So yeah, I am a LI, FG Asian who is applying to Top 10 and planning to major in Economics. Only one of my EC is related to STEM while the rest are leadership, community service, and entrepreneurship.
Does being a low-income, first generation, non-Stem Asian balance out the disadvantage of being ORM?
Your application will have to speak for itself. First gen is helpful, as long as its really first gen. One now gone poster used to brag that his dau claimed she was first gen when in reality she was first gen US educated for undergrad. The poster had an undergrad IT degree form overseas and a grad degree from a US school. He was not honest. And he bragged about it. Not saying you are doing this- just saying what that poster claimed as “first gen” was a bold faced lie.
Top ten universities, or top ten LACs? Going by your user name, it’s hard to know. To answer the question, if you are applying to HYPSM, the fact that you are first generation might be helpful to you. If you are applying to top LACs, it is also possible that being first gen and Asian might be more helpful than being ORM. Without all the rest of the package, it’s not a boost. Your major is irrelevant, IMO. Freshaman change majors all the time.
Like everyone else you should cast a wide net for your applications – there are tons of amazing schools out there. The top universities and LACs do not have enough space to accept all of the qualified candidates.
And agree with @Lindagaf – for most colleges your major isn’t an important consideration in the evaluation of your application – admission officer understand that students are free to change majors once they are in the school (I’ve heard admission officers say that about half of the people who come in with a designated major end up switching).
And being low income generally isn’t a plus as you will need significant aid in order to attend.
Your best bets would be Wellesley, Carleton, Davidson.
However odds remain overwhelmingly against you like for everyone.
Note that economics is very much in demand - it’s not like you’re applying to anthropology or East Asian studies, or even development economics. So economics is not an advantage even at the places where major is factored in (and most places don’t).
Being lower income helps as long as you’re in range.
Are you applying through Questbridge?
All in all it’s important for you to have a balanced list with 2 affordable safeties and several affordable matches. Run NPC 's before you look further into any school.
@MYOS1634 I already got accepted to Williams ED, but they allowed me to apply RD to other schools because their fin aid package was a lot lower than the net price calculator estimate. Hence I did not apply to W, C, or D because they offer smaller fin aid packages than the bigger schools.
Also, does being Southeast Asian(Vietnamese) separate me from the more overrepresented countries like China, Japan, and Korea?
Not really. It’s not a zero effect and tippy top schools do look for diversity within their admitted students, but all in all it’s be negligible.
Plus, you’ re not Vietnamese, right? You had Chinese grandparebts who lives to Vietnam before moving to the US, that’s not quite the same.
Has Williams allowed you to hold onto your ED spot while applying elsewhere rather than seeing how your financial aid package can be improved?
I don’t think your financial aid package would be substantially better at many other universities than at Williams - do outside know what happened? What did the NPC say and what offer did you get for real?
So, you’re a senior - can you list where exactly you applied, where you’ve been admitted, with what financial aid package?
IMHO it’s all splitting hairs, but yes a less-represented Asian country helps ever so slightly. I’m guessing your mention of Economics was to point out you don’t fit the Asian stereotype.
Are you an international applicant? In that case FinAid is very unpredictable. I didn’t know you could even use the NPC.
If you are American, Williams has excellent need based aid, so I doubt that would be better elsewhere, but merit aid, I don’t know.
First gen & low income may slightly counterbalance being Asian, at tippy top schools. Look at each school’s CDS section C7 to see the weight they give various factors in admissions decisions.
Congratulations on your admit to Williams & I hope you’re able to find an affordable option.
Thought I’m Jewish not Asian, and it was over 35 years ago, being low-income and first generation is the only explanation I can see why I was accepted to MIT when so many of my classmates with better stats were not. At the time I had no idea these were factors and I thought it was a clerical error, though I’m still not ruling out the possibility that it was a clerical error.
A less represented Asian country can help, but not overcome anything your app is lacking.
If the aid from Williams is less than the NPC, do you know why? Is there a family business or something else,like a divorce? And the top colleges have been looking for qualified low income kids for some time. But it’s not magic.
@alooknac I am a domestic applicant and even though a lot of colleges say they meet 100% demonstrated needs, they all have different ways to calculate what the demonstrated needs are. Hence I only applied to schools that give out a NPC number that is lower than Williams’
@MYOS1634 Kinda late but that is not me. I am 100% authentic Vietnamese.
It just seems that you must have a special financial circumstance if Williams FA offer is too low. I know that schools do their calculations differently but I’ve done extensive FinAid research & comparisons & for standard-issue LI students, Williams ranks as one of the best. If you have some unusual circumstance, other NPCs will not necessarily be accurate. I guess you will find out before too long.
Owning a business, being divorced, etc., are not actually “unusual” but they are enough to throw off the NPC.
Also keep in mind when comparing offers that Williams pays for your books & study abroad. One merit scholarship my D got, could not be used abroad, something she had her heart set on, and which was out of the question without FinAid.