Major: Computer (or Electrical) Engineering or physics
SAT score: 1520(superscored)
SAT subjects: Bio 740 math level 1 770
GPA: 4.0 Unweighted
Class size: 70
Rank: 1
Courses(ALL ap classes were self-studied for)
I will have taken 5 APs by the end of my senior year.
-AP Calculus AB (5), AP Physics C mech (4)
Current Senior Course Load(in addition to the hardest courses offered by my school):
AP Stat
AP Physics E&M
AP Chem
Activities:
-I was the founder and president of the debate club at two different schools. For 3 years
Club sport: Table tennis (consistently ranked in top 3 players). During my senior year.
-I participate in the holy mass, as an altar server, once a week.
Work experience:
-INJAZ entrepreneurship intern (master class). 1 month
-I had the highest SAT score at school, so I was offered to give private tutoring to junior students. 3 months
-Abona Bishoy Kamel Group for sick and elderly, We visit homes of sick and elderly weekly. We talk and tend them also assist them if they need medical or general help. 2 years(community service)
-Boy scouts. Our troop visits families in rural areas. We provide financial and social support. We also fix issues with plumbing, electricity, electronics. 3 years
-Technology assistant. I setup network solutions in a real estate appraisal company. I designed a 3D computer model for the company’s office. 20 weeks
Hooks:
Low income ($30,000/yr)
Bilingual.
Egyptian.
-well above 300 hours of community service
I was accepted to Drexel with 41k in aid. I was deferred from Lafayette and CWRU.
If you have any college suggestions, please do mention them. I am willing to use ED2 as a tool to avoid competition, which college do you recommend.
It is worth noting that I was the only student to study for an AP test in my school. The number of AP students do not exceed 100 in Egypt. American schools do not participate in National competitions in my country.I need almost full financial aid.
For Reed: No engineering, but exemplary physics. Your numbers are good, but Reed gives financial aid to relatively few internationals, so your chances are simply unpredictable. But do apply if you want physics.
I haven’t researched all three of those suggestions with respect to your concerns, but Union states it “meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for admitted students but is need-aware in the admissions process.” For international applicants, this represents a substantial promise (i.e., Union will meet your need if they accept you).
Tufts, Swarthmore, and Haverford are not the most international student friendly school there is.
Check out Union? and other LACs that offers a joint-engineering program.
Your stats are good, however, international students+asking for full aid makes it a lot harder
I recommend you consider your academic interests, then base your college choices on those interests.
For physics, you could find excellent choices among schools without engineering programs. These schools often offer 3-2 or 2-1-1-1 programs with universities that offer engineering. However, these associated programs will not necessarily be supported through financial aid.
For engineering specifically, you should definitely look into schools that offer direct programs. Swarthmore, Union and Trinity should be among those you consider.
In general, you should extend your research as far a possible before committing to an ED II application.
Being a low income international student is not a hook. All of these colleges are need aware for internationals, I think. And as stated above, most don’t have engineering.
I’m not sure ED helps you. ED acceptances are to lock their most desirable students into attending. An international student with high need probably doesn’t fit that description. Also, you are obligated to attend with an ED app (although you can back out for financial reason, but it is stressful to do that). You aren’t going to be able to compare financial aid offers with ED, too. I will say that they might get fewer applicants from Egypt than other countries.
Many students who study physics go to college in their home country, then come to funded PhD programs in the US. I think that is probably also true for engineering.
I want to get my undergraduate degree from the US. I understand that being low income is not a hook. In addition, colleges usually choose one or two Egyptian students from the whole applicant pool. ED is a great way to secure a position since it compares you to a smaller applicant pool and most aid goes out during ED. I just need advice on which college/university would be the best choice if I applied ED2 in. I was going to apply for reed, but I missed the deadline. Then i was going for swat, but it is just very competitive and my chances would be miniscule. Now, I am comparing between lehigh, bucknell, and grinell.
currently, lehigh is winning, but Union states, "A large percentage of our financial aid is awarded in our two early decision rounds. " don’t know if i have a shot at lehigh or should i apply to union???
I’m glad you introduced Lehigh into your mix. Lehigh compares to schools such as Bucknell and Union, but also to Drexel, to which you’ve been accepted. Based on your stated interests, you could add Trinity to this list, then pick one based on further research. Regarding Union specifically, they’ve just completed a new science and engineering building, so you would be entering at an auspicious time.
I like lehigh much more than union. But I don’t want to end up applying to lehigh ED2 and getting rejected thus wasting ED2. @merc81 what do you think I should do??
