I am an international student applying to a bunch of LACs. I need an almost full ride to be able to attend college in the states. My stats are as follows:
~SAT 1 - 1470 (translates to 2110 on the old sat). Reading and writing - 790, Math - 680
~SAT 2 - doing on dec 3rd, World history and english literature.
~Class ranks aren’t that great because it’s based on term exams that no one here really cares about.
~A level results - A, A, A, B
~ extra curricular - Debating (national and international tournaments), photography, english literary society, school magazine committee
~ 6 month internship at a non-profit think tank that looked into policy reforms regarding poverty.
I don’t know if my scores are enough for the ivies or even other top tier schools like swarthmore, amherst etc,(i am still applying to those). But my question is - what are other LACs that are academically very good, well ranked, diverse, not top tier like swat etc, but still have enough endowment to accept me and give me a close to full ride? I’m looking for reachable universities that will definitely accept me, but also have enough money to give me. Thanks!
Most of the top-tier schools, (Ivys, Amherst, etc.) do not give merit aid; their financial aid is all need-based. That means that your family’s income and assets, and not your academic numbers and ECs, will determine how much aid you get.
Any college with an acceptance rate hovering in the low teens will not be a place where you will definitely get accepted.
In addition, some of these schools are need aware for admissions, meaning that your ability to pay will be considered when your application for admission is reviewed.
Most if not all of the schools in the US News article have very low admit rates.
Earlham College is a well respected college with an unusually large percentage of international students. Earlham gives financial aid to internationals even though it is not a “rich” school. I believe international students are eligible for both merit and need based aid.
Check out the midwestern LACs. They are sort of the Avises of the college world (“We try harder” to attract students). Denison is another very good but not so well known LAC, not sure about aid for internationals there.
I asked an international student how she ended up at her college. She said she found it by googling “U.S. college international student financial aid” or something like that. Don’t worry so much about endowment, it’s more a question of how they use what they have.
Time may be running short. Some aid is given on a first come first served basis, so earlier applicants have better prospects.