Nobody’s chances for admission to schools with single digit admit rates are high. Unless the schools you apply to are need blind, the fact that you need money may factor into the admission decision too. Apply to the Ivies if you believe you’re competitive, but be realistic about your chances. Make sure you have backups.
Do as well as you can on the standardized tests then try to locate some schools where you’re competitive for your stats and that offer aid to internationals. Post #7 has a link to some colleges that offer some scholarships. Apply to some schools in your country, too, so you have options if the Ivies don’t work out.
Your chances are not high because no one’s chances are high and they’re even lower for internationals. That’s the reality.
Can you afford to buy “Insider’s guide to the colleges” or “the Fiske Guide”? Even a 5 or 10 year old version will do. Start reading
And start studying for the SAT exams. You will need very high scores to be eligible for significant financial aid – that’s in addition to very high marks in the most rigorous subjects, and compelling extracurricular activities. To see who gets into the Ivy Leagues, read the school subforums on this site. Students who got in – and who got rejected – post their stats. It will give you an idea of how many brilliant students don’t get in. (Most of them!) Which is why you need to apply to a wide variety of schools.
