<p>Well, I live in Washington State (have been for 5+ years), but since I don't have permanent residency or citizenship, I'm counted as an international applicant when it comes to financial aid. And as you already know, most of the schools in the US are need aware, which means if I apply for financial aid, my chances will drop. </p>
<p>Here are my stats:
ACT:33 (32) (English: 34 Math: 35 (36) Reading: 31 (27) Science: 32 (30))--in the brackets are my scores for the first time I took the test. </p>
<p>NHS, NAHS President (NAHS founder for school)
And few other notable extra curricular activities, including FBLA, state poster competition winner, and some freelance design/illustration jobs. </p>
<p>What will be my chances to schools like: UChicago, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Wesleyan, Columbia, Brown, UPenn, Boston U, Vassar, Oberlin, and Ithaca (Park School)?</p>
<p>If you need any more details or information, I can list more.
I'm interested in film production/cinematography.</p>
<p>The schools you’re safe for, ithaca and BU are very unlikely to give you much aid.</p>
<p>Oberlin and Vassar ( if you’re male) are matches, getting aid is another matter.</p>
<p>The rest ate reaches and will be extremely tough as an intnl needing aid. If you come from a country sending few applicants your chances are much better. If you come from a r many, you have a bignissue in having no stAnd out Academic or EC accomplishment which is what they look fornin the few intnls they give aid too.</p>
<p>I would consider adding a few less competitive colleges known or good aid to intnls unless you have a safety in your country. Consider Grinnell, Kalamazoo, Bates, Colegate, Carleton, St. Olaf.</p>
<p>I will add Grinnell and Middlebury to my list. Middlebury I heard was needblind for internationals as well. Do you think these are good choices?
Also, what other colleges would you suggest? I’m planning to go to graduate school afterwards as well.</p>
<p>Because they don’t give Americans much aid and have very, very little for internationals! If you have a good backup in your country, no problem, stick with reaches and financial reaches. If not, your list may well not yield an affordable college. You would be wise to focus on some schools that don’t get as many intnls to choose from. You have excellent stats, but nothing that will knock the socks off schools with many intnls to choose from for the few spots with aid they give to kids from any one country. If you’re from Africa you’re probably OK, if you’re from Asia, you need some less selective schools too.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Waverly. Apart from the schools you listed, what are the schools that do not get as many internationals? (That I should apply to?)</p>
<p>My nationality is South Korean, so as you would expect, I WOULD need some less selective schools. </p>
<p>Also, it says on CollegeBoard that BU gives FA to 110 internationals, about 30000 dollars each. What do you think about that?</p>
<p>I assume you are under an H4 visa? I am in the same situation as you. I cannot get federal/need based aid. However, you CAN get merit money. I am going to Fordham University on a full tuition scholarship, and I was never asked about my immigration status.</p>
<p>My other choice was my state’s flagship because it is cheap.</p>
<p>It’s a tough decision. It does suck to work so hard and not be able to afford college for the silliest of reasons, but you make to deal with it. Find colleges that will give you merit money or go to your state’s flagship/cheaper options.</p>
<p>BU uses their money to get representation from lots of countries. You have good stats for BU and could be among those that get money. But if they have no problem getting full pay Korean students with equally good stats, then they’ll be less inclined to fund Koreans so you can’t count on it. </p>
<p>Schools that don’t see lots of Koreans applying would be LACs, especially in the South and MW.</p>
<p>They look at your family’s income and assets to determine how much your family should pay.</p>
<p>How much will your family pay?</p>
<p>*Also, it says on CollegeBoard that BU gives FA to 110 internationals, about 30000 dollars each. What do you think about that? *</p>
<p>Will your family pay the other $25k to go there?</p>
<p>110 students is about 25 per class year. 10% of enrollment are int’ls…so about 1800 students are int’ls…doesn’t look like many get aid…less than 10% of int’ls get aid.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids,
Wait, so does that mean 110 internationals out of all 1800 get financial aid?
and the $25k is questionable as well… And considering that Presidential Scholarships are primary given to applicants that sent their applications by December 1st and the Trustee Scholarship is also very competitive, AND the fact all the other ones are only available to citizens, permanent residences, and eligible non-US citizens, do you think I should drop this application?</p>
<p>I just did some research and found out about Bard College in NY. They have 235 international undergrads total and 223 of them receive about 40000 dollars of aid. Their acceptance rate is 35% in general. Do you guys think Bard is a good fit for me? I, right now, am very inclined to go to this school.</p>
<p>Bard is a wonderful school for film and students looking for a passionate intellectual environment. In addition to financial aid for international students, they also have a special merit scholarship for first generation students:
In order to make a liberal arts education available to recent immigrants, Bard College offers scholarships to approximately 20 students each year who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to academic excellence and whose parents were born abroad and came to the United States within the past 20 years. Students born abroad and those born in the United States to immigrant parents are eligible.</p>
<p>@SpiritManager,
Thank you for your information. So are you saying that Bard offers scholarships on top of financial aid, or are you grouping them altogether, saying that 20 international students get aid?</p>