<p>Hi, I've been living and going to school in California since 3rd grade, but I'm an international studen cuz my family hasn't acquired a green card yet. (though we are soooo close now!)</p>
<p>ANywhoo... I really need financial aid to go to college. Assuming my recommendation letters and essays are decent, how do my chances look?</p>
<p>GPA:
unweighted: 3.38
weighted: 3.85 (<- got B's on most of the AP classes)</p>
<p>SAT II:
Biology-E:710 Korean:800 US History:740 Math IIC:790</p>
<p>E.C.: (pretty decent, i think..)
-School leadership program in my senior year
-Orchestra (viola)
-Tennis (captain for 2 years)
-Acadec! (won some medals at the regional comp. and went to State)
-etc.</p>
<p>Sooo.. these are some of the colleges I picked out:
USC
Colby
NYU
Claremont Mckenna
Vassar (#1 pick if i can get in)
Middlebury
Upenn (<- eh..)
Grinnell</p>
<p>ANY comments would be a big help.. u know, except for the ones like, "oh, you are so stupid and you won't get into ANY of those colleges!"
If that is the case, plz rephrase a little so that it won't be such a hard blow me.. Thx a bunch!</p>
<p>I think you have a great shot at most of them (esp. USC)
Your gpa will hurt you, unless you have a respectable class rank, which shows that the courses at your school are extremely tough. </p>
<p>I feel like you need a little more substantial extracurricular, but for the most part, good job. </p>
<p>and while being an international is much more competitive, coming from the United States (especially since you attended all four years of high school here and are truly like an “American” since you’ve been here since third grade) i think will make you more appealing than an international applying from across the world.</p>
<p>If you’re an international.. then you won’t (or most likely won’t) get aid at NYU, Claremont McKenna (painfully little), UPenn (i don’t see why would they want to give you aid over an international coming from outside US who’ll bring more diversity I would say)..</p>
<p>Your credentials are low compared to “real” international students from abroad who are applying with financial need to the colleges you are asking about.</p>
<p>On the other hand, you say that you are close to acquiring permanent residency status. If you are close enough (e.g. it’s predictable that you will receive your green card within a year or so) and you let colleges know, they may temporarily give you fin aid as an international student until you are eligible for regular fin aid.</p>
<p>yea, i was worried about what jhl said. That colleges might wanna bring in international students from oversees for more diversity. And those outside US coming in here would certainly have better credentials than me.</p>
<p>But do you really think if i tell the colleges that I have the working permit, Social Security #, and even went through the fingerprint process for Green Card, they might not see me as a complete international student? Or do you think it is just black and white whether the applicant is international student or not?</p>
<p>I wrote these down for the UC’s at the very last section of the application, but I don’t see any spaces to write about this in the common apps.</p>
<p>There’s an additional information section for you to upload a file if you want to explain your situation on common app.</p>
<p>And jhl’s right about not getting aid from NYU, etc. I believe NYU actually asks for a document that proves int’l student’s ability to pay their ridiculously high tuition. </p>
<p>You ought to look into Williams. They give need blind admission to int’l as well as provide them with 100% need based aid. They also recently eliminated loans.</p>
<p>Just apply and if you don’t get in just take one gap year(it’s not the end of the world)?.. And you’ll have a great chance getting into the UCs after that?</p>
<p>And it’s not impossible for international students living in the US to get financial aid.. there’s one from this board (Sweden born if I’m not mistaken) who got into Dartmouth on aid.. but her credentials are better than yours.. and she’s Swedish while you’re Korean? Koreans are overly represented i think..</p>
<p>I would say go ED2 at Grinnell or the other LACs, those could boost your chances!</p>
<p>srvnvly90, my suggestion would be not only to mention your immigration status in the additional info box but to discuss is with the admission offices at the colleges you are interested in BEFORE submitting your application. Make an appointment, call or at least write an e-mail explaining your situation (especially mention when you expect to acquire permanent resident status) and ask how your application will be evaluated and what your prospects of receiving fin aid are.</p>
<p>That would show you exactly where you are at and if there is any point applying to a particular college (like NYU who does not ordinarily give fin aid to internationals) at all.</p>
<p>thanks for all the suggestions guys! I’ll for sure be sending those emails to the colleges asking how many application will be evaluated.</p>
<p>i agree w/ you once again jhl, Koreans were one of the most representanted nationality in many of the colleges I looked at. :(</p>
<p>And doesn’t NYU give out merit-based scholarships? Because I’m applying to USC hoping for a merit-based scholarship (they don’t give out financial aid to international either)..</p>
<p>I don’t want to be unnecessarily discouraging but I doubt you would get merit aid from NYU and getting enough aid from USC might be tough too (you would probably get a half-tuition scholarship, but full tuition looks like a long shot).</p>
<p>I would say go ED2 anyway.. there’s nothing to lose at all if you’re happy to attend that college.. ED commitment always boosts chances.. if they feel that they’ll only give you money in regular they’ll just defer you</p>
<p>USC asks for a proof that you can pay full tuition along with your application and since you need financial aid I don’t see how you could provide such a proof..</p>