As the title says, what advice would you give to internationals who don’t have high caliber extracurriculars And need high amounts of aid?. Considering that they have a strong academic background of course
Most universities take into account that not all students have equal EC opportunities, so you will not be compared to American students, for example. You will be compared to other applicants from your country/part of the world. If they have high caliber ECs and you don’t, well…
Forget about Ivies. Focus on your SATs. Try for need-based aid at liberal arts colleges or merit scholarships at lower-ranked universities.
And let your personality shine through your essays. For competitive schools, you need luck. But if you have great test scores and decent grades, you may be able to score some great merit aid at several, less known schools: just look for them. I think studying in America is generally a great opportunity, and if you can do that with a scholarship, do it!