Welcome to
GuateAbroad
Diego Sic
Introduction
The luck favors the brave
This site is the one I would have liked to have when I got
interested in studying in the USA. Here you will learn the two main paths to follow, get
advice based on my experience, get good recommendations, and maximize your opportunities
to get into scholarships. I hope this site can contribute to my community, country, and all the people around the world who
deserve a better future free of economic and social marginalization.
Good To Know
Baby steps are important
Price of applying
One of the First challenges you will face in applying to the USA is the price.
I expend approximately 1,000 dollars if I sum up application fees, CSS profile,
SAT, TOEFL, and translation of documents. Knowing that the minimum salary in Guatemala
is less than 1,000 dollars, the most reasonable step is trying to get a sponsor or scholarship.
In my case, I got the scholarship provided by Education USA , which paid for all the application
costs, visa, and flight ticket.
Time it takes
When I decided to apply, I spent around 20 hours per week working on my application,
studying for the SAT and TOEFL, talking with my professor, and filling out my common app
application. This is a big commitment because once you start, you have to make the maximum
effort to finish otherwise, all that time will be lost.
Time of preparation
I start the application process six months before the deadline for the majority of the
universities in the USA. The workload was immense due to the short amount of time.
If you're considering applying, I strongly recommend starting as soon as possible.
I started in july of my senior year (5to bachillerato), and my recommendation is starting
at the beggining of junior year (4to bachillerato)
What i'm going to find here?
In this webpage, you will find the timeline supposing you start at the begging of your
senior year because that is when the majority of students get interested in searching
for scholarships and studying abroad. You will find resources that helped me in my process
and a recopilation of advice I got during my experience.
Who's this for?
It's for all the youths that aspire to pursue an ungraduated education in the USA.
It doesn't matter if you haven't attended an international high school or taken an international
Baccalaureate. I attended a regular school in Guatemala, and I could achieve. The critical factor
is being brave enough to try.
Steps
Two paths to followSearch for universities
Search for universities that have full scholarships or are need-blind-admission more information in resources
January
Start preparing for the SAT
If you decied you are going to take the SAT, you have to start studying as soon as possible... see more advice in resources
January - October
Fill out the Common APP
The common app webpage will allow you to appply to thousands of universities, and taking care of all the information we put there is important, the most important part are the extracurriculars
February - October
Start your Common app essay
Although this is part of the common app application, I enlisted it as an extra point because it is the most important part of the Common App. You can check advice in the advice section.
February - October
Ask your Teachers for recommendations
Another important part of the process has a good recommendation. Usually, teachers do not know how to submit recommendations through the Common App webpage. There's a guide of how to create a teacher profile in Common App in the section of resources.
April - June
Take the SAT
IIf you are planning to take the SAT, I strongly recommend you take it twice. In my experience, the first time, I couldn't perform as well as I wanted because of my lack of experience in a real setting. I recommend take the first in July, but you can check the dates here
June (if possible)
Take the TOEFL
The TOEFL is necessary because Guatemala's education system is in Spanish, and the universities need to be secure in our fluency in English. The test is significantly more accessible than the SAT but expensive. In advice, you can see some cheaper alternatives.
July
Take the Second SAT
Depending on your first-try score, you can consider if taking the SAT is worth it. or if you took more time studying, this is also a good date to take your first try.
August
Translate your grades and Legal documents
This is one of the most complicated parts because we have to translate the taxes of our parents and our grades until that moment (not our final grades). See more information in advice.
August
Fill out the CSS profile (optional)
A lot of universities, especially those that are need-blind admission, need the CSS profile to determine the amount of financial aid we need, but the majority of universities have alternatives to prove our financial situation. If you decide to take it, here you must use the translated taxes.
August
Master your extra essays in Common App
After doing all your standardized tests, you must master all the extra essays that each university asks for. Give it time. This is the opportunity of outstanding from the crew. Also, reread your Common App essay!
October
Send your application :D
Depending if you are going to apply in early decision, early action, or regular decision, send your application correspondingly. Take your time to check every time twice, and make other people read your essays to see if you can improve in any aspect.
November - December
Search for Universities
As in the case of taking the SAT, search for universities that have full scholarships or are need-blind-admission more information in resources.
January
Think how to outstand!
If you are not taking the SAT, you need to think about what will replace those scores, maybe your essays, your extracurriculars, your past, or your projects... see what makes you special!
January
Fill out the Common APP
The common app webpage will allow you to appply to thousands of universities, and taking care of all the information we put there is important, the most important part are the extracurriculars. Here you have one of your opportunities to outstand, in the part of extracurriculars put those activites that makes different
February - October
Start your Common app essay
If you are not taking the SAT, please put effort into this part. This essay is about 600 words, and each of them has to count. This essay will allow the universities how you are and why you are a good choice for them. Check the section on advice an resources for more information about how to write an amazing essay.
February - October
Ask your Teachers for recommendations
Another important part of the process has a good recommendation. Usually, teachers do not know how to submit recommendations through the Common App webpage. There's a guide of how to create a teacher profile in Common App in the section. Ask teachers that know your strengths, so they can do an amazing recommendation. Check for more in advice
April - June
Translate your grades and Legal documents
This is one of the most complicated parts because we have to translate the taxes of our parents and our grades until that moment (not our final grades). See more information in advice.
August
Fill out the CSS profile (optional)
A lot of universities, especially those that are need-blind admission, need the CSS profile to determine the amount of financial aid we need, but the majority of universities have alternatives to prove our financial situation. If you decide to take it, here you must use the translated taxes.
August
Master your extra essays in Common App
After doing all your standardized tests, you must master all the extra essays that each university asks for. Give it time. This is the opportunity of outstanding from the crew. Also, reread your Common App essay!
October
Send your application c:
Depending if you are going to apply in early decision, early action, or regular decision, send your application correspondingly. Take your time to check every time twice, and make other people read your essays to see if you can improve in any aspect.
November - December
Advices
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Sat
First advice
The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test
created and administered by the College Board. It has 2
sections, and each of those sections is separated into other 2 sections.
4 in total. Math with calculator, Math without calculator, Writing,
and Reading. The most difficult for me, and the majority, is the Reading part
because it has a dense vocabulary. The score of the test is over 1600,vmajority of universities
do not ask for a specific score, but the more the best!
Second advice
If you haven't studied English for so long, your best friend will
be the math and writing sections
because they are the easiest to master. Personally, the majority of my mistakes
were in the reading section. Try to make no flaws in the
math section
Third advice
Somehow or another, we have to improve in the reading section . My main advice
for this is to read many books in English before taking
the SAT. This will improve your ability to understand
without understanding. This means getting the main ideas
of a paragraph even if you don't get some of the words.
Fourth advice
When you practice for the SAT, try to do it with
the real settings, the same duration
the same break time, and in paper.
This will help you to track your real progress
and to manage your time.
If you need some help doing small
progressions you can use
Khan Academy.
No Sat
First advice
I recommend only to those that attend international Baccalaureate
or international schools to skip the SAT, but if for any other reason,
you are not taking the SAT, try to fill out that lack of quantitative
data with qualitative data, such a extracurriculars, projects, and essays.
Second advice
Try to create a big project related to
the major you want to follow. This will show the university that you are
not only interested in that field but also that you have knowledge about the topic
Third advice
Maximize your score in the TOEFL. Try to get above 100 pts.
This will show the universities that you perform well in the
standardized tests.
Fourth advice
Look, there's a cat for you; don't worry if you don't take
the SAT, I have several friends that didn't take it and got
full scholarships
Common Advice
Internet is your friend
internet saved my life, use it to get information.
PLEASE USE YOUTUBE, that's my favorite site
in the whole internet
Get prepared as soon as possible.
The earlier you start, the best. The timeline is just an example.
Each case is special and different.
Always make someone else read your essays.
ASK! ASK! Don't be afraid of asking things you don't know
, or that may be seen as "obvious." All universities have an email
where you can ask questions. My biggest mistake
in the whole process is not asking for fear of seeming naive.
It's okay to feel fear. Never overstress or burn yourself out.
Try to get friends with similar goals as yours
the process can be a lot easier if you someone
that is living the same.
When you write your Common App essay,
try to be unique. A lot of people have won sports tournaments
or school contests. Unless you have won a national competition,
avoid writing about that. The best essays are like stories, a story
that only you could have lived.
One of the best alternatives that a lot of universities
accept instead of TOEFL
is the Duolingo test.
If you are planning to translate your tax documents
ask your parents if their boss can give them an income letter
or if they use an accountant, he can generate
proof of income.