Canadian Citizen Living in US - am i screwed?

[weeds]

<p>I am a Canadian citizen that has lived in Massachusetts my entire schooling life. I will be asking for no financial aid. Are my chances reduced and by how much?</p>

[fledgling]

<p>You’re considered an international, although the fact that you’re already living in the United States will help somewhat. Just make sure your grades are good and get involved in the extracurriculars that interest you. Also, be sure to write some kick-ass essays when the time comes to apply for college. That’s my only advice.</p>

[T26E4]

<p>Some colleges view Cdn status differently than the “typical” International applicant. Just check w/the specific college.</p>

[Chedva]

<p>T26E4 is correct. For example, University of Rochester says:

Who is considered an international applicant?
International applicants are individuals who need a visa in order to study or live in the United States.
Permanent Residents of the United States of America, no matter where in the world they live or go to school, are not considered international applicants.

As far as I know, Canadians don’t require a visa, and so will not be considered internationals.</p>

<p>I’m sure other schools feel the same.</p>

[fiona_1]

<p>

Who is considered an international applicant?
International applicants are individuals who need a visa in order to study or live in the United States. Permanent Residents of the United States of America, no matter where in the world they live or go to school, are not considered international applicants.

Um no. Canadians do need visa to study/live in the USA. (please differentiate from tourism)</p>

[ctyankee]

<p>I believe Fiona is correct. However, you can get into a terrific Canadian college at the Canadian citizen rate, which at some top flight schools is a great bargain, particularly if you are paying in U.S. dollars. For example, Canadian student tuition is about 11,000 CD for the school year which is currently about $8,250 USD.</p>

[happymomof1]

<p>US permanent residents are eligible for federally determined (by FAFSA) financial aid and so usually aren’t considered international students.</p>

<p>If you don’t have permanent resident status, you need to find out if public institutions in Massachusetts will give you in-state tuition based on how long you have been living there. Each state sets its own policies about this kind of thing.</p>

[weeds]

<p>Unfortunately I am not a permanent resident. I am still praying that I will be able to get a status change before application deadlines roll around, but at the moment, it looks doubtful. Money is not an obstacle, so I will not be asking for financial aid. I am hoping that this will improve my chances at least a little. MIT is my dream school; how is their treatment generally of Canadian citizens residing in the United States?</p>

<p>By the way, I am a Caucasian female. I am hoping this will help me too.</p>

[Chedva]

<p>From the MIT website:

In the MIT freshman admissions process, you are considered an international applicant if you are not a citizen or a permanent resident (Green Card holder) of the United States. (Please note that if you have already entered university you must apply to MIT as a transfer student.)</p>

<p>International admission to MIT is very competitive. There are many more qualified international students who apply than there are available spaces in the class. Each year, more than 2,000 international students apply, and approximately 100 are admitted.

[MIT</a> Admissions: International Applicants: Helpful Tips](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/international_applicants_helpful_tips/index.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/international_applicants_helpful_tips/index.shtml)</p>

[fiona_1]

<p><a href=“Statistics & Reports | MIT Registrar”>Statistics & Reports | MIT Registrar;
This is the MIT distribution of undergraduates. As you can see, there are 24 Canadian undergrads which means that six Canadians accepted MIT’s offer. Slightly more than that were accepted. So I guess about 10 Canadians are offered admissions each year.</p>

[bclintonk]

<p>Getting into MIT is tough for anyone. MIT aside, my guess is that, in general, being a Canadian won’t hurt you in U.S. college admissions, but it won’t help you, either. On the plus side, your English is good–this is often an issue for international students. The fact that you’re full-pay will also help you at many schools (but maybe not at MIT). Even many schools that are “need-blind” for U.S. applicants are “need-aware” for internationals, and in the current economic climate one relatively simple way for schools to make ends meet is to admit a higher percentage of (full-pay) internationals and a slightly smaller percentage of U.S. residents who they are pledged to take on a need-blind basis and for whom they are pledged to meet 100% of financial need. A higher percentage of internationals is also something schools like to boast about as an indicator of diversity; on the other hand, you don’t add anything by way of racial or ethnic diversity, and Canada doesn’t exactly represent the kind of global geographic diversity they’re looking for (though a few schools do like to boast about how many Canadian provinces are represented, so if you’re not from Ontario or Quebec where applicants to U.S. colleges and universities are a dime a dozen, it might help a little).</p>

<p>I guess bottom line, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it. In the current economy it’s a plus to be a full-pay at many, many schools. No one’s going to discriminate against Canadians, but no one’s going to go wild with enthusiasm for them, either. If your stats and ECs are in order and you write strong essays and get good teacher and GC recommendations, you’ll get into some good colleges. If you don’t get into MIT it won’t be because you’re Canadian; it will be because they have way more qualified applicants than they can admit.</p>