What Really Matters in Your App

Hey guys! So I recently just got an email from a prospective CB applicant, and she was asking about how much grades mattered in getting selected.

The answer:

Grades matter, but as long as you have slightly above a 3.0, you're good to go. By slightly above, I mean something around a 3.2+. Selection committees are wary of people who just make the cutoff, because they are scared that the GPA will slip after you are selected (and thus not meet the requirement).

Your character matters a whole lot more--how you handle stress, how open minded you are, or much you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone--that matters infinitely more than your GPA. That being said, people who usually apply to programs such as CBYX tend to have high GPAs and are (usually) Type A workers. I remember people started talking about their college acceptances during the return orientation. They included:

-Columbia
-UPenn
-Princeton
-Tufts
and of course, you all know how I got into Vanderbilt... (thanks, CBYX!) I remember I posted about that somewhere in my blog.

But the bottom line is this: You don't have to be Matilda. You just need to have a bright personality that makes you a good candidate for studying abroad, and have a GPA slightly higher than 3.0. If you are on the low end of the spectrum, be sure to shine in those essays and the host family letter!

Before I end this post, I'll tell you some things that really matter in your app (that AFS doesn't tell you):

1. That PICTURE. THAT DARN PROFILE PICTURE. It makes or breaks you in getting a host family. Believe me. Do not look slutty. Do not make any weird facial expressions. Look casual and nice. This is what I would call an A+ picture (oh yeah, this picture also goes on your AFS ID).

2. Your extracurricular activities. Host families pick people based off of that too, and it is really important. Really important. So don't say you like doing something if you don't. Because if they picked you based on that, you will be doing that activity the rest of the year...

3. Your "other" pictures. Yes, PICTURES matter a lot. Think that host families will pick you based off of your character? Not really..because they don't get to read your essays until AFTER they pick you. What they see initially are 2 things:
a) Pictures. Have I already said pictures?
b) A short statement that has been written by someone in AFS. (This may be different for other organizations, but for AFS Germany, that's how it works).

4. I would also like you to know that once your host family picks you, they get your WHOLE APPLICATION. Don't write anything that you don't want your host family to know about. I know it's good to be vulnerable in essays sometimes, but if it's a really private matter, don't. Just don't (although if it's that private, you probably won't write about it either. But just in case...) And yes, this means that they DO see all your grades.

If you guys have any other questions, please feel free to email me or comment below!