<p>I am going to be a Junior this fall. I was a foreign exchange student my Sophomore year in the U.S. - Illinois. I am planning on taking the GED and ACT exam this fall, and go to college next year (my senior year). I really want to pick a college in Ohio - near Columbus, Cincinnati or somewhere in between. Best choice would be somewhere around Pickerington.
I am pretty much unable to pay for the college, unfortunately. But I've had good grades my Freshman year in Serbia (4.53 on a 5 scale), and GPA 3.5 and 3.2 my Sophomore year, and I was in two honors science classes - bio and chem.
I really want to try to get a full ride to college because if I don't, I can't go. I'm even rethinking going to a community college - what matters to me is the region.
I am studying really hard for my ACT and I am hoping to get 32 on it (probably taking it in October). I am an athlete, I've done a lot of volunteer work, and I want to major in Biology one day... Or at least something close to it.
I know you got the point but the region is what matters, I would be ready to go to any college where there is at least a part of what I want to get out of it.
Do you have any advice on where I would most easily get into, or even the cheepest college / community college in that region? Or what the lowest ACT requirement is?
Do you have any suggestions on scholarships or grants?
I don't know if I am posting in the right topic but I really need help. Thank you in advance...</p>
<p>Think there’s some info. in this link that will be helpful, but also look at all the internat’l student threads. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1151-financial-aid-scholarship-resource-threads-start-here.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1151-financial-aid-scholarship-resource-threads-start-here.html</a></p>
<p>Free rides are very hard to get…especially for an int’l.</p>
<p>You’ll need to get the best ACT or SAT scores…and be open to a greater geography.</p>
<p>How much can your family pay?</p>
<p>Well… My ACT and SAT scores are my only hope I guess, I am taking them in a few months and I am really studying like crazy /: I took the PSAT 2 months after I cam to the US and without any preparation or taking a math class at all, my ACT prediction was 24-27. Now I really started working on it…
And if I don’t get into that specific region, it won’t matter to me if I get accepted somewhere else or not. I will probably apply, but it is very important to me to be there…
My parents honestly refused to pay for my college education if I don’t get a scholarship. So my motivation is pretty much high. I am ready to work day and night, study, whatever. I just need to know what my chances of a full ride are (how well I have to score etc).
I saw that Ohio University (Pickerington campus is what I’m interested in) offers a full ride to a 3.0 GPA and at least 32 ACT students; they also have the Gateway programs and scholarsips. After I contacted the financial counselor of thr college, and explained my situation, he gave me that link. Without the scholarship, the tution and other expenses are $30.000 per year.
I also read a lot about community colleges in that region; they offer full rides based on ACT scores; also the state and college aids which I might be eligible for.</p>
<p>Dlap23 -</p>
<p>You need to find out if there are any restrictions on the scholarships that you have found for the community colleges. Sometimes they are only for students who live in that state, or even in that county/region. When you communicate with the colleges and universities in the US, make certain that you let them know that you are an INTERNATIONAL applicant. If you don’t tell them, they will think that you are a domestic applicant, and they will give you the wrong information.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already done so, take the time to read through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then get in touch with the counselors at the advising center in Slovenia [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - Slovene Human Resources Development and Scholarship Fund](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Ljubljana]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Ljubljana) They are the experts at helping students from your country find good places to study in the US, and they can tell you if anyone with grades and test scores like yours has received a full-ride scholarship in recent years.</p>
<p>You also should spend some time at the International Student Forum, and read up on how students have found the financial aid that they needed. In particular, look for any posts by b@r!um who is one of the financial aid experts there. She has reported that she researched several hundred colleges and universities in order to find the ones that were most likely to give her the best financial aid. She may have useful ideas for you. [International</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/]International”>International Students - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>If your parents won’t help you pay for your education, you need a lot of options. It might be more affordable for you to study in your home country, or elsewhere in Europe. Don’t neglect to find out about those opportunities as well.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that OU offered the full tuition to international students or I would have suggested it. Make sure that really applies to international students. My nephew is at OU (athens) on a full ride, solely based on his SAT scores. He had a 3.0 and barely, but a 2100 SAT (their sliding scale for merit is on their website). I thought that would only apply to instate Ohio students, so that’s a great option if it will also apply to you. But keep in mind that housing/boarding costs are not covered at OU (has averaged about $11,000 year). The other thought, though you may not be a “fit”, it is Antioch College. They are offering complete full rides right now because they are officially reopening after closing for a couple years. I don’t know if internationals can earn the scholarships though, so call admissions and talk to someone first. They gave 11 full rides this year and that did include housing! But, it’s a very liberal school and not for everyone.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice.</p>
<p>I made clear that I am an international student, and I also made clear that I want to graduate early.
I can’t take a risk of getting the wrong information that I will rely on:)</p>
<p>Honestly, I am not very picky about what college or community college I want to attend; as long as there is a major that is somehow connected to biology. That is what I want to major in one day - for now, what matters to me is getting that opportunity. I don’t dream about big-name colleges or universities. I am a good student, but I want to make sure that I get accepted somewhere, not to compete among people who are a lot better than me and lose every possible chance of getting the scholarship…</p>
<p>I contacted a few colleges and community colleges in that region. I found out that they do offer scholarships based on the ACT results and g.p.a. </p>
<p>Thank you all so much for the info.</p>
<p>The scale you were talking about is the one I was looking at. The link to that scale is on the international student application requirements and fees, and that is the link I got from the official, so I believe it does apply for me.</p>
<p>I will check that college out; any advice is more than useful for me.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Great, then sounds like OU would be a great option then! Antioch actually used to be very strong in biology, so if you are open to the liberal climate, and a very small class size (like only 25 students thus far :), then I would definitely look into it. I love the town (it’s where I grew up), and it’s an hour to Cinci., and 20 minutes to Dayton. Good luck!</p>
<p>I already contacted the college requesting additional information. I am opened for anything. As I said, the region matters, and it seems close enough. I’ve already looked into about 10 colleges in that region - most of them will be very hard to get into, including the community ones. Most of them doesn’t give full ride based on ACT scores, so my greatest hope at the moment is OU. I am certainly planning on applying for all the scholarships and awards I might be eligible for.
I am starting to change my mind about CSCC and COTC because they do not offer funding for international students - or it’s not enough. But I’m not losing the hope, if I run out of these options, I am going to look into all of them in the region, even if it’s not the desired major. Even though nothing is currently happening, I am making a little bit of a progress every day… :)</p>
<p>I also read a lot about community colleges in that region; they offer full rides based on ACT scores;</p>
<p>That should be your last resort because when you transfer to a 4 year, it’s unlikely you’d get any aid or scholarships since those are very rare for int’l students.</p>
<p>Are you aware that OU - Pinkerington isn’t a regular college campus? It’s like 2 buildings and it’s mostly a commuter campus.</p>
<p>Where are you seeing the link for the free ride?</p>
<p>When you say free ride…do you mean free tuition? or free tuition, room, board, books?</p>
<p>I didn’t see a lot of community colleges offering a free ride to int’l students. Maybe I overlooked some of them; could you please tell me which ones did you see?</p>
<p>I am aware of the Pickerington campus size…</p>
<p>And by full ride I mean mostly tution, but it would be very beneficial if that would include living expenses etc.</p>
<p>Ok…can you clarfy…</p>
<p>Is there some particular reason that you’re looking at that area of Ohio? </p>
<p>Do you have relatives there?</p>
<p>Do you have a love-interest there?</p>
<p>Do you have Facebook friends there?</p>
<p>It just seems odd that you’re limiting yourself to that location and considering a school with VERY limited resources.</p>
<p>You want to major in Bio…are you pre-med? If so, that is not the school to go to.</p>
<p>It’s both love and a family reason…
If I don’t go there, I can really consider anything else, or not consider anything. But my parents refused to pay for anything and everything I apply for, so I will need to get a scholarship anywhere I go…
I have the interest in studying in the U.S., especially after spending a year there… But this time I can’t be thrown anywhere in the country 
I know I am being very specific and limiting myself, but that is the sacrifice I decided I am ready to handle…
I’m not a pre-med, my lifelong dream is to study biology - recently I developed interest for genetic engineering. But in Pickerington, that’s not going to happen…
I can’t dream of big colleges anymore, at least not right now. I can’t handle big competition for a scholarship and risk not to be accepted, considering I am international… /:</p>
<p>If you get a full tuition and fees scholarship, how are you going to pay for your housing, meals, transportation, books, materials, and other personal expenses? With a student visa, you will be limited as to the number of hours you can work, and where you can work. It will be almost impossible for you to make enough money to cover all of those expenses. Please check the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) for each of the schools on your list, so that you have an idea of what those additional costs might be.</p>
<p>Oh, my parents are fine with paying for my expences… And I already have a place to be if I am near Pickerington. If not, my parents would pay for that… They just don’t want to pay for college.</p>
<p>“Oh, my parents are fine with paying for my expences… They just don’t want to pay for college.”</p>
<p>What on earth does that mean? </p>
<p>Are they refusing to pay your tuition and fees in the US because you could go to the university for free in your home country? If that is the case, do they also refuse to pay for books/materials/insurance? </p>
<p>Have they given you a clear budget for the amount of money that they are willing to pay, and a list of the specific items that they are willing to pay for? You probably need that information as well.</p>
<p>The situation in my family is really complicated right now. They agreed to pay for everything BUT the tution expenses. It’s not like we actually have the money, but they are willing to put an effort in covering my living expences, plane ticket, books etc. Loans, bank credits… They said they would do that. But they don’t even want to try to pay for college (and their income is less than $30.000 a year).
It’s a long story, but there is a reason why they refuse to pay even a part of college tution. They will submit all of their income information, but that’s about it.
And they… Won’t let me stay here. Please, just don’t ask me to explain it because it’s a really long story, but the point is, they want me to leave the house in a year. When I turn 18.</p>