<p>Did you need a lot of financial aid? Because as an international, that can affect your acceptances. Many schools are not need blind when it comes to international applicants -- meaning that if you need a lot of aid, they won't accept you, no matter how qualified you are or how great your statistics.</p>
<p>Well, yes i did. But many of these colleges dish out quite a lot.</p>
<p><em>sigh</em> I just feel im ruined at the moment. 5 years i worked for this...</p>
<p>But only one of the schools you applied to is need blind for internationals. The others may give out a lot of money -- but you have to get accepted first, and with need aware admissions, that may not happen. You asked "what happened?" and that is one plausible explanation.</p>
<p>Man that sucks so much. I'm really sorry ]:</p>
<p>International applying for aid...I'm betting that was a big factor.</p>
<p>Sorry that happened... :(</p>
<p>5 A's on A-Level? Why don't you go to Oxbridge for a tiny fraction of the cost of an American university? Or even if your interview there went badly, I'm sure KCL or LSE would love to have you.</p>
<p>to the OP:
The SAT1 score of 2150 while high, isn't amazing. </p>
<p>When you put SAT2 2400, people assumed that you received a score of 2400 on the second SAT1 that you took. Maybe you should put SAT subject tests: total of 2400, so its not as misleading. </p>
<p>Just pointing out that your SAT score isn't amazing for these schools. As others have said, none of the schools you applied to are safeties. And as an international student needing aid, it becomes even harder to get into top schools...</p>
<p>wow ur smart, but international, thats always tough</p>
<p>I agree with sly_vt that the reason for your outcome is tht with the exception of Princeton, none of the schools on your list are need blind to international students which means your ability to pay will be a factor in the admissions process. </p>
<p>You stated that you indeed do require a lot of aid in order to attend college in the U.S. The vast majority of schools on your lists fund very few international students each year. Most of the schools on your list state that if they cannot fund you, that they will not admit you. Just like across the board applications were up this year, you must remain cognizant of the fact that there was a really large international pool of applicants for the number of students admitted (at some schools single digit acceptances).</p>
<p>IMHO, I think this is the main reason for the outcome you received.</p>
<p>sybbie & the above posters are right in my opinion. Tough year, even tougher for an international applicant seeking substantial financial aid. But I think that there is more than just those factors that came into play regarding your application.Schools want to see a fit. And they want you to express why you are a strong match for that particular school. Your list of ten schools may have been selected by you simply on the basis of prestige. The Top 50 or so U.S. colleges & universities are beyond that now--except, maybe, for very large donors. Colby & Grinnell, for example, have nothing in common with Penn or MIT. Chicago & Duke are seen as opposite cultures in many ways. Even though each school may be unaware of the other schools to which you applied, you, as the applicant, have to convey convincing and compelling reasons that a certain school should accept you. And that is hard to do if the primary basis for your application to a school is based on prestige. Unfortunately, next year will be slightly more difficult for admission to U.S. based universities & colleges. Don't waste your gap year if you want to help your chances for admission next year.</p>
<p>Take a gap year, have fun and do something interesting. I'm sure you'll get in somewhere next year.</p>
<p>Please let the schools that waitlisted you know that you are VERY interested and hopefully you will get into one. Best of luck! You are obviously very capable students - don't blame yourselves.</p>
<p>Please read the first post on that thread, and follow at least the first link in that post. I think you'll find it helpful.</p>
<p>thanks everyone. I feel better now.</p>
<p>Still horrible though:P But better.</p>
<p>I guess it's too late to go on about how Grinnel or any other school on your list shouldn't be considered a sure thing for anyone, but a gap year is a great idea. Many colleges, including the most selective look highly upon gap years and I think that taking one would be a good choice. Just re-apply next fall and make sure you have some true safeties on you list. I realize that this is not how you expected things to pan out, but you must always think positive and accept the past for what it is and move on. Good LUck :)</p>
<p>Elastine,</p>
<p>I suggest you get in contact with Grinnell or wherever else your waitlisted immediately. Show them your deplorable state (but add somehow to your application by doing something they might like - volunteer work, etc).</p>
<p>I have similar stats but I got into Grinnell - and they notified me early with a 10k merit scholarship!</p>
<p>Did you apply for FA? Maybe thats why......
You can always apply for a Spring Term 2009 at some good college. Until then, work... you should have really applied to a safety. Now that I look back on my list, I realize even I was a in a risky position with NO safeties (what I thought were safeties turned out be most selective!!).</p>
<p>I got rejected everywhere except safe matches and one reach (obviously, I'm going to the reach school).</p>
<p>The problem is that you're an international and standards are higher for internationals. If you need aid, standards are much. much higher.</p>
<p>If you don't need aid, you probably can get into some college. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) will post around May 1 a list of colleges that are still accepting students.</p>
<p>If you do need aid and want to go to college in the U.S. take a gap year doing something productive -- working fulltime, volunteering fulltime for example -- and then apply to some more colleges, particularly those lower ranked than the ones that you applied to. Make sure the colleges giv eaid to internationals. </p>
<p>Gap years are looked upon favorably as long as you do something productive.</p>
<p>It's OK to take a few college courses, but don't take so many that you'd be considered a transfer student, which I think would be more than 4 college courses. Verify this with colleges that you're considering applying to.</p>
<p>Elastine... there was a thread from two years ago about a whiz kid who was rejected everywhere... also no safeties. concert pianist, leadership positions, never a B in high school, 8-10 APs, NMF, great recs and 2350 I believe on the SATs and 2400 on subjects.</p>
<p>He took a year off and got into MIT the following year, along with a couple of other similarly presigious schools. Matriculated at MIT and is doing great.</p>
<p>as promised here is the info I have, I also made a thread with this same message for anyone in that same position. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!! You sound very bright and no doubt something is going to work out in your favor.</p>
<hr>
<p>I was trying to help someone on another post who is in this unfortunate but not hopeless situation and I told him/her that I would post this info when I find it. In MAY, The National Association for College Admission Counseling will list all the colleges that still have spots, and if I am not mistaken there are many more on that list then you might expect! So keep on top of it and go on frequently for updates and information...best of luck! You WILL end up in college!</p>
<p>NACAC</a> - Home page</p>
<p>Here is an excerpt with what they say:</p>
<p>Perhaps you aimed too high, didn't include a safety school, or just faced a more competitive pool of applicants than expected. </p>
<p>But don't lose hope. In early May, the National Association for College Admission Counseling maintains a list of colleges that still have openings--called the Space Availiability Survey--on its Web site, NACAC</a> - Home page. Your counselor can help you decide which of these colleges you should apply to</p>