So does that mean i dont have to take the toefl? @International95
FWIW, on my applications, I listed 3 first languages. Mama as a first word is the same in multiple languages, so who can tell which was really the first? 
Probably not, but every school seems to have a different policy on TOEFL submissions. Your best bet is to contact the schools directly.
Even Harvard waives Toefl when you have good CR score.
Hi!
- I’m a US citizen living and studying abroad, will I still be considered as an international student?
- SAT/ACT is not offered in my country, will that increase my chances into getting into the colleges I want?
- Is it better to start off with college at first or go to a larger university as a freshman?
Thank you
For financial aid purpose you are a domestic applicant.
Why are internationals “victims”? The purpose of US colleges is to educate US citizens. If you don’t like our colleges’ policies, perhaps you should apply to the colleges in your home country.
Whoa.
I think you’re trying too hard to find controversy where there isn’t any. That comment was meant tongue in cheek, and could apply to any American applicant as well.
Also, around 10% of the student population at many top schools in the U.S. consist of international students. I think you need to reevaluate your idea that US colleges are meant to serve only US citizens. That may be their primary purpose, but certainly not only.
Even if I didn’t like a college’s policies (which nothing in my comment suggested), why should that stop me from applying to them? I can realize the overall merits of a college while being critical of its failings.
Your comment reeks of xenophobia.
(P.S. I did apply to colleges in my home country! Why would you assume otherwise? 
)
- to everyone else who has asked questions on this thread - I've unfortunately been very busy because of work in the past few weeks. I'll try my best to respond tomorrow, when I'm off!
Hi! Thanks for doing this. I’ll be a senior this year and I want to apply to university in the USA. So far I’ve been looking into Ivy League (it wont hurt to try), but of course I’ll apply to others as well. My SAT subject scores are Bio M - 800, German 750 and Math 700 (can I not apply with this because it’s panic fail). My SAT score was low (CR 640, M 710, W 710). So I’m retaking it in October. I have the Cambridge Advanced Certificate, but I’m also taking the TOEFL ibt (tho from reading your posts maybe I shouldn’t?). I also need a large financial aid package. Which schools do you think I should apply to and any do you have any other advice?
It will certainly not increase your chances, but you should contact the colleges in question and ask what options you have to submit standardized testing in lieu of SAT/ACT.
@lenchiben - Definitely doesn’t hurt to look into the Ivy’s, but make sure to do some research on each of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t focus solely on prestige.
I don’t advocate for the use of college rankings (eg US News, Forbes, what have you) much, but they are helpful resources when you are looking at different tiers of schools (eg. look at the general placement of a school, but don’t think "oh X school is better than Y school because it is 5 rankings above). Everything really depends on what you want out of a school (size, strength of a certain program, location, etc.), so develop your own set of criteria and scour the Internet for matches.
As I mentioned earlier, don’t limit your search to “need-blind” financial aid schools for internationals. Need-aware schools are often generous as well.
Is it true that HYPS will defer international students to compare them all?
Also, say you have an international student who has top 0.1% percentile national GPA, international and national achievements, featured in newspapers etc, great recommendations, great essays, is low income, but has a very low SAT score, is admission to the super selective 5-7% schools possible?
I know it seems silly but I’m not sure if interviewer and I will talk in our native language or in English?
No.
Extremely unlikely. Some of these schools accept 1-2 applicants from a given country per year. With your low SAT scores, are you that top applicant from your country?
All of mine were in English. Whether that is always the case, I don’t know. However, since the language of instruction is English, that makes sense.
Thank you for your answer. I hope mine won’t be English. With that much tension, I can’t even speak properly in my native language.
Can anyone list LAC’s which are good for Double Major: Mathematics and Sociology or Mathematics and Economics?
-They should be similar to the level of Macalester College and are good with aid to Internationals.
@oreganese
I’m an international student yet to take the SAT and Subject Tests.
I’m doing my reseach on colleges that can meet my full aid and I would like to know the schools you applied to.
I would also like to see some schools you would consider as safety schools that are prestigious.
I’m very competitive in my country (Ghana) and I intend on obtaining the slot reserved for my sub-region.
Thank you
I also want to go to Brown and any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated.
@skieurope :
Why schools accept 1-2 applicants from a given country? Why if there’s a lot of talented and high-skilled students from the same country who are applying to US University?
Because there are many countries and many high-achieving students – even the biggest and richest universities can’t accept them all. Or even many of them.
It should make sense that American universities are primarily devoted to educating American students, especially public universities which are in part funded by tax payers and the smaller private universities which are mostly funded by students’ tuition and donations.