Question regarding University

[sharjeelmumtaz]

Hello XPC!
So I have just completed my O levels first year and have sat the exams of Pak Studies, Islamiat and Urdu, so technically I have 3 years until I go to University.
My question is, What do I have to do to get into the best universities (preferably US) on full (or slightly less) scholarships. I know my question is slightly obscure but I mean, other than excellent grades, what else do I need to do? e.g. community service, Co-Curricular Activities and all that shizzle.
One other thing... Is it too early to start researching universities...because I have already started doing research. I am also planning to give IELTS test after my O levels. Is this going to be helpful?
I'm also planning to work with NGO's in the summer after my O levels, will that benefit my chances of getting into a uni?
Honestly, getting into the best uni has sort of been a life-long goal for me and I don't even know why...
I know my question is a bit muddled up but it would be grateful of you guys to give me any sort of guidelines.
(P.S. My acadamic records are quite good, I will (Inshallah/If Allah wills) hopefully get good grades in my O levels (and A-Levels Inshallah), I am willing to work really hard, but what I have noticed is that Foreign universities do not only consider the academic abilities of an individual but also his involvement in ECA's and stuff.

 

[MarcoReus]

Hello XPC!
So I have just completed my O levels first year and have sat the exams of Pak Studies, Islamiat and Urdu, so technically I have 3 years until I go to University.
My question is, What do I have to do to get into the best universities (preferably US) on full (or slightly less) scholarships. I know my question is slightly obscure but I mean, other than excellent grades, what else do I need to do? e.g. community service, Co-Curricular Activities and all that shizzle.
One other thing... Is it too early to start researching universities...because I have already started doing research. I am also planning to give IELTS test after my O levels. Is this going to be helpful?
I'm also planning to work with NGO's in the summer after my O levels, will that benefit my chances of getting into a uni?
Honestly, getting into the best uni has sort of been a life-long goal for me and I don't even know why...
I know my question is a bit muddled up but it would be grateful of you guys to give me any sort of guidelines.
(P.S. My acadamic records are quite good, I will (Inshallah/If Allah wills) hopefully get good grades in my O levels (and A-Levels Inshallah), I am willing to work really hard, but what I have noticed is that Foreign universities do not only consider the academic abilities of an individual but also his involvement in ECA's and stuff.

The best universities require studies + cocurriculars. Sports are highly regarded - if are incredible (best in school) in any sports, really good. Debating, Writing etc helps alot too. Community Service is highly regarded, as you seem to be involved in it. Do one internship a summer - they are really helpful.

US unis require SAT. IELTS helps in Europe Universites - though IMO it is not a compulsion.

And no - it's never too early. Take it as a headstart.

teachyourself is someone you can ask - right man for this.

Regarding scholarships, in US there are need-blind Universities like MIT, Harvard and Stanford. These are the best unis you are aiming for. This means in simple words, if you get admission in them, they would be willing to pay a 100% scholarship + free accommodation for you. But it's not easy getting into them. Good luck. You got loads of time.

 

[amerfarooq]

Like Maroreus mentioned, the Ivy League uni's in America will give you 100% scholarship with accommodation if you manage to get admitted. If. I don't mean to demotivate you, but these uni's usually have an acceptance percentage of 7-10%. This means that from a pool of 1000 applicants, no more then a 100 will get admitted. But that doesn't mean you don't have a chance. Now you have to understand something. The uni's don't look for people with just excellent grades. Ali Moeen Nawazish got 23A's in his A-Levels but he didn't get admitted. No, these uni's look for people who are passionate about what they do. People who can lead and people who can influence a positive impact on their community. Try to identify what your passions are and work at them. You have to project yourself as a confident and driven person, not someone who stays cooped up in his room studying all the time. I'll try to continue from here but there's something else you also have to understand. There are thousands of universities all over the world. Try your best to get into the best, but be realistic. Germany for example, has some fantastic universities, especially for engineering students, which are free to study at. Google it. So do aim for the Ivy League uni's but also keep some backups.

 

[sharjeelmumtaz]

yes i agree, a realistic approach is crucial,

 

[teachyourself]

Hello XPC!
So I have just completed my O levels first year and have sat the exams of Pak Studies, Islamiat and Urdu, so technically I have 3 years until I go to University.
My question is, What do I have to do to get into the best universities (preferably US) on full (or slightly less) scholarships. I know my question is slightly obscure but I mean, other than excellent grades, what else do I need to do? e.g. community service, Co-Curricular Activities and all that shizzle.
One other thing... Is it too early to start researching universities...because I have already started doing research. I am also planning to give IELTS test after my O levels. Is this going to be helpful?
I'm also planning to work with NGO's in the summer after my O levels, will that benefit my chances of getting into a uni?
Honestly, getting into the best uni has sort of been a life-long goal for me and I don't even know why...
I know my question is a bit muddled up but it would be grateful of you guys to give me any sort of guidelines.
(P.S. My acadamic records are quite good, I will (Inshallah/If Allah wills) hopefully get good grades in my O levels (and A-Levels Inshallah), I am willing to work really hard, but what I have noticed is that Foreign universities do not only consider the academic abilities of an individual but also his involvement in ECA's and stuff.

university research -- start as soon as possible find out the best programs for your field if you have chosen one ..a top uni might have a low quality program because every uni specializes in few or more areas, also keep track of rankings they change every year

ILETS ... not necessary until a uni asks for it, but usually the SATs are enough ..do the SAT1 and 2- all these tests have expiration dates.. SAT2s help a lot even if unis do not ask for it

NGO -- make sure it is a well known NGO or at-least a large scale one

also do Internships during the summer & winter vacations

also take a gap year after your A-levels during which you should do part-time work or internships or work full-time for free in your field of interest or several different field to get an idea of what working in the field means and then you will realise how useless books are but you also have a better idea of what the real world is like

 

[ashoo123]

Hello XPC!
.... I am also planning to give IELTS test after my O levels. Is this going to be helpful?....

Hey!!
One piece of info tht u dont seem to realise...IELTS is only valid for 2 years after test date so be careful tht the exam is still going to be valid at the time of u sending out college applications
Do u have any course in mind or are u just scouting for general college requirements?
I'm not sure about the US in specific but most english speaking countries(as first language) require some English qualification...esp if u r studying in a Eng as a second lang spoken country..(assuming u r studying somewhere in the middle east) Sometimes the O-level Eng will be sufficient but it is good to have the IELTS as well as it is widely accepted in the west. IELTS/TOFEL/O-level Eng(as 2nd lang)/AS Eng are common options to satisty your english speaking/comprehension ability. As of now I would say keep the IELTS until next summer (after your AS-levels) so that u dont have a very tight time constraint and also by then u might have a clearer idea of the requirements and u will know if O-level eng is sufficient or whther u would have to back it up with IELTS.
I hope u dont think I'm blubbering too much about just an english exam and that this was helpful to you!
And in conclusion....incase u got bored half way through this para then go for the IELTS exam but doing it next summer would be a better option

 

[ashoo123]

And while I'm at it aim for a overall band score of 6.5 n above (thats if and when u eventually get around to doing it )

 

[sharjeelmumtaz]

teachyourself I greatly appreciate your advice, however a slight query...Are you sure I should take a gap year after A Levels? why not aftr my O levels?

 

[teachyourself]

teachyourself I greatly appreciate your advice, however a slight query...Are you sure I should take a gap year after A Levels? why not aftr my O levels?

because getting part-time job after A-levels will be easier.. also at this age .. education and timing is a bit more important ... for example an 18 year old doing O'levels is kinda looked down upon .... also schools do not let you enroll for the A-levels if you are too old .... so after the A-levels is the ideal time because the next step is an undergrad degree that is supposed to help you develop a career ... think of A-levels as purely academic and the undergrad degree as a professional degree ... another thing that you can do is only do the A-levels 1st year from school and the second year privately ... that way you will complete the 12 years of schooling required and also be able to do internships through the 2nd year of A-levels as well as the Gap Year ... hence giving you more experience and exposure ... but studying privately will be very difficult