<p>I'm from Israel, almost 21, and applying to undergrad in the States. My academic stats are pretty decent (3.7 GPA, 112 on the TOEFL, probably between 2000-2200 on the SAT) and I have a lot of leadership experience, work experience, and EC activities. I'm very sociable, get along with everyone, and I like to have fun and party but I also want to be in a decent academic environment and around interesting people. I'm demonstrating a significant amount of financial need and applying to these schools, which offer quite a bit of aid to international students:
1. Bates
2. Bucknell
3. Claremont McKenna
4. Colby
5. Colgate
6. Davidson
7. Hamilton
8. Kenyon
9. Lafayette
10. Trinity
11. Union </p>
<p>any schools on the list you think I shouldn't apply to / any suggestions for more schools to look at? I want to apply ED to one of the schools. I'm strongly considering Union College. any other suggestions / thoughts?</p>
<p>Add Grinnell and Macalescter to your list. 12% of the student body at both schools is international because both schools put a lot of money into financial aid to attract these students. Your test scores would need to be closer to the 2200 than the 2000 end (Grinnell doesn’t look at your writing score) to get the maximum amt of aid.</p>
<p>Grinnell has an enormous endowment relative to most schools, and certainly much larger per student than any of those on this list, so they have the resources for state-of-the-art facilities, the smallest class sizes of any LAC and really excellent faculty mentoring. But you have to be happy living in a small college down in rural Iowa. The culture - quirky, unpretentious, understated, intellectual, liberal - is pervasive, so you need to make sure it’s a good fit.</p>
<p>thanks for the response. I’ve considered both schools, however from what i’ve read, they are not ‘fun’ schools to go to - i talked to students from both and they said that the environment is very academic and not very fun…</p>
<p>Look, we can’t tell you where to apply ED. Your ED school must be your ABSOLUTE first-choice because you can’t back out if you get accepted. Only you can decided where you want to go. Good luck!
And P.S. Most ED dates are over, so I hope you mean EDII.</p>
<p>Schools that are ED and give lots of aid to int’ls aren’t usually known as “fun”. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that schools that meet need will still want your parents info even tho you’re 21…and if your parents are divorced, many of these schools will want both parents’ financial info (including the info of their current spouses’).</p>
<p>I indeed meant ED2. I know that they’ll want my financial info, im working on the CSS and the ISFAA… I think that many schools on my list are fun - CMC, trinity, union, colgate, kenyon - i heard very good things about them but its hard coming down to just one…</p>
<p>Agree with Audrey. ED should be used only at that one dream school above all others. It’s a looooong time from December to September to make such a commitment to a school that you only “like” at the moment; there’s plenty of time to regret the decision. Decide in late April instead, when you’ve had time to research many schools.</p>
<p>Granted, students at Grinnell have a reputation for working harder on average than at the schools on your list, although it’s always a range at every schools. </p>
<p>Since these are small, and sometimes rural, schools, make sure you are okay with the dominant culture. It will be hard to escape. Bates and Colby are quite preppy for example. Davidson is at the more conservative end of the top LAC spectrum socially and politically. Some of these schools have a strong frat presence and/or a strong drinking culture, which can be a plus or a minus depending on your own tastes. Make sure you do your homework before you commit EDII to any of these places.</p>
<p>To me, Union would be the least fun of the schools on your list. It’s in a boring place and has lots of engineering majors!</p>
<p>As someone said above, there’s a huge difference in where you’ll get in with aid with a 2000 and with a 2200. Will you have the score before you apply?</p>
<p>With a 2000 Union sounds like the right level of school, with a 2200 I’d try CMC or Colgate.</p>
<p>The other thing that concerns me is your going to a small, remote school as a 21 year old. Most of these schools are dominated by 18 year old silliness.</p>
<p>*The other thing that concerns me is your going to a small, remote school as a 21 year old. Most of these schools are dominated by 18 year old silliness. *</p>
<p>I don’t think going to any remote/rural college is a good idea for this student. From his other posts on other threads, he clearly wants a spirited campus, frats, rah rah, pretty girls, party atmosphere on the weekends. I don’t see how going to techie schools, LACs, and/or rural small schools are going to be what he wants.</p>
<p>thanks for the responses. i will know my SAT score before applying, however, im not really expecting a 2200. its probably more likely that itll be between 2000 and 2120 id say… that being said, my EC are really strong and i have a lot of leadership experience. i also got the impression that not a lot of middle eastern students apply so that might be a hook for me.
mom2collegekids - you’re absolutely right, minus the part about a rural school - i don’t mind if a school is remote, as long as life on campus is fun and engaging. furthermore, Union, Bucknell, Kenyon, and Colgate are all ranked top party schools. its obviously nothing like a big school, but i’ll be happy enough with that. id love to hear your thoughts!</p>
<p>I think the one thing I’d warn you about is the commitment of ED. Essentially, you are deciding what college to go to now if you get in, and it is a binding commitment. You also have to make sure you can afford the school, because you are obligated to accept their offer.</p>
<p>So, ED really isn’t binding unless that family is determined to have 100% need and the student is given a super generous aid package that covers everything.</p>
<p>ED was always intended for applying to the number one choice, the dream school. So when the student receives the FA offer, that hasn’t changed; the student still wants to attend, and the offer is either affordable or not, so the student will commit or not (pardon the tautologies ). The percentage of need is irrelevant.</p>
<p>With ED, the student and school are done early; the choice is made. SCEA still drags it out to May 1 (generally).</p>
). The percentage of need is irrelevant.</p>