<p>I hate people who discourage you based on false information.</p>
<p>Taken directly from the Harvard website:</p>
<p>"Harvard is strongly committed to making educational opportunity accessible to all. All financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need, and Harvard meets 100 percent of each family’s demonstrated need. About 70 percent of Harvard undergraduates receive financial aid.</p>
<p>The financial aid policies for foreign citizens are exactly the same as those for U.S. citizens. All aid is need-based, and admissions decisions are made without regard to whether an applicant has applied for financial assistance.</p>
<p>Students who are not United States or Canadian citizens or permanent residents should complete the “Financial Statement for Students from Foreign Countries.” If you do not have a copy of this form, please request one from our office or download the forms from the Financial Aid Office website.This form must be completed by all incoming students who are not United States or Canadian citizens or permanent residents, whether or not they plan to apply for financial aid. Without complete information and appropriate certification, Harvard cannot issue visa documents.</p>
<p>For more information, please refer to the Financial Aid Office Website. "</p>
<p>Taken from the Yale website:</p>
<p>“Yale is strongly committed to equality of opportunity. Its need-blind admissions policy extends to international students and ensures that the College will be accessible to all candidates from any part of the world who show great academic and personal promise. As such, the financial aid policies for foreign citizens are exactly the same as those for U.S. citizens. An application for financial aid will have no bearing on the Admissions Committee’s decisions, and Yale will meet 100% of the demonstrated need of any candidate admitted. Awards combine gift assistance and term-time employment. The student’s family will be expected to contribute funds to the extent that it can, and the student must make sure that these funds can be withdrawn from his or her country. International financial aid forms are available on the Financial Aid Web site.”</p>
<p>Next time, try not to be totally disheartening for the poor guy without doing your research.</p>
<p>To OP, apply there. There’s no harm in applying, you might even get in. There’s no point in asking people on these boards because most of them don’t know anything about your country’s education system. Having lived in India, I recognize how tough those schools are, and, seeing as schools like Harvard probably receive hundreds of applicants from India/Pakistan, I’m sure they know the schooling system there as well. Being top 2% of your class (assuming you’re in a private school), is really good.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would apply. I’m not saying you’ll get in, but you’re never going to know if you don’t apply. Frankly, asking for a chance here is usually like asking one of your friends to chance you; nobody who visits this thread will be an admissions officer, and be able to tell you whether you’ll get in or not. All it does it lower your self-esteem, and God knows you don’t need that. I, unfortunately, learned that the hard way.</p>
<p>Oh, and to the other people who commented in this thread: Don’t tell anybody to give up. That’s the most a**hole-ish thing you can do. Are you an admissions officer? Do you make the decisions? Have you seen who else has applied as an international students? How are you so quick to make a decision? And don’t give me crap about stats, because we all recognize that schools like Harvard can accept what may seem to you the most unqualified applicants.</p>
<p>Oh, and</p>
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<p>Are you kidding me? No seriously. Are you joking? I realize that it’s a hyperbole, but that’s simply a moronic claim.</p>