Help for an international! Please!..

<p>Are there any internationals out there? According to the college board.. only 46 are receiving aid at Swat.. so I assume they give aid to around 10-12 internationals each year.. What does it take to get in on aid for an international? Many thanks!</p>

<p>53% of Swat's international students receive need-based aid. That's a slightly higher percentage than the 49% of overall student body receiving aid. However, the average aid for internationals is very high: $38,560 per year.</p>

<p>Virtually all financial aid at Swarthmore is need-based. International students qualify the same way as domestic students: submitting an admissions application and the required financial forms (details are on the Swat website).</p>

<p>If you want more information, the best thing would be to e-mail the international admissions director and/or the financial aid office directly after reviewing the information for international applicant on the website. If we are talking about applying next year, I would wait until June to e-mail your questions. The admissions office and financial aid office is obviously swamped for the next month or so working with the students who were just accepted this week.</p>

<p>But the admission rate for internationals needing aid is just around 5%.. compared to 10% at Vassar or 15% at Oberlin.. that's really low.. what can I do to increase my chances.. it's my absolute first choice! My dream!..</p>

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But the admission rate for internationals needing aid is just around 5%..

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<p>I'm not sure where you are finding that data, but it sounds plausible. The last firm data I've seen for Swat international admissions was in 2001, when Swarthmore said that the overall acceptance rate for internationals was 7.6%.</p>

<p>Swarthmore is defintely harder to get into than Vassar and Oberlin. All three are fine schools.</p>

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what can I do to increase my chances.. it's my absolute first choice!

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<p>Same thing as any student trying to increase the chances.</p>

<p>a) Learn as much as you can about Swarthmore and use that information to prepare the best possible application, showing how your interests intersect with specific aspects of the Swarthmore community. Read the student newspaper (The Phoenix). Read the Daily Gazette everyday. Learn about everything that relates to your interests both academically and extracurriculars. Watch the videos. Listen to the student produced War News Radio podcasts. The more you know about the school, the better job you will do on your application.</p>

<p>b) Apply early decision. Sounds strange for someone who needs financial aid, but what have you got to lose? International admissions is not need-blind, so if they accept you, they are willing to pick up the financial aid tab. If they aren't willing to offer the aid, they won't accept you.</p>

<p>I got the data from the colleges' websites.. it should be around that..</p>

<p>I'll apply ED.. regarding ED.. I'll try my reachest (dream) school.. and that's most likely Swat..</p>

<p>I'm trying to link myself to Swat for my Why Swat essay already..</p>