Do I have a chance as an International Applicant that needs aid?

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>I'll post the stuff from my Chance Thread here, but I'm just wondering if I have a shot at being accepted as an international that needs financial aid. If you guys have any suggestions for colleges that give aid to Internationals, it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks for looking at my thread! I'll explain my situation before I start with stats and stuff. I'm an Indian that was born in India. My family got really lucky and received American visas, so we moved to the United States. We have been attempting to become citizens for the past 13-14 years, but circumstances outside of our control kept us from receiving it. We're still in the process now. I've spoken to several of my schools about this, but I wanted to make you guys aware in case it changes my chances at all.</p>

<p>Tl;dr: poor Indian international that has lived in the US for most of his life without becoming a citizen. </p>

<p>Stats:
•SAT: 2140
•ACT: 35, second try.
•GPA: 4.0, unweighted scale.
•Rank: 1/260ish
•AP: 4 - US History. Taking AP Calc this year. My school only offers 3 ap courses.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
•Math Club - President, founding member. I have won several regional and state awards in math competitions through the club, and I want to give back to the community this year with the club.
•Chess Club Member - Our school has a casual Chess club, and I'm currently ranked at the top. Not sure if this is worth anything.
•Gay-Straight Alliance - member, I mostly just listen to their discussions and I participate in their fundraisers.
•Student Council - Representative. This is my first year as a rep.
•NHS - member. I just participate in their events.
•Math Tutor - I tutor for my high school and the public library. I have about 400 hours worth of tutoring students that vary from elementary school kids to adults.
•LIT at the Boys' and Girls' Club - Worked as a volunteer for the boys and girls club, roughly 500 hours of community service.
•Other miscellaneous community service - 50 hours. Worked for library, ROTC, some other stuff.</p>

<p>Awards:
•Questbridge College Prep Scholar
•Collegiate Blog Mentorship Scholarship winner
•Mohave Electric Coop Youth Tour winner-won a trip to DC.
•Some other small local awards</p>

<p>•Income: Low, around 30000.</p>

<p>Other
•My school is in a rural area, and it receives little funding. We have around a 50% dropout rate, and very few students go to high-end universities.
•My extracurriculars may seem a bit all over the place, but I absolutely love Math Club, and I talk about it a lot in my applications.
•I'm applying through Questbridge.</p>

<p>•Intended Major: Physics and/or Math</p>

<p>Schools I'm currently interested in:
Vanderbilt (my top choice)
Pomona
Amherst
Bowdoin
Tufts University
Northwestern
UChicago
Yale
Colgate
Colby
Hamilton
Washington and Lee</p>

<p>Please feel free to give me suggestions! </p>

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<p>Do you have a permanent resident card? </p>

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<p>I don’t think he is.
OP. I think all of them are reaches due to you being an international student who needs a FA. While your scores are nice and ECs are good enough if you were a CITIZEN, there are many other students who will have similar stats applying to those schools. </p>

<p>You need to look in schools that offer OOS waiver for certain GPA and SAT/ACT. For example, U of Alabama offers OOS tuition waiver if you have ACT 32+/SAT 1400(math+CR) and GPA 3.5, which you have already.</p>

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<p>Do I not have a chance at all? Is there no use in applying to those schools? </p>

<p>I have a few safeties in mind. UT Austin will give me their AES Scholarship, and I think I can afford to pay the other costs. I also found some other full rides, but I really, really don’t want to go to those schools unless I have to. Is my application really that mediocre? I though I had some chance of getting in, considering my stats and my situation. </p>

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<p>I also don’t have a permanent resident card. </p>

<p>I believe that Amherst is need blind to all applicants, and I’ve heard that Pomona is need blind to internationals that live in the U.S. Is this the case? If so, do you think I can get in? </p>

<p>I know that it’s tough to get in as an International, but I thought I still had a shot. </p>

<p>Also, I think I’ve seen you on Facebook, Paul! </p>

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<p>

H-1B visa?</p>

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<p>You DO have chance.</p>

<p>Pomona is need blind to those who finished HS in US, and Amherst is need blind. Sorry I didn’t see thos
Your numerical stats are fine, but I am afraid that ECs are good but not spectacular enough. I have seen many other international students with similar or better records, but ending up getting 24 rejections. Can you elaborate on your math awards?</p>

<p>“I also found some other full rides, but I really, really don’t want to go to those schools unless I have to.”</p>

<p>Well you don’t have choice do you? At the end, the cost is the biggest factor of your decision. </p>

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<p>We came here on an EB-2 Visa. We’re in the process of receiving permanent residency right now. </p>

<p>I finished high school in the U.S. All of my schooling has been in the US. </p>

<p>My Math awards are mostly regional awards from County Math competitions. Nothing major. I’m from a very rural and poor area. I didn’t have the opportunities that some students have. Will they not take that into consideration? I heard that both my regional and International admissions supervisors read my application, so I thought that would be of some help. </p>

<p>I know… Sorry. I don’t mean to sound spoiled or anything. Sometimes it just seems like I’m punished for something out of my control. I guess the only thing I can do is try my hardest on those applications. </p>

9

<p>Yes, but it will still be a stiff competition.</p>

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<p>You may have to reach lower ranking schools just on the safe side. Look at those automatic scholarship schools starting with Alabama. I am not saying you have no chance with your list, but you have to have some safeties.</p>

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<p>also Clark University’s LEEP scholarship and UNC Chapel Hill’s Robertson</p>

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<p>I have some safeties in mind, but I’ll add those to my list. </p>

<p>Do you guys know what forms I have to fill out for my situation? I know the CSS PROFILE is a given, and I can also submit my parents’ tax returns. Also, we have social security numbers, so I can fill out the FAFSA if necessary. I’ve also heard of some “International Certification of Finances,” thing? </p>

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<p>You have to fill in CSS profiles unless specifically mentioned otherwise in a college’s website.
For example, Uchiago requires ISFAA, not CSS profile.
ICF is required by some colleges, but not many.</p>

<p>How do you guys have SSN?</p>

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<p>It’s a long story, Paul. We were really close to getting our permanent residency through an employment based visa a while ago. We got our SSNs through that. The company my dad was working for went bankrupt, though, so we couldn’t get residency through that visa anymore. My Mom got a new job and filed for residency, and that’s the one we’re waiting on right now. The SSN just carried over from the last time we tried to get permanent residency. </p>

<p>I think that’s right. Sorry, immigration law isn’t really my forte. </p>

<p>Also, my immigration lawyer said that I can apply for DACA, so do you think I should do that? Can I do work study with DACA? </p>

<p>Our situation is really weird. Sorry if this is confusing. I don’t completely understand it myself. </p>

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<p>No, you cannot do DACA. DACA is only for those who are undocumented, which I think you are not… Are you? </p>

<p>Before anything, you need to discuss with your parents about your legal status and what you can do.
YOU are the one going to college; you should be aware of your legal status, what you can do and cannot do. </p>

<p>Even though you have SSN, I still am not sure whether you are eligible for FAFSA…you have to have specific types of visa to be eligible for FAFSA, like political asylum, human trafficking victim, etc.(something that makes you stay here against your will)</p>

<p>What is your legal status?</p>

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<p>I thought I saw some where that Vassar is need blind for internationals if the applicant is a US HS graduate.</p>

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<p>BTW, U Chicago is NOT need blind for internationals except Canada.</p>

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<p>I spoke to my parents about this, and they said that I’m on an I-485 and that we’re technically undocumented. Okay, I’ll explain this in a bit more detail. </p>

<p>So, my family applied through the EB-1. The visa expired. However, we made claims for permanent residency, so we can’t be deported. This also means that we’re technically undocumented, since our visa expired. Because of that, I can apply for DACA. That’s why I’m considering it. I hope that makes things more clear. </p>

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<p>We’re in a very weird situation. I haven’t seen anyone online in a similar situation. </p>

<p>Also, I’ll add Vassar to the list! Thanks. </p>

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<p>Artloversplus that s not true.
Thats for Pomona, not Vassar.
I would have been accepted or waitlisted if that were true…</p>