Help with selecting colleges

College Search & Selection
1

I am an international student who took a gap year (not exactly, I enrolled in a college but dropped out after 3 months) and am back applying to US colleges. Choosing colleges has been very, very tough and if I could get some help it would be of invaluable help.
Now, let me start with my requirements:

  • I am confused about what I want to major in, but want the following majors to be present - Business/finance/accounting(not necessary for the Ivy league/highly selective ones, as if I’m getting in :P) and economics.
    Other subjects that are offered, as minors if not majors - Maths, computer science, international relations
  • I can spend Max 15k/year on college and related expenses, that places me as to requiring 80%+ financial aid and that’s non negotiable.
  • I’m looking to having a shot at employment after I graduate, have no intentions of going on for research/further study other than an MBA 5/6 years down the line.
  • Am looking to enroll in a course where I can take a large variety of courses along with my major. Or where I can easily do a double major, for eg: one Business degree and one liberal arts or a double major in Business and Computer Science
  • Unless I get into a top school, I’m looking for places where the cost of living is not that high, for aforementioned financial reasons.
  • I’m looking for a fantastic college experience, which involves getting awed by professors, engaging in active discussion with my peers, doing stimulating projects, assignments and researches, getting involved in a number of societies and sports, taking classes in a number of fields, partying, but to a small extent, making life-long friends, being exposed to the opportunities that the American College System provides in it’s entirety.

About me:

  • I’m an extrovert who loves talking and getting to know people and have never had problems making friends.
  • I a romantic, in every sense of the word, and look forward to surreal experiences, which may actually be normal for others, doing stuff like laying on the grass reading, traipsing down large staircases with a high roof ceiling, you get the hang, right?
  • I’m a very hard-worker and idealist. Even if a class is being taken non-seriously by the rest of the students, I will try my best to be interested and do everything the professor asks for. I want top grades in everything, even if it’s bowling.
  • The professor/teacher has a huge influence on my college experience. They absolutely have to be devoted and inspiring.
  • I revel in finding out about and doing new stuff, and there’s a high chance that if there’s a conversation going on about any topic under the sun, I’ll be able to contribute.
  • I want to be a part of everything, want a little bit of everything, am highly indecisive and can’t usually prioritize.

My Stats:
Academic:

  • 3.792 GPA in Grade 12 final nation-wide examinations.
  • 3.424 in Grade 11 internals. Mainly because of Maths.
    Subjects for 11 & 12 - English, Business Studies, Economics, Maths and Accountancy. In my country you have to choose streams and this is the most challenging combination in the Commerce streams.
  • 4 GPA in both grade 9 & 10.
    Subjects - Sanskrit, English, Maths, Science(Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and Social Studies(History, Political Science, Geography). Also had grades for Painting and Computer Science, both top.
  • SAT Scores - 2270, CR + M - 740 + 800 = 1540
  • Will take 2 Subject tests in Jan Math 2 and one more(either Physics or World History)
  • Ranked 1st in grade 12 in my School and City.
  • Ranked 3rd in grade 11 in school.
  • Consistently got School level gold and silver medals in English, Cyber and Science Olympiads. Cyber Olympiad International Rank 7, English Olympiads, City rank <50.

ECs:

  • Won a national level debating tournament.
  • Won Best Speaker at the above tournament.
  • House Vice Captain in Grade 10, House Captain in Grade 11, School Captain in Grade 12 (I changed schools in Grade 11).
  • Valedictorian.
  • Started 9 clubs in my school, was the head of the EC Clubs Council.
  • Started my own school’s MUN which was preceded by me organizing and overseeing a group of 16 students on a MUN to another City, the first in our school’s history.
  • Part of the Quiz team of the school, went for a number of Regional Quizzes.
  • Part of the soccer team for three years (9, 10, 11)
  • Trekking in the hills, rock-climbing/rappelling, scuba-diving, sailing, sculling, sea-surfing.
  • Did a series of street-plays to raise awareness about the current issues in society in a town.
  • Acted in a couple of theatrical productions.
  • Organized a fest in my school.
  • Have traveled all over the country owing to my military background and can understand a number of regional languages. Also did a lot of traveling, camping and trekking in my gap year.
  • A number of school level debates, quizzes, elocution, extempore etc wins.
  • Have had articles published in a national magazine, couple of newspapers and the school magazine every year.
  • Started a system of counseling in my school because a number of students were battling issues, a student was even killed.
  • Gave official motivational talks to juniors and classmates alike.
  • Held tutorials for classmates, approved by my teachers.
  • Worked for 4 college fests in my gap year, getting sponsors, organizing events, creating events etc.

Work Experience:

  • Worked for AIESEC.
  • Interned under the marketing head of a a year old start-up for 3 months.
  • Interned at the accountancy department of a manufacturing factory for a month.
  • Worked the cash register at a canteen for a month (paid).

Volunteer:

  • Organized a donation drive in my town, inviting people to donate books, stationery, clothes etc.
  • Took regular evening classes for the children who went to underdeveloped Government schools for a year.
  • Worked for a women empowerment NGO, teaching them how to make stuff like ornaments, baskets etc to sell and helped market their wares.
  • Held a bake sale to donate to an animal shelter.
  • Started an environmental awareness campaign in my town. Along with my friends, swept the entire town after a festival called ‘Diwali’.

Essays:
Haven’t got to writing them, but I am confident about them, but will have a problem choosing which topic to write upon, maybe you all could help.

Recommendations:
Glowing recommendations from:
Principal (doubling up as counselor, school doesn’t have one)
Economics teacher
Accountancy Teacher
Marketing Head at Startup
College Fest In-charge (Should I include this?)
Also, since none of my volunteer work came under an organization, whom could I take a recommendation from?

That’s it. I know it’s a lot of words, I hope you all can help me out.

TL;DR Read the first few lines and help me find a college.

Thanks a ton in advance.

2

OP, I assume this ‘Bollywood resume’ is a joke. It reeks of bogus. If it makes me question the veracity of even achievements that may be real and substantive, you can imagine how college admins are going to view it.

Bake sale for the animal shelter? Seriously?!

3

Ummm. It’s all real. Maybe I’ve made it too flowery.
Maybe you can tell me what all parts to cut out.
I’m not a pro at this, so please don’t take that tone with me. If you want to help out, great, else, refrain.

4

What the post is trying to tell you is that you are not coming across as an organized person with a passion/clear interest. Organize your resume so that a clear picture of you is in the forefront. There is just too much stuff in the way and ad coms will not have the patience to wade through the mess.

5

Also, your tone is pretentious at times. Be humble- it goes a long way. Talk about what you love but in a way that shows not “tells”.

6

For example if you want to come across as a humanitarian then organize the resume as such. Do not include everything. It detracts. Or if you want to come across as an artist then do the same. Or as an environmentally conscious student, same thing. Get the drift?

7

Also, you are an international that needs a lot of need based financial aid. This puts you at a serious disadvantage as very few colleges give need based aid to internationals. Those are the very selective colleges. Are you Asian? From India? You will have a very strong pool to compete with.

Look at lower tier colleges or LAC’s with low Asian student population where your stats out you on top of the pool.

8

I’m not sure if being a college dropout makes you a freshman or transfer student. It’s very difficult for either to get aid at US colleges. As an international, you’ll need money for travel and health insurance. If your max is truly $15k, I think it will be very difficult to find an affordable college.

If you are able to find an affordable school, don’t plan on staying in the US after graduation. Spots are limited and competition is very tough. Make sure wherever you go makes you employable in your home country.

9

@goingnutsmom I know that I don;t show a clear interest, mainly because like I mentioned, I like doing a bit of everything.I do have one major passion, that is social service through making the less-fortunate more aware, through educating their kids, doing street-plays etc. I am also an environmental conservationist enthusiast.
Maybe I can focus on this via my ECs? Can you tell me what all I should consider eliminating?

I apologise if my tone came across as pretentious. I am not a braggart and went overboard in listing everything and anything that I’ve done over the last 4 years.

Yes, I’m an Indian male, I will look at lower tier LACs but am inclined to not pursue those since the lower I go, the more chance there is that Indian employers will not recognise my education/college.

@austinmshauri I have checked up with many Universities and all of them said that since I didn’t gain any credits before I dropped out, I should apply as a freshman. W.r.t you other points, I guess you’re right. It’s tough making the decision to go to the US for college, especially since it will become tough to find a job here in India and even tougher to stay in the US and work there.

10

Target LACs in the Midwest and South, plus public universities with generous financial aid. Then add LACs in rural areas.
You MUST get your application in to University of Alabama Tuscaloosa today or tomorrow, since you AUTOMATICALLY qualify for a full tuition scholarship based on GPA and SAT score, but you need to do that quickly since the deadline is Tuesday!
Same thing for Temple, University of Miami Ohio, perhaps apply to ASU Barrett.

11

Too bad about the lower tier schools because that is where you are likely to get merit based aid based on your stats. For internationals, very few schools give out financial aid.

12

Most Indian employers won’t recognize LACs, they may confuse Amherst with Umass Amherst, for instance. You could always attach a copy of the Fiske Guide to your transcript. It doesn’t matter. What will matter to them is what internships/OPT you get. You can email each college’s career center and ask what assistance they provide students on F1 visas wrt securing CPTs/OPTs, or what success their F1 students have in securing CPTs and OPTs in addition to on-campus jobs.