Grade 11 and 12 seems to be the most delusional period of students. At least, I wasn’t sure about what to do till the end of grade 12 but I don’t want you to be like that. Preparing early and making a gameplan will always step up your game and same goes with applying to the United States. It up to you whether you want to grab a full ride planning early or going to a below average university with minimal or no scholarships.

Beginning from grade 11, start exploring what you like doing or what you are good at and invest time doing that. For example, you might be good at drawing, if not a lot, give 2 hours each weekend to that and scale up your skills. Participate in different competitions, build up a portfolio and you have yourself a “ECA” that most people talk about. Big or small, doesn’t matter. If you are an academic person, the Olympiads could be a great showcase for your resume. Most people brag about voluntary and charity work. It’s not a compulsion. If you like it, if you want to do it, DO IT. Don’t do it for the sake of doing it. Building up a good resume doing things you love can be a good starter to pursue your dream of studying in the United States.

Another thing you could start doing is preparing for the SAT’s. SAT is a standardized test of (English and Mathematics) that almost all universities and colleges in US accept for scholarship, and sometimes for admission. Whether you get a full ride or not even get accepted depends on the SAT. 1500+ SAT score and you have a sure shot full ride for yourself but a score of 900 will get you nowhere and all the scores in between open thousands of possibilities that can happen. So, start early. Khan Academy can be a good resource to start your SAT journey. There are different other websites and YouTube channels you can refer to that can help you with your SAT preparation.

• www.princetonreview.com
• youtube.com/@haydenrhodea761?si=1VJ2tTptZnvSZozH
• SAT Resources

There are almost 4000 universities and colleges in the US, and you have the option to attend whichever best fits for you. So, the next thing you can do is start researching about universities. Classify universities under different categories like the amount of scholarship they provide, whether they have the major you want to study or not, the research opportunities they provide, the location and many more. See if your academic scores and goals align with that of the university’s requirement and goals respectively. This can be one of the most time taking processes but is also one of the most important steps as it determines the place you will be spending the next 4 to 5 years of your life and also, a big chunk of what your future holds for you. So, choose wisely.

Take advice but don’t let that advice divert you from your aspirations. There are different people who have different opinions about things. Someone might tell you to focus just on your SAT, someone might tell you to focus just on your GPA’s, someone might tell you to not to apply to universities in Texas and what not. It’s good to take advice as it makes you insightful about varied things.

Finally, the most important thing while you are in your high school, your GPA’s matter. Yes, they matter a lot. It might not be the only thing but is very very important in the application process. Focus on your studies while in your high school. Take out time for other secondary things I mentioned above but your studies should be your primary focus. Having a great GPA, something above 3.5+, will always keep you ahead of the race.

One of the best advice I can give you is don’t rush things. Make a specific plan and work according to it. Keep time for everything so that nothing gets messed up. If you’re focused and follow your plan, things will get your way and you will finally succeed in the end. Applying to the US is one of the simplest processes compared to other countries but it requires a proper plan and determination, as mentioned above. Good Luck and never stop dreaming. You are always one step closer to your goal of studying in the United States.