I come from a middle class Tunisian Family, but middle class here means my maximum Expected Family Contribution is ~1500$ per year so basically 0$. That means I will need A HUGE financial aid package.
Grades:
The grading system in Tunisia is definitely much harder than the US. Nevertheless, my 9th and 10th grade GPAs were pretty average. Although I improved considerably in 11th grade and was top of my class in 12th grade.
Also, we have a national HS graduation exam (Baccalauréat), and I got an excellent grade in that one (18.67/20) which is the highest grade in my HS’s history.
Testing:
SAT : 1530 / 730 ERW / 800 Math
SAT II : 800 Math II / 760 Physics
TOEFL: 111/120
ECs:
-member of Tunisian Red Crescent. (many volunteering hours)
-Competitive swimmer since age of 4 (bronze national medal / quit in 11th grade)
-Senior Member of local Youth House.
-Member of IEEE ENSI Student Branch.
-Practiced Kung Fu for 5 years. (regional silver medal)
-Founder and President of club in Youth House where I mentored kids in CS and Math.
-Amateur Pianist for 3 years (played in nursing homes)
-Played Tennis recreationally for a year
Essays:
My common app essay is decent, my counsellor really liked it and said it is one of the best he has read. However, my supplemental essays are pretty bad, because I had no time to write them.
College List:
Johns Hopkins University
Amherst
Carleton College
Colgate University
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
New York University
Swarthmore College
University of Rochester
Washington University
Williams College
Drexel University
Lafayette College
Middlebury College
Skidmore College
Macalester College
Vassar College
Case Western Reserve University
Washington and Lee University
Haverford College
Union College
Wesleyan University
Connecticut College
PS: My intended major is Computer Science
Please tell me what you think of my chances of being accepted into even just one of these colleges with a generous financial aid package. Thanks
I’m not an expert, but I think you need to check your list, because not all college in your list give aid to international students or don’t cover 100% financial need.
I actually based my list on the rate of financial aid given to international students. There are some that don’t cover 100% financial need but give most of international students some type of financial aid, like Drexel. I thought perhaps they do make excpetions and give some international students 100% financial need. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Thanks!
In Drexel website says:
In the 2019–2020 academic year, Drexel offered financial support to 95% of its incoming students; the average scholarship and grant aid offered to first-year students was $30,753
These amounts include federal, state, and institutional aid.
This financial aid it’s not enough for you.
You must apply just to colleges that meets 100% financial need.
I believe the only school on your list that is need blind and meets full demonstrated need for international students is Amherst.
Some of the schools on your list have a COA of over $70K/year. Even if they give some aid to international students, it’s not going to bring the cost down enough.
It’s very difficult to get full aid as an international student. Hopefully you have safety schools that are affordable in your home country.
If you could suggest some colleges that would be really helpful. And yes btw I got a scholarship into the best school in my country, but it’s literally hell there and extremely hard.
You are clearly a very strong student. I find myself wondering what percentage of native English speakers could manage a 111 on the TOEFL. I have a bit of a concern only because your list is quite long, and I do not know how difficult it will be to do a good job at all of your applications.
You need to apply to schools that meet 100% of need for international students. However, it is okay if a school is not “need blind”. If it is not need blind then they will consider your financial need for acceptance purposes. However, the schools that are need blind for international students that also meet full need are all very competitive for admission. Also, the schools that consider need are still likely to admit some full need international students.
If you have all of these applications in then I think that you have a good list and that there is a reasonable chance that you will get an acceptance somewhere with good financial aid. However, you are just going to need to be patient and see what offers you get.
If you have not put in all of your applications yet, then I would for each school verify that it meets full 100% need to international students before applying. Also, I might prioritize the schools that have large endowments in the hope that they are more able to afford to bring in very strong international students that need significant financial aid.
You should pare this list down, I would also eliminate Drexel to start with, and then NYU as they don’t meet full need (even though they do meet full need for some students, they are less generous than many of the other schools on your list).
I would keep Amherst and Grinnell, after that it’s up to you and your preferences for location, size, etc, as well as how well you think you can do on the various supplemental essays.
With the level of selectivity of the schools on your list, and high level of need you have all the US colleges are a reach. You also must plan for how you will be able to pay for travel to and from the US, mandatory health insurance, and incidentals.
Thanks for the reply and the advice! I already eliminated NYU, but I’m gonna keep Drexel because it’s like the only that’s not LAC and I really like the CO-OP program so doesn’t hurt. I didn’t apply to EU colleges but my backup plan is two years of PREPA (intensive STEM preparation for french Grandes Ecoles) then I hope to study CS in ENSIMAG. But getting into any college on my list would me MUCH better than my backup plan.
Quickly look into UWaterloo and McGill.
Your bac grades give you a very clear advantage at McGill, where they’re used to dealing with the French grading scale, and if admitted you could apply for need-based aid (“bursary”).
Has someone reviewed your essays and is your guidance counselor used to writing such letters?
My guidance counselor is competent and used to writing letters yes, he also said my common app essay was one of the best he has read. My supplemental essays, well I haven’t even started most of them.
I have no idea how the Canadian application system compares to that of the US but would you be kind to tell me at least what the major differences are?
