<p>I have been looking into applying to the Ivy league schools this fall. I know that most of them are need-blind for admissions if you're a US citizen. However, how does it work for Canadian/International students?</p>
<p>If they aren't need-blind for Canadians/Internationals, does it put those who need financial aid at a disadvantage? If so, how bad of a disadvantage is it?</p>
<p>Also, if any of you have this information, could you make a list of which Ivy league schools are need-blind for international admissions as well?</p>
<p>Need blind just means they don’t consider it at all. You may get you need met at meets need schools or others too, or you may just get a big bill.</p>
<p>Need aware will consider if you need funds. You might as well apply askijg for aid so you get some help. If they aren’t willing to give you money they may reject where they wouldn’t if you were full pay, but if you just get a large unaffordable bill, what is the point?</p>
<p>There are only 8 Ivy school, really if you are going to apply, you could bother yourself to read the fin’l aid pages. Remember, need blind doesn’t mean ‘meets need’. And even a need aware school MAY meet your need.</p>
<p>@BrownParent - I did read their financial aids pages. However, some sources have been stating that when they say ‘need blind’, they really mean ‘need blind for US applicants’. Thank you for that last link, it was very helpful. </p>
<p>So Brown, Duke and Penn aren’t need blind for internationals, correct?</p>
<p>@BrownParent - Thank you. From your name, I think it’s safe to assume you know a lot about Brown. Do you personally think Brown highly (and, by highly, I mean puts you at an even bigger disadvantage since you’re already an international student) disadvantages international applicants who need FA?</p>
<p>Dannnn, if you need financial aid to attend a college, then apply for financial aid. An acceptance will do you NO GOOD if you don’t end up having the money to attend. </p>
<p>Yes, some of those schools,are need aware for admissions for international students. This means that your ability to pay WILL be considered when your application for admission is considered. </p>
<p>But just FYI, there are only six colleges that are BOTH need blind and meet full need for all international students.</p>
<p>@thumper1 - Thanks for your answer. I realize that an acceptance will do me no good if I can’t pay. That is not why I was asking this question. I was asking it because it is going to be a criteria in me choosing which schools to apply to. :)</p>
<p>Dannn, the Ivies and any schools with such low acceptance rates and with so many stellar applicants, are so selective that ANY disadvantage is going to hit hard. These schools have to look for reason to reject more so than accept with the type of admissions pool they have. </p>
<p>Being an international student does not automatically mean you are at disadvantage. Some schools do watch their quotas–I don’t know if Canada is a country where this is an issue. But being from some countries is an outright advantage, from others an outright disadvantage and others yet, nothing in this regard. But, yes, if a school is need aware in admissions, having need will put you to a disadvantage. </p>
<p>@cptofthehouse - Good point. I have found that there are six schools in the States that are need-blind for internationals (including HYP). Seems like I got my answer!</p>
<p>PS: Good point about the ‘looking for a reason to reject’. Didn’t think of it that way.</p>
<p>NOOOOO. There are SIX schools that are BOTH need blind AND meet full need for international students.</p>
<p>There are LOTS of schools that are need blind for admissions for ALL students, but don’t guarantee to meet full need…for everyone.</p>
<p>But keep this in mind. To get a visa to study here, you will have to show evidence that you can cover all of your costs to come here for college. This can include financial aid from the schools, and already approved loans. But without that evidence, you will not get a visa to study in the U.S.</p>
<p>Could someone here please post the six schools that are both need blind and meet full need for admissions for international students. I honestly do not know these six schools.</p>
<p>Dannn, just because a school is not need blind in admissions, does not mean that it does not accept student that have need. It just means that they have limits in how many students they will accept with need. Most schools in this country are need blind in admissions, even for internationals. The admission offices don’t have time to sift through the need parameters so they just accept regardless of need, but then very few of these schools will give full need to those accepted. Very few schools guarantee to meet full need to al accepted students and even that guarantee is one that defines that need to the schools’ own particular guidelines. It’s not what YOU or your family perceive as need but what the schools each so define. This is for US students as well as for international students.</p>
<p>My advice to most international students is to to look for a number of schools where they are in the very top echelon in terms of test scores, back ground courses, grades, AND make sure that school even has aid and/or merit available for international students. Doesn’t do you any good, is a complete waste of time to enter a lottery when you aren’t eligible for the prize. Some schools flat out exclude international student from their money, and you need to make sure you don’t apply to any of those schools unless you can come up with the money yourself, because your chances of getting anything from them is zero. </p>
<p>The six schools, or what ever number that guarantee to be need blind AND guarantee to meet full need for internationals have acceptance rates that are so low that your chances are better at most schools that are NOT need blind and do not guarantee any such thing. Not to say you shouldn’t give it a go if your numbers are up there., but I can tell you that even with one of the most stellar applications, the chances of getting into Harvard or MIT, two of such schools, are smaller than getting into schools that have no guarantees for ANYONE and still getting some money, since the latter schools might want those stellar numbers you have more than H and MIT would, and would be willing to pay you to come there, something the top schools do not have to do as their applicant pool is loaded with students just like you. Just make sure there is any money available to you at the school, that internationals are not specifically excluded. </p>
<pre><code>Amherst, Dartmouth, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale were the 6 schools that are need blind and meet full need for internationals. I thought Williams was in that group and did not think Dartmouth was. You need to check and make sure this info is current. Things change all of the time. You should check out what’s on the web site as to what internationals can get, as well, and cannot and make sure you email and get confirmation the info is current.
</code></pre>
<p>I’m from Canada, so our schools are quite good. The only real incentive I personally have to study in the US is if I get to study at an elite institution (Ivy league, MIT, Stanford, etc.). </p>
<p>@cptofthehouse - I totally understand that applying to a lower ranked school would mean better chances of admission, even if they aren’t need blind, but, as I just mentioned, I have no personal incentive to study at a lower ranked institution in the US since I am from Canada (and have the grades for McGill, UofT, etc.). </p>
<p>Look at the chances of getting into the need blind/full need schools for internationals vs those that are not need blindin admissions for ints (but they do tend to meet need once an international student is admitted). and you can sort of get a feel for where your chances might be better. It’s a whole other story getting into,say MIT, Stanford, HPY vs Brown, Cornell, Penn. You have to draw the line as to where the rankings, prestige make it worth coming to the US vs going to McGill, Uof T. I can tell you without blinking an eye that those kids I know who went to McGill from here, and I know abunch of them, didn’t get into a number of selective US schools that they would have likely chosen over McGill in a heartbeat. Where the Canadian schools fall in terms of rankings with US schools, I have no idea.</p>
<p>Dannnn, those elite schools you are listing admit under 10% of those who apply. 90% or more are denied admission. Your application will be reviewed with other international students. The acceptance rate for international students likely hovers around 5%.</p>
<p>All of those schools have a cost of attendance in the $60,000 a year range. </p>
<p>It’s good that you have some affordable options that are also fine schools in Canada.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse - Yeah, your statistics point is correct. By selective US schools, what do you mean? HYP or others?</p>
<p>@thumper1 - Yeah I know. It’s quite the challenge, but I don’t feel like other schools in the US have more to offer than Canadian schools. Know what I mean?</p>
<p>You can look up the selectivity of US schools in a number of school guides. IT’s not like the Ivies take up the 1-8 rankings. As I said earlier, there is a world of difference between,say, Cornell and Harvard, i selectivity. Most kids here would select Cornell over McGill, all things equal, however. Where McGill would fall in the rankings with US schools, as I stated, I have no idea. Selectivity is only one part of a school’s picture, reputation, rankings and recognition.</p>
<p>You are in a good place with the Canadian colleges as back ups. You might as well give it a whirl to see what you can get here in the US.</p>
<p>@cptofthehouse - Thanks. That is exactly what I was thinking. Why not give the most prestigious universities a shot, and if I don’t get in, I still have great things waiting for me in Canada.</p>