If you also answered all the questions, posters would be able to better help you. Just travel to and from the states and mandatory health insurance will likely cost $5K, maybe more. And that still doesn’t count incidentals. Can your family afford that, every year, for 4 years?
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I think many colleges include travel fair in financial aid and some even include health insurance. BUT… If all other expenses are covered, yes… I think we’ll manage somehow to arrange the money… Cuz that is still a really awesome opportunity.
Again, not necessarily a bad thing. From my understanding, need aware colleges will prefer international students who can pay over students who need aid. You don’t have to take all of them off, but it’s a suggestion to trim your list.
Everyone here is trying to help, but to be honest a lot of the information is scattered around in this thread. It’s a long thread and it is annoying to search through 80+ replies. It’s good though that you made a new thread with all of the important information.
I’m not sure how valid peer recommendations are. Might be best to stick with teachers/guidance counselors.
Also, I had some other questions for you. You said your parents are already under loans, and you said 70-80k (!!). Suppose you do get a full ride, how is your parents going to pay off those loans and pay for other costs (plane tickets, health insurance, etc.)?
Yeah, looking at OP’s financial info I have some of the same worries. 70-80K with only a 15K income is already hard to pay off.
The other loans we already have a plan for. As for the travel fair and health insurance… That much money we would have to pay normally as well… If I got admission at a college in my own country… Then also we’ll have to pay that much. So I’d much prefer a higher level of education for the same amount 🤷🤷.
I don’t think we need to solve all of the OP’s family issues. The OP is trying to find a program that won’t place any additional burden on their family. If non materialize, they have other options.
Your school not being familiar with the US college application process is going to likely cause you more work. Make sure that you account for that extra time. Also, each school may have some special requests from the financial aid department.
I think you got your answer about applying to more than 20 schools. Yes it is possible, but you have to use multiple channels (common, Coalition, and school specific). I would just make a list. You are going to have to be highly organized.
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Thank you for this!!!
I’ve found the answer I was looking for via this thread. But, I have created another thread about some colleges… It would be really helpful if you guys could comment anything on it. I posted this before too but posters started another discussion on same topic again 
Yeah, you’re right. I just wanted to make sure OP has everything accounted for, which it seems like he has.
OP I wish you the best of luck in your applications.
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I am concerned that you are basing a lot of your financial goals on friends and acquaintances that came before you to the US.
People, on this post, are “harping” on the money issue because they know how limited the funds are right now with the universities and Covid.
You have indicated that you’re sure you’ll receive full need-based funding based on others’ packages. You are relying on this information to receive 100% aid.
Covid affected everyone everywhere. It affected on-campus learning. Financially, the universities lost a lot of income from student-related activities and expenses, such that their budgets have changed.
My friends, in admissions and financial aid, have said that all the schools’ budgets were impacted and affected.
You no longer had students paying for room and board, or students dropping by the student store store to pick up the sweatshirts and last-minute educational items.
The “Commons” eateries and franchise fast-food restaurants weren’t open. Millions of dollars were lost in student-related income that the universities typically received in a normal year.
The uni’s are watching their budgets. It’s going to take a couple of years to recover financially, so the schools will probably look at 2 similar students and prioritize full-pay international students for admission.
You are assuming and “certain” of 100% funding coverage for your US education. That probably will not happen. Also please don’t assume that getting into a US University will lead to a career and living in the US. Sponsorship rules are very strict and limiting. The universities will educate you, but you are expected to return to your country after graduation.
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I don’t think I wrote this anywhere, did I??
To be honest I did not think about this. But yes, you are definitely correct. Still, won’t hurt to apply. I will only get accepted if they decide to give need-based scholarship… So yeah, no harm in applying 
Applying to an ED school that isn’t affordable is NOT a valid reason to decline. One should not have applied ED in that case. You need to know up front - that’s why I say, unless you can afford a school, you should never apply ED. It’s just too much risk. Colleges, such as W&L that have a free ride (Johnson scholarship), note - they mainly fill them with non-ED because if you go ED, they have you locked in. No need to give you money.
Legally, they cannot stop you from declining - but it’s unethical to drop ED. And while the student is international so there’d probably be little repurcussion, there are repurcussions to the student’s HS and perhaps the student - that info of dropped ED could be shared with other schools, especially in the same academic conference.
One should not apply ED if they 100% need full need - regardless of what other students have told them, comparisons they’ve done, and what NPCs say.
Once you get to the CSS and IDOC, it’s a whole other world and that’s what people miss I believe.
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No one is being rude - and you are not correct.
You can do it - but it’s not correct - ED (no longer legally) is a commitment. The schools all show right on their web page - if you have any financial concerns up front, ED is not for you.
The fact that you have full need is a financial concern.
Could you share a screenshot of some other proof of this? Cuz I have not seen any school state this on their web page.
The schools do this in a non-threatening way. It’s just common sense - you can read many student horror stories through the CC.
Who should apply early decision?
Students should select the early decision option only if they have identified the College of Charleston as their first choice and will not use scholarships and financial aid as a primary factor in their decision.
It should be noted that Occidental offers very few merit-based scholarships; the vast majority of our institutional funding is set aside for need-based assistance . Families who need to compare financial aid and/or merit packages between institutions would be unable to do so in Early Decision.
Students should select the early decision option only if they have identified the College of Charleston as their first choice and will not use scholarships and financial aid as a primary factor in their decision.
Because of its binding nature, submitting an Early Decision application requires careful consideration. We recommend you confer with your parents and secondary school counselor, in addition to our admissions and financial aid staff, before choosing this option.
Institutions like Swarthmore have less of an incentive to offer robust financial aid packages to early decision applicants since the students have already decided to attend the institution. By ensuring that students apply to only one school, they eliminate competition between schools over prospective students.
The Dean of Amherst College said in 2016 that she shares a list of students accepted through the early decision process with a group of 30 other colleges that offer early decision admission. The list sharing is designed to prevent students from applying early decision to multiple colleges at the same time, violating the contract. US News reported that sharing this data is a generally accepted practice.
Reduced financial aid opportunities : Students who apply under ED plans receive offers of admission and financial aid simultaneously and so will not be able to compare financial aid offers from other colleges. For students who absolutely need financial aid, applying early may be a risky option.
Schools are not going to flat out put out - don’t apply - they say you’ll get consideration for same aid as others…but each aid decision is independent so it’s easy to say. There were some my daughter applied to that listed - don’t apply if require certain aid.
I discourage early decision applications to any college or university that does not in explicit terms guarantee to meet a student’s full financial need. I also warn them that a student’s financial need on paper may not align with a student’s financial reality. Just because a FAFSA gives an expected family contribution (EFC) upon submitting that form does not mean a college or university will come up with that same figure, especially if that school utilized the CSS Profile, a much more detailed financial aid form used by a number of highly selective institutions.
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I don’t know how to explain this to you. What I’m saying is as simple as 2+2=4.
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I know my demonstrated need is going to be 100%. You don’t have to worry about how I know.
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The college that I’m applying ED to is need-aware and meet 100% of demonstrated need.
So, if they can’t provide me financial aid, or don’t think I’m good enough applicant to spend their money on, they will simply reject me🤷. That’s what need-aware means anyways🤷.
Not trying to be rude but I’ve wrote in 4-5 previous answers as well-- I’m only applying to colleges which guarantee to meet full need.
I sure hope you don’t talk to your parents and others in your life the way you address people trying to provide you guidance based on what they’ve seen. Your attitude will cause you harm in life. Something to think about. Good luck to you. I’m out
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I’m sorry if you feel that way but you basically only told me in every single one of your answers not to apply ED. Literally. Not trying to be rude, again, but that’s not guidance. And neither is that the answer to why this thread was actually created…
Then go to the beginning. Numerous people including myself answered your thread. I explained u can do 20 on common app and coalition. Additionally many schools have 10 minute apps…so you can save from using common app for them. INDIANA Arizona. Minnesota. Colorado School of Mines etc.
Moving on to someone with more appreciation and a positive tone. Decency will take you farther in life than a high pedigree school. Best of luck.
One thing to keep in mind is there are a multitude of instances where colleges provide full need to students, even when that college does not “guarantee” to meet full need for every student. Not many universities have the endowments necessary to guarantee to meet the full need of every student, but many colleges agree to meet the full need for a few students a year as they see fit and can afford to.
I say this to encourage you to not limit your applications only to schools that guarantee to meet full need. With some research, you can identify schools that provide good FinAid to students without being labeled as “Meets Full Need”. Those are a good place to widen your scope.
Every student in the world who has significant financial need is choosing the same tiny group of Meets Full Need schools to apply to. That results in an even lower acceptance rate for students with need who apply to those schools, than those schools already list. If a need aware school has a 22% overall acceptance rate, you better believe that the acceptance rate for students with high need is going to be much much lower. By targeting only those schools, you are already diminishing your odds.
Apply to some, certainly, but also go against simplistic reasoning and go against the grain a little.
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