Good Linguistics undergrad program/Financial aid/ Chances of getting into college?

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>hello everybody!
this is my situation: I'm an Italian high school student with two years of high school left. in 2009/2010 (come back 2 months ago) I was an exchange student in Maine for a year, where I attended John Bapst Memorial High School, a very good private high school, with great grades (all A's) and praises from every teacher.
In Italy, I attend a language high school, which is not giving me good math knowledge, but of course it has a good english and french program. I speak English fluently (mainly because of my year in the US) and French almost fluently. I've also had very good grades in every subject so far (hopefully the next years too).
Now, I really want to attend college in the US, and I'm thinking about studying Linguistics. so I've been checking college board, this website, and other websites to get an idea of what colleges offer a good Linguistics program. Obviously the best colleges are all in the list, and even if I tried really hard applying, I frankly doubt I would get accepted, because:
1. I don't think I'm good enough for them
2. they're extremely hard to get into even for Americans
3. they require way too much extracurricular stuff that I don't have (in Italy it's not common to do volunteering work, and sports, art, music, clubs just don't exist in our school system)
4. the application is way too freaking confusing
5. their tuition is very expensive and in many cases they don't offer good financial aid.</p>

<p>so I'm kinda desperate. my American high school counselor said she would help me and write a reference letter, and I'm definitely gonna ask her help, but she's just not gonna be able to help me as she would help a student in her school.
so maybe I'm a little overwhelmed right now and it sounds like I'm complaining a lot, but I really just want some advice...
I know I said that I think I'm not good enough for a good college, but given that I've had very good grades here and in america, do you think I have a decent chance of getting into a good college? of course I'm interested some that offer a good linguistics undergrad program, and if they offer fin aid for intl students that would be great!</p>

<p>thank you a lot for your help =)</p>

2

<p>A good place for you to start is by visiting the website of [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) Then you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There are three in Italy. [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Italy]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Italy) These people are expert at helping students from Italy find good places to study in the US.</p>

<p>Which exchange program did you participate in? If you stay in touch with other “returnees”, you will be able to get more ideas about colleges/universities that you can apply to in the US.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

3

<p>Do you need merit aid or would your family qualify for need based aid? What are your grades and have you taken the SATs?</p>

4

<p>thank you happymomof!</p>

<p>I didn’t take the SATs. I was going to during my year in America, but they said that I wasn’t in the school system so I couldn’t take it at school, I should have paid and taken it another day. At the time I didn’t know I needed it for college, I thought the toefl was enough (silly me!).
My grades in Italy have been good so far, all A’s and a B in phys ed, but of course I can’t really predict how my last two years are gonna be but I guess all A’s and B’s. In America I had all A’s.
About fin aid, the thing is that my family could technically afford all the expenses, but it would leave us with nothing. Also I have another brother who’s going to college here in Italy, he doesn’t work and lives with us. So if we wanted to keep up living decently, then no, we couldn’t cover all the expenses.</p>