<p>Hello everyone! I'm Bart and I'm sixteen. I come from Poland and I'm interested in going to US to study at a college. However, I got stunned a little when I saw all these colleges across the USA. I want to look for the most suitable colleges for me. I think that I'm quite good at the subjects I want to take SAT in (Literature & World History). I also have a lot of pastime activities (choir, my own band, writing scripts for school shows and so on). My family is not a rich one though, so I'll need a lot of financial aid. My question is: what are the best criteria to base my search on? I want to single out up to 10 colleges that I will apply to (including 2-3 Ivy League colleges that are my dream <em>.</em>). What pieces of advice would you give to me? </p>
<p>Bart</p>
<p>Since you’re an int’l that needs a LOT of financial aid, your choices will be limited. Only a smallish number of schools provide full aid to int’ls…the ivies, Stanford, some top liberal arts colleges, etc. </p>
<p>Until you have test scores, it will be hard to tell which schools will work for you. You will be competing against thousands of other int’ls for a limited number of seats at schools that give full aid to int’ls. Your SATs will have to be TOP scores.</p>
<p>How much can your family contribute?</p>
<p>My family can contribute up to $1500 yearly. However, my hope is that Ivies don’t just look at SAT scores but also on the pastime activities, the strength of character and other features. Besides, if a not-Ivy League university can cover half of the yearly cost, then I can look for the money in Polonia organizations that offer scholarships for Polish citizens.</p>
<p>My family can contribute up to $1500 yearly. However, my hope is that Ivies don’t just look at SAT scores but also on the pastime activities, the strength of character and other features.</p>
<p>High stats are going to be heavily counted. Schools use those “other things” to further select from a very large pool of high stats students.</p>
<p>“Other things” can trump scores if you have a hook…like you’ve published a book, you’ve done amazing research, you’ve won an elite national award, you’ve overcome extreme adversity, or you’re a needed athlete. Just having interesting ECs is not likely going to help because the high stats kids have those, too. Frankly, the high stats kids have amazing ECs…awards, research, musical talents, accomplishments, etc.</p>
<p>Unless you have tippy top stats, getting accepted to an ivy is not realistic…especially if you’re an int’l. You’re competing against other int’s for a few seats. Domestic students have about a 5-10% chance of acceptance. I don’t know the acceptance rate for int’ls, but I know it’s lower. </p>
<p>Since you mention that you might have opportunites for scholarship money from Polish orgns, you really need to pursue those. Look into those now to determine your chances. When int’l students can only contribute $1500 towards their educations, their chances for being educated in the US drop tremendously. </p>
<p>For you to find schools that will provide 1/2 of your costs, you’re still going to need strong scores. </p>
<p>I know that it seems to others that the US is rich and therefore can afford to provide big bucks for those who seek a college education. In truth, American schools are woefully short of having enough money to help with its own domestic students. That’s why so few can help int’l students…and those can only help a relatively small number.</p>
<p>So you do urge me to learn as hard as I can to get the best SAT scores?</p>
<p>Bart - I’m form Poland too (and even still 16, but it’s going to change soon ;))
I guess I shouldn’t write this (competition!) but if you haven’t heard about it yet, you should check HCoP page - they have a contest going, if you become one of the 30 luckiest you’ll get some help with your plans.
Generally, I was just like you year ago - and then a few things were like a cold slap of reality… mom2collegekids is right - it’s alomst impossible for an international to be admitted -unless you’re really outstanding. I don’t want to kill your dreams though, because, as I wrote, it’s <em>almost</em> impossible, and there’s always the possiblity that you ARE outstanding 
Try to have as good grades as possible, choose wisely your SAT subjects (personally, I find the science-y ones much easier for an average person from Poland to score high, and you’d consider adding a third subject - language maybe?) and extracurriculars - but the last one is something hard in Poland.</p>
<p>My only ‘hooks’ could be some success in Physics Olympiad (I failed to become a finalist though, maybe next year…) and gliding - and that’s all. Both aren’t anything spectacular. I don’t really have much hopes anymore - maybe if I were still in the first grade (like you, I suspect) then yes, but as I’m halfway through high school already - not really.</p>
<p>As for choosing college - sure, go for ivy, they’re great for their financial help. But find also a few “safeties”. By the way - how are you going to afford applying to 10 schools? Most of them will probably have some admission fee - which is no fun when you convert it to PLN. There are ways to cicrumvent this - but it’s not likely you’ll succeed as an international.</p>
<p>Can I have a question? Are you from any of the bigger cities?</p>
<p>I hope I won’t get banned for off-topic! ;p</p>
<p>Hey! Yes, I’m in my first class. I come from a small town near Katowice - I have limited access to the “fantastic full-of-entertainment life that is provided by big cities”, I attend a small high school. But I have never fallen under 4.75 at the end of the school year, I have many achievements in music and literature; what’s more, I’m a laureate in English in the Silesian voivodeship. I think I’ve got relatively large chances of getting into a college. The only problem is my finances, but the best recipe for success is faith.</p>
<p>I was Physics x2, math and chemistry laureate in my voivodeship - nothing compared to high school, really ;p</p>
<p>Are you gonna apply to some American colleges? I think that’s a good background.</p>