Hello everyone.
I’m a 12th grade Iranian student interested in studying at Brandeis University.
Unfortunately, neither ACT and SAT standardized tests nor AP/IB classes are offered in Iran. The only way to participate in ACT and SAT for Iranian students is to travel to a nearby country, and due to the COVID outbreak, travelling abroad is extremely dangerous. Also most land borders are closed, and due to the current economic situation here, air travel is really expensive.
Do I have any chances of getting into Brandeis with a GPA equivalent to 4? Brandeis University has indicated in their website that those who can’t take SAT or ACT test must submit a research paper, preferably in social science or history. Will submitting that paper have any positive effects on my chance of getting in without submitting ACT or SAT scores?
Also due to the current horrific economic situation in my country, paying thousands of dollars toward my education is EXTREMELY difficult for my family. Will requesting financial aid effect my chance negatively?
I will really appreciate your response.
Not submitting the ACT will not affect you. Brandeis claims on their website to meet the need of international students. However you should set a zoom call with the financial aid office. Good luck.
Thank you so much.
No, not submitting a standardized test will not affect you. You will need to stand out in different ways: academics and, especially, ECs.
You will need a paper with a teacher’s comments, perhaps with a translation as I doubt you write History papers in English. An issue is that, of course, some ways to view history in Iran, due to censorship, may make that subject a difficult one to send a good paper for. Literature (literary analysis?) would likely be more “neutral”.
Applying for financial aid and needing a lot of aid is taken into account. There’s nothing you can do about it. Universities that offer financial aid to internationals only have a limited amount for that pool and they need to stretch it to as many students as possible.
You CAN however look into other universities that offer merit aid rather than need based aid, and among those full tuition or full rides for stats. With the pandemic, many universities changed their criteria to GPA and other factors so your not having an SAT score is not going to matter this year.
University of New Mexico would be about 13,000 dollars. I know it’s an enormous amount for an average family in Iraq but is that feasible for yours ? Too much?
Thank you so much for your response. Unfortunately, the current economical and political situation in Iran is not comparable with the rest of the world, even with countries like Iraq which are located in war zone. A single USD costs 276000 IRRs(27600 Tomans) and the rate is not stable. It varies even in a few minutes. Paying even 13000$ toward my education puts my family in a HORRIFIC hardship. I will search for merit scholarships, and I will ask if Brandeis offers one. Thank you for your response. I will try my luck:)
Okay, then here’s a possibility for you: Berea College.
They will admit only ONE worthy student from Iran and will offer them a full ride. You’ll need to work 10-15hours a week for your personal expenses.
Thank you. But, do I have any chances of getting into Brandeis?
Why Brandeis? Or why only Brandeis? You never know if you don’t’ try.
Actually, the world rankings of the universities are important for me. It was a big goal for me to study at MIT, Harvard or Columbia. But because I can not take SAT or ACT this year, I have a very little chance of getting into them. I searched the websites of ALL of the universities ranked between 1-100 in the US, and except Harvard and MIT, University of Miami and Brandeis offer need-based financial aid to international students. Some colleges offer need-based awards(Grinnell College for example) but I do not want to study at a college. University of Richmond and Colgate University also offer need-based awards, but they are not as top as Brandeis and University of Miami.
Grinnell is one of the top colleges in the country. The college vs. university distinction should not play a part in your decision, I don’t believe. A college will not offer graduate programs but Grinnell and Colgate (both liberal arts schools) would be considered on par or ahead of Brandeis and Miami. Richmond is strong as well. All schools you mentioned are outstanding.
If you cannot afford to come, you have to expand your view for any school who is able to meet your price. They are all wonderful.
Thank you so much. I will try my luck:)
No one can estimate your chances because no one knows whether you’ll meet what they consider institutional priorities that year.
All you can do is try.
In the US, college= university. (It’s not the same meaning as in the UK or Canada).
You can just apply to Harvard and see. Test scores are rarely important for internarionals at top schools anyway.
For an international who needs 100% aid, it’s like playing the lottery.
You have 20 slots on CommonApp.
Thank you so much for your useful advice. I will apply and see what happens:)
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