<p>grats to you bookfreak89 and Diana606. i wish you guys the best.
sefago as it appears i will be going to Columbia, because of the significant difference in the financial aid package.
Once again grats to you all, well done.</p>
<p>hey guys
Sorry to intrude. I'm Ghanaian, and I am a recent High school grad looking to applying to some US schools for next fall's admission.However given that my single mother barely earns a little over $6,000 a year, I am worried that I might not be accepted even if my SATs and other application materials are stellar.</p>
<p>What kind of financial aid and how much financial aid are you guys receiving from your schools, especially those of you that got into top-notch schools like Princeton, Georgetown, Cornell and Columbia?</p>
<p>hey rhnyarko,
These top schools are "usually" need blind. But a school like Stanford for instance blantantly admits that is not needblind for Internationals, so I am unsure if the other top schools implement the same policy. But I do know that their claim that they will meet ones full financial need is well founded. though I am in no way a standard, but it can happen.
I was rejected at all the school i applied xcept for the following:
Princeton, which i was waitlisted(and i hear that their financial aid package is the most generous)
UVa, which I was accepted but they dont give any financial aid to International students(so i would have to pay $33000 each year)
Cornell, based on the family contribution I put they gave me the balance-$26000 in Grant and work study and $3000 in loans each year
Columbia, which i found to be the most generous. Once again based on the EFC(estimated family contribution) they met the balance in $30000 grants and work study, and no loans.</p>
<p>I consider myself fortunate. But if you really impress the admissions committee, based on the amount your EFC, i have no doubt that they will be willing to cover the rest of your financial needs.</p>
<p>hello everyone, long time! please let's not forget to post where we'll be going come May 1. sefago, what's up with your plans?</p>
<p>rhnyarko, many LACs and top schools will admit forget about your financial circumstances. in a way, it even makes things easier....here in Zimbabwe, i know many many students who got FULL aid to schools like Williams, Reed, Brown, UChic, Penn, Amherst. And you know these schools are very expensive, like UChic is about $54,000 p/a. I know a guy who got in Yale EA with all expenses paid. And in many schools, it is their fin aid policy for intl students to pay their air fare. [Wesleyan would do that if i decide to go...]</p>
<p>your academics +personality is what you need. and prayers too. money is no deal. Also, you could get in touch with US educational advising center and educational advisor in Ghana. I've met the director there [Nancy]. It's a great resource and much great counselling you can get. I've heard of several Ghanaians getting into top schools like Williams etc with aid.</p>
<p>also, forget about whether the sch is need-blind or non-need blind for intls. In fact, non-need blind schools are better cos they'll meet your full need if you're admitted.</p>
<p>btw, my brother's pry 5 teacher was Ghanaian by the name Mr Nyarko....all the Ghanaian teachers I have had were the best ever:)</p>
<p>I'm Ghanian, too (parents are Ghanian, but I was born in the U.S., still live in the U.S.). I know this is the "Nigerian Thread", but you all seemed so welcoming to rhnyarko. </p>
<p>To rhnyarko: Like many of the posters have already said, most of the top schools are need blind (meaning they don't take into consideration one's financial status when it comes to admissions). Unfortunately, at certain schools the need blind policy does not apply to internationals. If your application is stellar and your scores are amazing, you might qualify for some merit scholarships at other top schools (the ivy's don't give out merit scholarships or athletic scholarships). </p>
<p>Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton have started policies where they eliminate tuition for families that make under a certain amount of income. I'm not sure whether internationals would be able to qualify, but it's definitely something that you should look into.</p>
<p>To Everyone: Congrats on your acceptances and financial aid packets!!</p>
<p>thesiren72102, you are definately welcomed here. </p>
<p>I couldnt have summed it up better myself.</p>
<p>I have just 2 weeks left of classes and I am done for the year, it seems unreal. I am already feeling bored. Well grats to erbody and I wish you all the best.</p>
<p>How is the birdflu in Nigeria? The fact that hear/read no news, can I assume that that is good news?</p>
<p>hey Afrikaan! wassup. actually, i've read some reports about the birdflu situation in ngr. many of the people who culled the chickens are now in dangerously high risk of getting infected as they were not well protected. the govt also says it doesn't want to completely wipe out the poultry industry. farmers are only being given 25% compensation for each bird culled. so that's not a good incentive. many people are no more eating chicken, and even eggs. and it's spreading to the south as well. and the greater risk is the close proximity between poultry and man in ngr....looks bleak. anyway, the govt has just received a US$50m grant from the world bank to combat the virus. let's see what they do with the money.</p>
<p>The Bird flu is'nt worrying anybody in Lagos. Georgetown is not needblind.Georgetown is only need-blind during the admission process. georgetown only gives scholarships -not financial aid - to five International students. I was lucky to get a scholarship at Georgetown but I was wait listed at Cornell for financial aid.</p>
<p>thanx Jrock</p>
<p>wow things definately are looking bleak. I guess every body would have to start eating beef or importing frozen poultry products (which I think was banned a while ago). </p>
<p>If the govt says that they dont want to wipe out the pountry inductry, a 25% compensation doesnt say the same thing. But then again, if they close down the industry, so many will go jobless.</p>
<p>And going to the south spells doom. I remember my house back home, when walking on the streets I had to take heed lest I stumble on a chicken or worse step on its feaces(which I hear is a way it can be tranferred to humans).</p>
<p>$50mil can do something to alleviate the troubles a little, but that is if some potbellied politician doesnt redirect the funds to a bank in Europe, or uses it to import poultry products from the US/somewhere to stock his household for the next decade.</p>
<p>well lets just continue to pray for our country.</p>
<p>This forum is great! Well, I'm also a Nigerian. A Calabar-boy actually (just without the accent). I did not go to any of the mega schools that you guys went to but I still managed to get a "decent" result. As for my SAT.... Can you imagine? I managed to score 2170 and I was here fanning myself. You guys are intimidating. You know that right? Maybe I just not a good test taker. </p>
<p>Well, as far as admissions go, I got into Amherst, Middlebury, Oberlin, and Bennington with a couple of waitlists, most noteably Princeton. I'm not sure I can blow off Amherst for Princeton. Which do you think is better (just for get the prestige for a second)? I desperately need some advice.</p>
<p>go to Amherst!! besides you have to deposit for one college at least, just in case the waitlist doesn't come through. besides, i honestly don't think you should count on the waitlist, except you ABSOLUTELY want to go princeton and you can prove that to them. and unless you are not on fin aid, waitlist usually affects fin aid, so even if you get off the waitlist, you may not end up getting the aid you want.</p>
<p>you have to get a college down as soon as possible. good luck:)</p>
<p>so switch, which school did you attend? and don't try to correlate sat scores with the type of school one attends:) btw, my score was very similar to yours....and besides, sat scores aren't everything, obviously. more than that got you and the rest of us into all these wonderful colleges.</p>
<p>when you say a couple of waitlists, you mean two? but then you say "most notably"...does that mean you were waitlisted at more than 2?</p>
<p>so sefago, Afrikaan, and Bashir7, where have you all decided to attend this fall?</p>
<p>switch I am waiting for Princeton too, but like Jrock said, I am not "putting all my eggs in one basket."</p>
<p>Well said Jrock about the SAT thing-I can testify to the fact that SAT scores are merely a fragment of the admissions decision. With a 1950 I got in to Columbia, Cornell and Uva as an Echols Scholar.</p>
<p>Jrock I have decided to go to Columbia because
1. I believe an undergradute education for any of the IVY leagues should not greatly differ. I dont think the physics and engineering department will be too far apart in quality. Besides Columbia has got Brian Greene!
2. Columbia is costing me $28000 less(for the 4 years ).
3. NYC, and its accessibility to anywhere (Nigeria or my folks in the US)</p>
<p>I must confess I fell in love with Cornell's campus and food when I got there, but I didnt think that that is enough to pass up 28grand (i still want to do grad school).</p>
<p>Jrock, thanks for the advice. I went to Model Secondary School Maitama. Never heard of it? Me neither, until two years ago. I did leave my mark, though. I guess 6A's isn't too bad. I got a full ride to Amherst so considering what you said, I am definitely going there. My other waitlists were to Wesleyan and Vassar. Neither of which I would be willing to pass up Amherst to attend. Only princeton was strong enough to confuse me. So where are you going this fall?</p>
<p>Afrikaan, congrats on getting into Columbia, Cornell and Uva. That was no mean feat.</p>
<p>Model Secondary School Maitama? I know that school. i think they came to my school(Loyola) a couple of times for competitions and stuff.</p>
<p>Thanx switch and grats on the full ride to Amherst.</p>
<p>Afrikaan, so you went to Loyola?! Nice!!! Were you there during the 2004 edition of the shell competition? Maybe you'll remember me. The one that was held at the Shehu center.</p>
<p>I'm off to Williams....also got into wesleyan and it was a very tough decision.</p>
<p>Great choice Afrikaan...also know a guy here who's going. But personally, i wouldn't like to spend 4 yrs in a big city like NY or Chic....but it's an excellent education with a big value for money. Cornell's aid is not usually great. and like it or not, it's an Ivy:D</p>
<p>switch, i'm sure you're the only Nigerian from Nigeria going to Amherst this year!</p>
<p>switch, I did come for the 2004 edition of Shell Competition. I vaguely remember details like where it was held and all. If I am not mistaken Loyola won that year. I was in SS2 and was picked to accompany the participants (the two SS3 boys) so I didnt really meet people as such. What position did your school come in? Did you participate or accompany?</p>
<p>so what do you guys plan on studying? I know it may be subject to change, but what is on you minds right now?</p>
<p>hey! I'm so excited! Who's the loyola person- Cos I probably know u-went to loyola-class of '04</p>
<p>bumpitybump, welcome to the thread:)</p>
<p>Afrikaan, i'm into many things right now. i don't know if i'll end up as a music major or a poli sci major or a physics major. however, what constantly plagues me is how i'm going to be a useful leader in the end. with engineering, it's very easy to achieve such goals as service to the nation. but with lib arts, one has to find the right balance between personal development and contribution to community....the prospects are, well, scary. anyway, i can 3ple major at will if i want, let's hope it doesn't get to that.</p>