<p>I live in Puerto Rico, always have, and I was wondering if you guys could suggest some colleges that might suit me.
I'm a female, caucasian, and a Senior this fall. Spanish is my first language but I'm pretty adept at English. I want to choose a college from the Mid-Atlantic or New England region, but I would consider some in the South too. I have a 4.00 GPA and ranked in the top 3% of my class. My SAT's scores are 620CR 600M 590W, essay 8/12. I'm not sure what my major will be, but I want to study Foreign Languages and Literatures, English Lit, or cultures of different countries. I really need a college that can provide a lot of financial aid, since I have no money to pay for the tuition.</p>
<p>Are Puerto Ricans considered internationals? This is something you should look into, as American colleges typically don't offer aid to international students. </p>
<p>That said, if money is important, your best bet would be to look at inexpensive state colleges, such as UConn, Vermont, UMass, etc.</p>
<p>No, Puerto Ricans have USA citizenship.</p>
<p>Well I I wouldnt reccommend this school due to tuition to someone heavily in need but again ur stats make it different:</p>
<ul>
<li>The University of Miami (Coral Gables, Fl) could be a possiblity. Good school and chance for a nice scholarship and financial aid. Look into it. any questions just ask me ill be happy to answer.</li>
</ul>
<p>You need to estimate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) first, to determine whether you are eligible for need-based aid. Most families find that they are expected to contribute about double the amount that they feel able to. All schools give need-based aid, but not all give merit aid. If you choose a school where you can get both, it will be best. Most state schools only give merit aid to those from the state, but I think that they can give need-based aid to out-of-state people since it is federal aid. Private schools that give a lot of aid are your best bet.</p>
<p>I recommend U of Maryland in College Park which seems to attract a lot of Latino/Hispanic/Puerto Rican students.</p>
<p>A state school, like UMD, for which you are an out of state student, is not likely to meet your financial need. You might go on a site, like the collegeboard's, and look at the % of financial need met. I would look at schools that meet 100% of need (as close to that as possible). I would make sure that their average loan/grant ratio is as close to 20/80 as possible. You could qualify for merit aid at your match and safety schools, but that more than likely won't cover the bill. If a school costs 40,000 and they offer you 12k in merit aid, you still need to find 28k/year! I think looking at schools that meet your financial need, if your EFC is really low, is the way to go. JMO. BTW, if your efc is not low, and your parents don't want to contribute, then colleges won't offer a financial package that you are looking for. Make sure that you have some affordable options on your list (sit down with your parents and gc to make sure that you do).</p>
<p>schools with at least 2 Puerto Rican students in the freshman class</p>
<p>school, number of Puerto Rican students in the recent freshman class (IPEDS)</p>
<p>Syracuse University 40
Iowa State University 19
Boston College 15
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Main Campus 12
University of Pennsylvania 11
Purdue University-Main Campus 11
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 10
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus 8
Marquette University 8
Georgetown University 7
Tufts University 7
Fordham University 7
New York University 7
Harvard University 6
American University 6
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6
Saint Louis University-Main Campus 6
Cornell University 6
University of Miami 5
George Washington University 4
University of Chicago 4
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 4
Johns Hopkins University 4
Brown University 4
Ohio State University-Main Campus 3
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3
University of Georgia 2
Yale University 2
Princeton University 2
Indiana University-Bloomington 2
University of Notre Dame 2
Washington University in St Louis 2
University of Virginia-Main Campus 2
Lehigh University 2</p>
<p>If what you are hoping for is to get your tuition, room, board, transportation, living expenses (including money for a winter wardrobe if you change climates) covered through a scholarship, I fear that you may have a very hard time.</p>
<p>The colleges that are most generous are places like Harvard and Princeton, and your stats don't qualify you for those schools.</p>
<p>I suggest that you check out the financial aid information pinned on the financial aid forum here and at the top of parents forum here. </p>
<p>Certainly apply to colleges in Puerto Rico, including any place that you can commute to, because more than likely those will be your most affordable options. Apply elsewhere, too, if you wish, but before putting in your application, take a careful look at their financial aid web page to see if there's any chance that you'll get the financial aid that you need.</p>
<p>Also check their admission stats to find out if it seems worthwhile for you to bother applying. For instance, your SAT scores make many of the schools that collegehelp listed unliikely for you to gain admission to.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that many colleges don't meet 100% of students' demonstrated need. The colleges, not the students' families, determine the students' financial need. Your aid package is based on what the college thinks you're able to pay, not what your parents feel they can pay. In addition, colleges can meet your aid by giving you a financial aid package that consists of as much as $30,000 a year in loans -- so much in loans that your future options would be very limited. The average student takes out close to $20 k in loans to cover all of 4 years of college.</p>
<p>It's unlikely, too, that any public university outside of Puerto Rico will give you much if any need-based aid as virtually reserve such aid for their own state residents.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice, I will look into the %s of financial need met of colleges and try to estimate my EFC. I'm probably going to apply to two colleges in Puerto Rico and since I scored really well on the college board test here, I'll surely qualify for some kind of scholarship. The problem is that I don't want to study here, I want to study in the US, but my parents don't want me to, so I'm researching all this alone. I don't know what they'll be able to contribute, certainly not much, so I really need all the help I can get.</p>