An international transfer student crying for suggestions

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello, everyone. I am an international student and trying to make a very difficult choice. I will be very very grateful if you can give me some suggestions on it.</p>

<p>I am considering transfering to an American college. </p>

<p>Here are some stats:
Nationality: P.R. China
HS GPA: 95.5 (on a 100 scale, may be translated to 4.0 on a 4.0 scale)
SAT1: 2300 (700CR, 800M, 800W)
SAT2: 800 Physics, 800 Math2.
ECs: (not very much): first award in national olympics competition in informatics (computer science), some pieces of computer software, attended various (but not major) activities in my high school.</p>

<p>Due to some magic reasons, I was only now admitted to Wichita State University (a tier 4 university according to US news). My major will be Aerospace Enigneering. </p>

<p>I want to know, will I be able to transfer to some better top US colleges (grinnell, cornell, columbia, MIT, etc.) after one year in wichita state university? And my family can only pay about $16000 each year, so I really need financial aid, will that be possible?</p>

<p>I expect, in university, my GPA in mathematics and sciences will be very good (the strength of Chinese students), but I am not sure how well I do in humanity classes such as English Composition, but I will try my best. </p>

<p>So could you please tell me whether I should go to America and try transferring or I should just stay in a Chinese university (a top 4 university, but I don't like it)?
Please give me suggestions, I will be very grateful.</p>

2

<p>Or please tell me some other schools that fit me. (financial aid is very important for me…)</p>

3

<p>bump…</p>

4

<p>3.8+ with decent essays and you should have a good chance at grinnell and cornell. mit, definitely not.</p>

5

<p>And what about FA, will that be possible?</p>

6

<p>FA is pretty much impossible for international students (freshman and transfer) unless you get into like Yale or Harvard. even then it’s pretty tough</p>

7

<p>But are there some ways to enhance my chance getting FA?</p>

8

<p>On grinnell website FAQ, they say:</p>

<p>"FINANCIAL AID OPPORTUNITIES
• Do you offer financial aid to first-year and transfer international students?
Yes, we offer a full range of financial aid opportunities including scholarships, grants, loans and work study. Admitted international transfers student are packaged in the same way as first-year applicants. There is no financial disadvantage to applying as an international transfer student. To view our detailed international aid policies and procedures as well as projected comprehensive fees for international students, visit <a href="http://www.grinnell.edu/admission/apply/international/finaid"&gt;http://www.grinnell.edu/admission/apply/international/finaid&lt;/a&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Is this true?</p>

9

<p>take a private loan which will cost you A LOT of money but will make attendance possible</p>

<p>admissions will be easy for you, you would get into a lot of those colleges you mentioned</p>

<p>finances is another story. My suggestion is to stay in china since WSU is not as reknowned as the chinese one, and transfering would cause a lot of financial hardship</p>

<p>but i always go for what my heart wants regardless of the cost. If you want those schools then loan it out. sorry its such a tough choice, sucks for internationals with aid and all :(</p>

10

<p>Thank you for your advice.
Could you tell me how to borrow some loan in US? (i don’t think it’s easy for me to find a co-signer…)</p>

11

<p>well to borrow it from the US you would have to get a private loan. SO you need someone to cosign it, you cant do it by yourself (i tried). </p>

<p>I dont think government loans are availabe to internationals so you need a private loan</p>

<p>ask your parents to cosign it or relatives</p>

12

<p>Should the co-signer be a U.S citizen?</p>

13

<p>How many years of private loans are you thinking about? How much money total? Do you have a rich uncle/aunt who is a legal permanent resident (green-card status) in the US or a US citizen? Would that person be willing and able to pay off your loan if anything happens to you? You can google “private college loans” to find some banks and their individual policies.</p>

<p>If you plan to major in aerospace engineering, you need to compare Wichita State’s program to that major at other institutions. Yes, it may be “4th tier” overall according to USNWR, but for that particular major it could be one of the best in the nation, or graduates of that particular major may be hired immediately by one or two particular employers, or there may be something else very good about it. Do some more research about it before you make your decision.</p>

<p>Do not come to the US expecting to be able to transfer after one year. Make sure that you like the university well enough to stay for your entire degree if your transfer applications don’t work out.</p>

<p>In your individual case, given that money is a big issue, you are probably well ahead to complete your undergraduate degree in your home country, and then look for a graduate program in the US.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

14

<p>I’m an international transfer who’s able to pay that EXACT same amount. I am going to have to disagree with most of the people here. Seeing as how you have schools like Cornell and Columbia (keep in mind that Columbia just received a HUGE gift to allocate financial aid), you should worry more about getting in. Once you do get in, they will give you all that you need.</p>

15

<p>All that he needs based on their methodology which often turns out to be far more than the family thinks it can pay.</p>

<p>If he’s into a top school at home I wouldn’t take the chance on Wichita State. There is tremendous competition among Chinese students for the schools he names and getting in as a transfer will be tough. A degree from Wichita won’t help him when he goes home after college.</p>