So you don’t think the OP should continue to research the colleges to which he has applied? I certainly think he should develop as much of an understanding of these schools as he can in the relatively brief interval of time he will have prior to being required to commit to a single college. This is the main advice I would give to him at this stage, actually.
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Are you referring to the fact that he regretted not going to harvard
He regretted going to Harvard instead of Hamilton.
OOPS. that was what i meant…
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Beyond the two specific colleges involved, you may want to consider the response broadly as well. One person’s “dream school” can relate to another’s “greatest regret.” The advice, then, would be for you to understand your potential choices in terms of your own values and interests. This will be especially important in your case since your list of schools is so long, and, consequently, highly varied.
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A couple things stuck out to me in your comments. I don’t know what your version of the American dream that you described in your essays entails, but if it included moving to the US to work after graduation that won’t help with admissions. International students are expected to return home after graduation.
You mentioned being willing to take out ~$20k/year in loans. Does your home country offer such large loans for study abroad? Loans in the US require a qualified cosigner (US citizen). Make sure your funding is set for all 4 years before you commit anywhere.
Congrats on the full ride from the US rolling admissions school. Grants for four years of tuition, room and board, plus expenses is extremely rare. It would help future applicants if you would share which school is offering it. Do you happen to know if the full ride is based solely on stats or was financial need also considered?
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I believe OP said $5K a year / $20K total - which is why I say if you have a full ride, you are done.
While OP doesn’t want to focus on money, this is stated in their first message:
- Income Bracket: need a lot of aid
Few US colleges meet need - and we don’t know the need - and borrowing $5K a year, short of an Amherst that will meet need, will basically get you nowhere in regards to paying for college.
Not sure why he won’t name the school - but let’s say and I’m just throwing out a name - Kalamazoo offered him a full ride - or East Stroudbsburg - or wherever - he should take the money and run - or stay in his Swiss top choice.
You’re correct about the amount they want to borrow. I think OP doesn’t understand that financial need can have a direct impact on admission to US colleges. But if they have a full ride in their home country they’re all set. Most students aren’t that fortunate.
and here (according to them) but won’t name the school.
Congratulations on your achievements.
I am interested in what U Chicago and Vassar had in common with one another or Brown vs Columbia or Caltech vs Oberlin or Williams vs Wharton given you applied to all of them?
Keeping in mind that a significant portion of your list has sub 5% RD acceptance rates, I am concerned that you may not have been able to customize your applications to reflect nuanced and specific “fit” for these schools.
The student who seeks the relatively rigid curriculum of a UC or Columbia typically doesn’t also seek the open curriculum flexibility of Brown or Vassar. While you as the applicant may be indifferent to the distinctions and concept of “fit” the admissions officers at this schools are keen to fill their ranks with students that are not just academically qualified but individuals that will both thrive and leverage the uniqueness of each school.
I am not trying to be negative or skeptical but instead asking did you shotgun the same themes and essays or did you offer bespoke narratives in your applications based on the target school? I think your capacity to do so will dictate your outcomes.
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No. My friend at Harvard told me how important it is to say we want to go back after college, so that is what I did.
I’m not going to say the name of the school, sorry. I checked and it works with my bank for the loan, thanks for the advice. The merit scholarship was only based on merit
I think you are wrong about me. I said I was willing to take max 5k loans but I can pay from savings. I’m not sure where the misconception came from but I was just saying hypothetically, I would take extra 5k loans if à school accepts me and fills my need with loans. I have the ability to pay for some things.
I’m not fortunate, I worked for it.
You’re the second person mentioning I don’t understand how financial aid works but I do. I really do understand how hard it is to get in when we need aid. It is why I was so surprised to receive a likely letter from a little ivy
Thank you for the concern. I did try to showcase a different part of me in the essays depending on the school. For Harvard, I showed that I wanted to change the world. For brown, mentioned that I worked in teams, for the university of California HICAGO, I mentioned my will to have intellectual freedom. For 90 % of the school, I knew exactly what they were looking for (started researching in January 2021), I did some last minute shotgun
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“For Harvard, I showed that I wanted to change the world. For brown, mentioned that I worked in teams”
FYI in both cases you could be part of a team that changes the world😀
I am glad to hear and will be pulling for you! Sounds like you were tactical😀 now I hope the strategy works.
If and when the results roll in hopefully you will have options. Many of us have direct first hand experience with several of these schools and I am sure you can get some guidance as to the real life differences. Am I correct to assume you haven’t visited many given you are international?
I was supposed to visit Harvard because I was invited there (for an external event) but it was canceled due to COVID. You are right I haven’t visited except virtually.
By the wa, I chose the wrong wording, for Harvard, I meant more showing my overly ambitious side. It is one of the most striking things I noticed with Harvard students. Sometimes they are borderline arrogant but they definitely stood out from brown in that they are always looking to change the world. Brown indeed is, but I felt more the “imma explore my possibilities with my friends together to seee how we can make it” while Harvard seems more like a solo ride
I really like you. Thanks for the very kind words, and I will let you know on this thread in less than 3 weeks (WAIT ALREADY?!)
You say you can pay from savings - but in post #1, line #4 - this is what you wrote - so i’m taking you at the word of what you described. If that’s wrong, please correct:
- Income Bracket: need a lot of aid
Nonono you’re right my friend. I need a lot of aid, but I though people thought I had 0 ability to pay and could only pay 5k.
the truth is that I need a lot of aid but still can pay a little iota of it!
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