I should focus on for the next couple years, second only to standardized tests. The Academic Leadership individual project will hopefully be one of my biggest allies in the process of looking more interesting to colleges and interviewers. Also, because I plan on making a project based on Physics, Engineering, or Science in general, I will probably have an advantage when applying to Science-focused institutions.