I am an Indian student and will have to depend upon financial aid for my education in US. I want to major in astronomy with either film studies (most probably) or psychology as a minor subject. After doing a lot of research, i have narrowed down my preferences to these four colleges: Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Colgate and Vassar. Now this is the point where i get confused about which college should be my first choice for early decision. For me a good residential life is very important and would like the college to have diverse environment. Any help guys!!
first, you need to keep in mind that none of these schools are need-blind for international students, so your ability to pay will be a determining factor in whether or not you are accepted, waitlisted, or rejected.
second, what kind of an environment do you want?
— do you want a quirky/known-to-be intellectual environment? swarthmore
— do you want an artsy/liberal atmosphere? vassar
— do you want a significant greek life presence? colgate
— do you want a larger population of undergraduates with a social activist nature? wesleyan
colgate seems like your biggest outlier, so i say take it out.
in terms of diversity, i would say swarthmore is the most diverse.
in terms of size, swarthmore is by far the smallest.
if you are a girl, you will be significantly disadvantaged at vassar.
try to do more research. if i was you, however, i think i would choose wesleyan, but that’s just my opinion, haha.
You also need to think about location:
Swarthmore - Suburban
Vassar - Small urban
Wesleyan - Small urban
Colgate - Rural
Both socially and geographically, Colgate is very different to the other three.
How did you come up with this list?
How much can your parents afford?
That’ll be a key factor.
This looks like a list of the overlaps between LACs with both film and astronomy. There aren’t many! I’d lean towards Wesleyan for your intended majors. Pomona also has astronomy and a media studies major. If female add Smith and Barnard.
I know that my inability to pay for college is in fact gonna cost me but i am gonna have to take chance here. I would like to know how Colgate is different than the other three? Also, what sets each college apart?
I would like to avoid urban cities as a destination for college but destination is the least of my concerns.
I actually used college board website plus a lot of surveying to come down to these. Most of these was based on my choice of area of study, and financial aids available for international students. Although i really want to go to Dartmouth as it offers me all that i need and is also a college where i have always wanted to be, i don’t know if i’ll get selected there.
My parents are separated so my mom will sponsor me single-handedly. She can afford a maximum ( and it’s an exaggeration) of 20% of the tuition fees until or unless we find another way or if my dad steps in to offer.
Wesleyan seems to be the most rigid in offering financial aid even after you get selected. So i don’t know what to do…
Most, if not all, of the places on your list use the CSS Profile financial aid application, and will also require your father’s information as the Non-Custodial Parent. So communicate with him now. Let him know that completing the paperwork does not in any way obligate him to help you pay for your studies. If the NCP is required, your financial aid application will not be looked at until that has arrived.
If Dartmouth is your best for, apply there Ed and see among the four others which have ED2.
If Dartmouth is your first choice, then Colgate makes sense. It’s equally rural, has Greek life and is likewise part of a Division I NCAA athletic conference (most LACs are in Division III which has a much different vibe.) In fact, I’m pretty sure Colgate and Dartmouth play each other in many non-conference games.
Have you considered the Five College Consortium schools?
- They have film and astronomy
- You can take classes at any school once you're accepted into one
- Free bus service takes you from school to school.
Some excellent filmmakers have come out of Hampshire College. The surrounding colleges offer different film departments and astronomy departments.
I really think you need to consider your destination priority.
One of my children went to a school in a rural, farm area. Thankfully, her college had an awesome town attached to it. I don’t know what you’ve heard about US colleges and universities, but you need to be aware that destination makes a HUGE difference.
You NEED to get out of your room, every once in a while. There are always postings on this site that talk about how difficult it is for people to feel attached or to find friends. My same daughter was in this situation. This is not a unique situation. If there’s something entertaining, that can get your mind off of your academic coursework then you may need that diversion.
Also, most of the schools are on the Northeastern coast. There’s a lot of inclement weather (snow, freezing temperatures) that’ll affect your mood.
Internationals don’t have the luxury of worrying about location. They have to choose the colleges most likely to meet their need .
These are all excellent, selective schools.
Definitely add some matches and at least one safety if you are intent on studying in the US – in case the ED app doesn’t work out.
Colgate has a much bigger rah-rah sports scene (school spirit…), is more known for partying, and is generally seen as more pre-professional (and less intellectual…) than Vassar, Wes and Swat.
If you want to apply to more schools like Colgate in social/sports/academic/political feel, here are some. Unless otherwise noted, these are equally or less selective than Colgate:
- Dartmouth (more selective)
- Boston College
- Bucknell
- Lehigh
- Lafayette
- U of Richmond
- Wake Forest
- SMU
- Trinity College
- Union College
If you want to apply to more schools like Wes/Swat/Vassar, here are some:
- Brown (as selective as Swat, a little more than the other two)
- Pomona (as selective as Brown)
- Reed
- Grinnell
- Oberlin
- Kenyon
- Pitzer
- Hampshire
- Skidmore
- Bard
Check the NPC to see if some of these are affordable for you. There are reaches and matches listed (for high-stat applicants). For a safety, look at schools with admit rates over 50% where your stats are at or above the 75th percentile.
FYI – these were the ED admit rates for Swat, Wes, Vassar and Colgate according to the most recent info i could find:
Colgate: 50% (2016-17 CDS)
Swat: 33.75% (Source: 2016-17 CDS)
Vassar: 43.1% (2016-17 CDS)
Wes: 38.86% (Dec 2017 press release)
Here is a web page listing some of the schools with the most generous financial aid to international students:
https://lendedu.com/blog/international-students-financial-aid-study
@happymomof1 my father and we are not at all in good terms so is there any other way where he does not has to get involved in my application process. If it’s just about the details then i can fill them too.
@MYOS1634 But i don’t think so i’ll get in there. I have a 1390 SAT score (though i am thinking of applying for it again) and i am an above average student who scores about 80% (it can move up and down) aka A-grade to B+ -grade and sometimes A±grade.
I don’t know what greek life is or sororities or fraternities. I mean i might have a hint but not really sure about it. Anyone care to elaborate on that one? And how does colleges like dartmouth, colgate contrast wes, swat and the likes?
@Dustyfeathers i sure have heard about it but never really looked into it. Would like to know more about it. If it’s offering me my preferred areas of study and is willing to give financial aid to international students then i am up for it.
If i would have to base colleges on my preferred destination, then it would be somewhere very quiet and calm with minimum population and beautiful naturesque view. But unfortunately as @MYOS1634 said, i don’t have that luxury.
And how is Union College??
80% in what school system? In the US, it’s not very good. In Canada, it’s pretty good. In France, it’s outstanding.
Do retake the test if you can afford to.
If you want quiet and calm, then colleges where “Greek life” is big shouldn’t be your ED choice. “Greek” organizations are thus called because they have three Greek alphabet letters for their names, like Alpha Beta Omega or Upsilon Theta Gamma. They are social organizations. They may be more or less involved in charity actions but are often mostly loud groups for partying and having pre-selected friends. if you’ve seen films about college you’ve probably seen a scene with a fraternity party. They may have a huge house with a servant or a cook. The process to be admitted to one is called “pledging” and is under scrutiny at many universities due to student deaths. They cost a lot of money and in some colleges require you to find an alumnus or alumna to sponsor you, and may thus not be accessible to lower income international students. Some colleges have banned Greek life or never had it, whereas other colleges delight in having a very dynamic Greek life. Colleges like Grinnell, Notre Dame, or St Olaf don’t have Greek life, nor does Oberlin, whereas Washington&Lee, Colgate, or Dartmouth have a very big Greek Life, as would Union and Lehigh.
If you need to file the CSS Profile, and the NCP paperwork is required, your father’s paperwork must completed. Period. Some students do all of the data entry themselves from information that their parents provide for them, but there is quite a lot of detail, so you absolutely will need to be in full communication with your father at that time. And, as it is formally his paperwork, even if you are the one entering it into the system, he has to know what you are up to because he is the one responsible for the information. Otherwise it is as though you lied on the financial aid application, and that will get your admissions rejected.
So, if you don’t want your father involved at all, and you are determined to study in the US, you need to apply only to places where his financial information is not required. That means that you need to verify in advance that only the custodial parent’s information is needed (some CSS Profile institutions do not require the NCP paperwork), and/or apply to places where you would qualify for merit-based, rather than need-based aid.
For institutions that offer significant merit-based aid, check the threads on that topic at the top of the Financial Aid Forum. Some of the merit scholarships listed are open to international applicants. Many aren’t. You do need to check each institution listed for details.
That being said, if you have no idea where your father is and he’s not been in contact in several years (that also means no paying alimony), you can ask a doctor, principal, headteacher, or religious leaders to provide an affidavit to that effect. You’re not supposed to resurrect a deadbeat dad.
It seems to be that you haven’t researched enough - someone who considers Colgate one of their top choices should know all about Greek Life.
Colleges in the US all have very distinct personalities and are not a good fit for a lot of people. Go on to The Princeton Review or Niche or even the individual colleges websites and read through about each school you are considering to get a better feel for what each school and its students are like and what you want in a college.
Additionally, you’ve expressed that you don’t plan on applying to Dartmouth ED because you don’t think you would get in but don’t be fooled by the lack of brand name - Swarthmore is just as selective as Dartmouth.
@MYOS1634 80% in indian education system. I don’t know how to compare it with US education system.
As i said i do want a calm place but that’s not my concern right now. My major concern is the courses available and whether the college would offer me full need-based financial aid. Secondly, i will live on campus so i would need colleges that can offer me housing for all four years. Once these needs are met, then and then only i would add my preferences to the mix. So all my research has been based on these priorities where greek life or not matters less to me and academic excellence is what i have been looking for.
Will providing the affidavit release me from contacting my father?? If so then my one problem can be put to rest.
So which college would be most appropriate for me to apply for ED. And what these colleges look for in an individual, maybe i find myself fitting a college’s perspective of a student.