<p>I'm an international, and I cannot pay more than 15-18k per year.
SAT:2200-2240, SAT 2: 1600. We don't have GPA, but I had 8A<em>s (the highest grade) in O levels, and 4A</em>s in AS Level. In my senior year, I think I'll get 3As and a B. I'm a gap year student.</p>
<p>I'm asking because all the Cornell acceptances that I know of from my country came with no financial aid at all. Hence, most of them had to decline Cornell.</p>
<p>Major: Engineering Physics (their version of applied physics), and Economics.</p>
<p>Sadly no Physics Olympiad participation to accompany my app....</p>
<p>So is it worth applying? I don't know if I should...if it all turns out to be for a rejection, or even an acceptance with no money..which has happened to virtually all internationals that I personally know who got in..</p>
<p>It is unlikely that you will get significant aid. Your stats are really, really, really impressive for other schools in your country - I’m not sure if Cornell would know that given the different educational system, and your lack of ECs show that you are more geared toward their system - and most significantly, the fact that you are applying for aid. I would say it’s worth it to just give it a shot, though. Might just be lucky enough.</p>
<p>I say go for it. I’m an international student and my stats are about the same as yours. I got a full ride. Do you have any EC’s you haven’t mentioned here? And i think Cornell is well aware of international education systems. My school grades were horrible but they knew that there is an insane grade deflation in my country.</p>
<p>I have a decent number of ECAs. Started a youth organisation, played guitar/piano in a band that is somewhat popular in the underground scene, debate for my school team for the last…i dunno…ever since i can remember, science club president at school, outgoing president of community service club, been on TV a few times singing and once in a tiny acting role (in a comedy) for about 5 mins. As far as I know I’m the youngest graduate from Alliance Francaise of my city for the past 15 years, i.e. I have a diploma in French…and also have national highest in French in O Levels (Oh I forgot, I wanted to major in French too but seeing as I like those 2 mentioned above more, I might end up doing a minor if it is possible). …and what else…oh yeah…I won this innovation challenge run by this NGO, and was in the top ten for this inter-college Olympiad (here college means high school…). I have a degree in art from this institute as well…I was salutatorian of my batch. Physics tutor for 5 years. Some menial work experience as well, for pocket money when I did not have students.
2 internships.</p>
<h2>I’ve had a fun time in school, so I have a few more as well. But I’m not going to mention all of them…Dunno which ones I’m gonna mention yet.</h2>
<p>I just don’t know if it is worth applying if I do not get aid if I get in, given that it is probably impossible for someone like me to get accepted in the first place…And I really really really do not want to waste time writing essays for a college I have no chance at/can’t afford if I’m in…instead of writing essays for other colleges that do take people from my school and give them almost full rides.</p>
<p>I think you should. Those ec’s are good and it isn’t impossible to get in. Read on the universities and talk to people who are already there. Decide on a university and apply early decision. That way you get the first crack at the money. But the problem with that is, you can’t compare other financial aid offers later. But you can always back out of an ED agreement if you can’t afford it. </p>
<p>In my case, i think i got my aid package because of my essays and recommendations. i mean, 2180 isn’t necessarily an awesome SAT score. But I knew early that I wanted to go to Cornell. I put all my effort into the application, polishing it countless times. I didn’t even start work on the other colleges till my ED application was done. And it paid off. Handsomely.</p>
<p>To be very honest, I know many students from China and India, with stellar track record and numbers, similar to yours, couldn’t get through to the Engineering School, due to that one factor “Need financial aid”. Your choice of major is different, so try your luck:)</p>
<p>Engineering Physics (Applied Physics) is technically in the Engineering School, even though most of this major is core physics, and I think I am supposed to apply to the engineering school even if I want to double major, because you can’t transfer from the arts and sciences to engineering. Then again, I might be rejected from the Engineering School and accepted in Arts and Sciences, in which case I might not go at all…Or accepted with no money, in which case I won’t be able to go.</p>
<p>I’m tossing between Cornell and Penn SEAS for ED(which is probably a little worse off for my major, and harder to get into by acceptance rates, but gives good money).</p>
<p>And I’m a terrible essay writer, so I dunno…</p>
<p>Cornell gives aid to international applicants, but it is not the most generous. Amherst, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT Princeton, Williams and Yale are typically considered the most generous. </p>
<p>Middlebury, Northwestern and Stanford are also pretty generous, but not to the same exgtent.</p>