Any suggestions for good undergrad finance/econ schools?

College Search & Selection
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Hello!

I’m an international student (Panama, Latin America) and I’m graduating with a 4.5 gpa, basically I took 12 classes. (4.5, 4.6, 4.6. we do trimesters). I kind of did alright in the SAT (1080,1170. I know, it’s pretty bad but oh well.) and pretty good on the TOEFL (113). I sent my apps in for Hofstra, Quinnipiac and Rutgers, but I’ve been thinking of applying to: Upenn, Cornell, Columbia, Notre Dame, Villanova, Colgate, Harvard (super super reach, just doing it to see).

I’m aware that the SAT scores I have are pretty low, so I’m hanging on to my grades/gpa and toefl right now. I need a school that offers international students aid, etc since I can’t afford 80k a year. I also did a lot of extracurriculars, internships and community service during HS(Debate, ecology, tennis, language business, etc), my parents are immigrants and I’d be a first gen student (they’re chinese and I was born in Panama, I speak 3 languages) and I went to a top private HS in my country.

My goal is basically to work in finance or something related?? Idk if it helps, but I know there’s a lot of schools that are considered targets or semi targets for jobs in this area.
I searched some and liked Northeastern, Middleburry, Williams, Colby, Duke and Union College.

My priority right now is to find a school that offers me enough aid to be able to attend. I also have a preference for schools near big cities, etc since I’m very social and like to explore and meet new people.

If anyone has any suggestions on schools I could fit in, get in and get aid I’d be super super thankful!!

Thank you so much!

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Unfortunately, many of the colleges you mention are out-of-reach for your scores.
You may have a shot at Union, which seems to be relatively generous with need-based aid. Your admission chances may be slightly better at Villanova than at Union, but Villanova tends to cover a lower percentage of demonstrated need than Union does. Ditto for many other colleges that are within reach for your stats.

Rutgers (New Brunswick/Camden), like many other state universities, does not offer need-based aid to international students (according to its Common Data Set, section H). It does offer some merit scholarships to internationals, but the average amount (at New Brunswick) is less than $12K and your stats may not be high enough to qualify for an award.

Run the online net price calculators for Union, Villanova, Northeastern, Hofstra, Quinnipiac, and other schools that interest you. Then discuss the results with your family to see if they are able and willing to cover the expected family contributions. You may need to look for safety and target schools in your own country, especially if your financial need is much greater than you can cover from “self help” (realistic loans or employment).

If you’re determined to take a shot at relatively selective schools, your best chances for admission + aid may be at test-optional LACs, which may be interested in attracting more international applicants. Check out some of the following:
Bates
College of the Holy Cross
Franklin & Marshall
Loyola University Maryland
Skidmore
Wake Forest
Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr (women only)

These schools apparently have test optional/flexible policies, seem to be relatively generous with need-based aid (but run the NPCs), and should be within reach for your stats.

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Good recommendations above. I’d definitely second Hoy Cross and the all female schools, adding Wellesley.

Holy Cross is both test optional and claims to meet full financial need. It’s in a decent-sized city and is a commuter train trip to downtown Boston. Academics there are as good as anywhere.

Mount Holyoke and Smith are part of a five-school consortium (with Hampshire, Amherst, and U Mass Amherst) and students can take classes, etc. at the other schools, which multiplies opportunities. The Smith campus is immediately adjacent to downtown Northampton, which is a fun, reasonably sized college town (not a big city though). Smith is probably the most politically oriented of all these schools.

https://www.fivecolleges.edu

Wellesley has a stunning campus in a nice suburban town outside Boston. It’s top-notch and has some sort of arrangement that allows students to take classes at MIT. It offers significant aid, but I don’t know how much you’d be in line to receive.

F&M is also a good choice.

Good luck!

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Don’t waste your time on super-reaches. Your scores are way too low for those.

How much will your parents pay each year for college? If they can’t pay much, you may find that any school that would accept you won’t give enough aid. Most of the schools that give aid to int’ls require higher stats.

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Skidmore’s average SAT scores are in the low 600s; 25th percentile scores are in the 500s.
It’s test optional.
According to its CDS, for 2016-17 it awarded aid to 82 international students.
The average award was almost $61K.

Skidmore is located in a charming, affluent small city in upstate NY, approximately equidistant from NYC and Montreal. It is less selective than most of the NESCAC schools but has a good reputation in the Northeast.
Since its admit rate is under 30% I would consider it a reach for a high-need international student, but your chances certainly are more realistic than they would be for the Ivies or Williams.

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@tk21769 Hello! Thanks for your help! Yes, I know my SAT scores are pretty low, but when I met with some counselors from the US here they said that usually they understood that international students have a different system and might not be used to tests like that so I don’t know if they’d look at it as harshly as they do for domestic students? I scored pretty well in the TOEFL (113/120) and my GPA is high according to my country’s standards (I was salutatorian of my bachillerato)
I feel like I’m a pretty good candidate and the only thing that’s destroying me is the SAT score (I’ve literally stayed up late trying to see how I can work around this lmao)

I tried! The online price calculator only works for US residents. I contacted some schools and they said that after scholarships are awarded I can appeal if the amount is not enough. My family can pay around 15k-20k a year.

I searched the schools you listed to see how well they placed when it came to internships/jobs in financial stuff and I ended up really liking Holy Cross, Skidmore and Bates!

I’ve heard a lot about Vassar, but I’m not sure if I can get in??
Also! I already applied to Hofstra and Quinnipiac (they gave me a free priority app so I just sent it) and Rurgers (lowkey regretting it after reading about the aid lmao)

Which schools should I take off my list? I’m trying to not spend so much on applications to places I don’t have a shot at. I’m not willing to let go of Harvard, Upenn and Notre Dame, though (childhood dream yadda yadda, I know I’m shooting at the dark here but I still want to see if it happens. lmao I’m truly hoping here.) And I lowkey want to shoot for Cornell and Columbia but idk.

Idk if it’s obvious or you can tell from my list, but most of the schools I chose are near or in NY. I would literally be the happiest person on earth if I got to study somewhere there haha.

Thank you!! I loved the list you gave me!

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@TTG Honestly, after reading about Holy Cross I’m starting to like it more and more. I love the area and the pull it has with finance jobs/internships. And yes! I’ve heard about Wellesley. Howeeeever, I’d like a co-ed school!
I read about Wesleyan, I know it’s super selective but it’s a methodist school and I graduated from a private methodist high school (top one in my country) so idk if that might help?

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@mom2collegekids Hey! Yes, I know my SAT scores are pretty low, but I was thinking maybe my GPA, TOEFL and EC’s could back me up? And class rank and my school’s prestige and all that. The SAT was the first standardized test I’ve ever taken and I was literally in shock both times (I was more calm the second time around, which is why it improved a little haha)
My parents can pay around 15-20k per year. I’d rather they paid less, though. I have a younger brother who’ll be going to college in 2018-2019 and I know it’ll be expensive too.

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@tk21769 Yes I really liked Skidmore! I read a bit about them on a list of colleges that help out intl. students the most. I have a 670 in reading and writing, 520 on math. If I could get anywhere near 55-61k from aid I’d be happy as hell tbh haha. My parents can pay around 15-20k a year and my brother will graduate next year and start college around 2019 so I’m trying to think about that too.

So far from the suggestions you gave me I’m liking Skidmore and Holy Cross the best out of all. I think Bates has a strong presence in finance too (I’ve read a lot about it in forums)

Alsooo thank you so so much for your help! and Happy Holidays!

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Also! I read about St. John’s college and liked their program a lot? It’s about reading books and having discussions and I loved the idea of it since I enjoy reading. I also saw that they give good aid to internationals, but the problem for me is that the only major they offer is Liberal Arts and there isn’t a grading system so I’m not sure how that’s viewed in the US.
Has anyone heard of it? I saw it’s in the top 100 too.

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If you like Holy Cross, which I think is a terrific school, you might also look at Trinity College in Hartford, CT–it also claims to meet full financial need, although you’d have to check specific policies in regard to international students (same true at all schools). There are caveats to a school saying it will meet full financial need: school may be need aware and take ability to pay into consideration in terms of admission; it may calculate a student/family can pay more than they can, etc. But it seems like a very reasonable place to start.

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@TTG Yes! I absolutely adore it, I’ll definitely be sending in an app. I’m looking into it right now! I was looking at Trinity, but apparently it doesn’t have much of a presence in financial areas? I really like Connecticut, though. And yes I searched for their Intl. financial thing and they do offer aid!
So far I’m thinking of applying to the following: Holy Cross, Colgate, Skidmore, Union, Harvard, Penn, Notre Dame (sorry I can’t let go lmao) and maybe cornell? I want to shoot for Columbia so bad bc of NY, but idk.

I feel like I need more safeties too, because it’s not just about getting in for me but getting in AND getting aid.

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Have you tried using the NPC on the College Board site?
It allows you to enter your data once then re-use it on multiple schools.
I’ve tried it on a number of colleges without indicating a US state-of-residence and it seems to work o.k., although sometimes the travel cost field is blank in the results. It may be less accurate in some other ways for non-residents.
https://professionals.collegeboard.org/higher-ed/financial-aid/netprice

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@tk21769 I just used it! Most of the schools I tried it for said they’d give around 60k in aid if I got in. How accurate is this calculator? My parents can only afford 15k-20k at most tbh and with my brother coming up I’m not sure if I can be that selfish and take all the support away for myself. sigh. I heard you can asks schools for more aid down the road if you use a request saying someone else in your family is going to college too?
Thank you!

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bump