My son will apply US universities soon as international student from Hong Kong. He may receive Green Card in February 2016. Will it improve the chance of admission? Apply Physics major in UC Berkeley, UCLA, Caltech and Stanford. First 3% in high school rank; SAT 2180; AP calculus BC 5, Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 5, Mechanic 5; Class Captain, Science club co-founder & chairman; International Junior Science Olympiad representative; a cellist. Thank you.
I’m not sure whether it would help him since he’d be APPLYING as an international student. Which automatically lowers his chances. I would contact the schools he’s targeting to find out how getting the GC during the admissions decision period will affect things.
Also, keep in mind that even with a GC, you’d be paying out of state tuition at Berkeley and UCLA. That’s $55,000+ per year.
This may not be 100% accurate but when I went to Questbridge Prep forum 2 years ago, I was told that mentioning that you will def. be a citizen/permanent resident at certain time is worth writing in application
Definitely state the expected green card in the application. Will it makes a difference for admission? I have no idea. (My gut says ‘probably not’ but my gut doesn’t get a vote.)
…also, to beat the CC drum here: I hope that your son is also applying to other universities. Just going off SAT scores, for Stanford he is close to the bottom quartile and for CalTech and UCLA he is in the bottom quartile. Obviously, that is not the only criteria, but given how competitive admissions are, unless he is a possible athletic recruit it would be smart to have alternatives…
If the green card is in process, and it is just a matter of time before he receives it, then it might make better sense for him to take a gap year and apply once he has the green card and perhaps is actually living in the US.
Thanks all.
I will advise him to add the green card is processing.
He will retake SAT I in Nov. & take SAT II in Oct. Good luck to him.
Any universities are recommended for Physics major in according to his current status? California is preferred. Thanks.
Noted the high out of state tuition fee. He is applying for some scholarship. Thanks for the reminder.
What are “some schoalrships”?
Having a green card might not increase the chance of getting in but it might help if school administrators know about his status.
Having a green card might not increase the chance of getting in but it might help if school administrators know about his status.
Scholarships for overseas studies.
Green card=domestic applicant.So it DOES increase chance.
UC Santa Barbara also has an outstanding physics department. High achieving high school students should consider UC Santa Barbara’s elite, highly selctive College of Creative Studies, in which they can do graduate-level work starting in their freshman year.
CCS webpage mentioned lots of research opportunities and freedom to design the course of study which are good. Higher admission rate and lower SAT scores will be a better chance. Thanks for the recommendation, katliamom.
Are SAT scores required to be higher if applying Physics major?
It’s an extremely selective program - often just a few physics students get in per year - so yes, high SATs are expected.
As a green card holder, he does not automatically qualify for instate fees in California, because he is not a California resident. Scholarships and grants are limited to California residents.
So, if he were to get into one of the UCs, he would still be considered an “out of state” student, paying full fees of $55k per year.
Who is sponsoring this person for the green card? Is it a parent who has a green card and already is in the US? Or will the student be receiving the green card along with a parent or parents who will then move to the US?
If there is a green card holding parent who will have been in the US for a full year before the student will start college, then the student will probably qualify for in-state residence wherever it is that the parent is living. If the family is waiting for green cards and then will move to the US, the student will qualify for in-state status once at least one of the parents has lived and worked in a particular state for at least a year.
Some states will allow the student to establish residence independently of the parents, but normally that requires that the student live and work in a particular state for at least a year before starting to study there. In the past, some universities in Missouri and in Texas have allowed students to establish in-state status on their own while studying in those states. I don’t know if that still is true.
Currently we are waiting for immigration visa for the whole family which is assumed to be available in December.
Here is my plan:
- whole family land in Dec/Jan and qualified as permanent residence
- apply GC and assume receiving it in Feb
- whole family fly back to HK and he will finish high school and attend HKDSE exam
- notify UC the change of residence and submit FAFSA for financial aid before Mar 2
- If he is accepted from expected UC, mom and son will live in California before first school day in August
- out-of state tuition fee for the first year
- qualifed to pay in-state residence tuition fee in the sophomore year, please correct me if it is wrong.
Thank you.