Good afternoon everyone,
I applied for some universities requiring the international cerificate of finances.
But since I am applying for need-based financial aid and I mentionned in the CSS profile that my parents cannot contribute in paying my educational fees, shall I put 0 in all the sections of the certificate?
Thank you 
You will not get your visa to come here unless you can show that you have the full COA covered…and that likely includes covering health insurance and int’l travel. Typically aid won’t cover all costs. And your schools may have a “student contribution.”
If you put all 0’s then will you end up with a situation where some costs aren’t covered and you won’t get a visa?
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I am applying for Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, Duke, Upenn, Washington University in St louis.
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Aren’t some of these schools Need Aware?
I don’t think ND gives much/any aid to int’ls.
If you and your family have absolutely NO money to put towards coming to the US to study, then, yes, zero it all out. Any number you place in there has to be certified, I believe. Then the schools put in what they will give you in aid. If it doesn’t add up to what the cost is, you can’t afford to go to that school.
Some of the schools are need aware, others are need-blind
Rhodes College, Notre Dame, Grinnell, University of Miami and Stanford: require the certificate.
Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, Fordham, Vanderbilt, Upenn, Washington St Louis, U of chicago: do not require the certificate.
I think I am competitive enough to get financial aid
You will eventually have to fill out the certificate to get your student visa from US immigrations. You will have to show where you will be getting the money to support your living in the US. Your chosen school will have filled in what they will be giving you, and you have to somehow come up with the rest.
Getting financial aid and getting full financial aid are two very different things. Even Harvard will have a student/family contributions of a few thousand dollars. I think it will hurt you more to have a school see that you are planning on contributing nothing than a reasonable, if low, amount.
*Good afternoon everyone,
My name is K A. I am a student from T…
I am the top of my high school with a GPA of 18/20 the highest in the country, an SAT score of 2180, the highest in the country too (Composite Score of 1530), 800 in Math II and 710 in physics. I have 4 strong recommendations and an exceptional personal statement. I am involved in several activities ranging from Kung-Fu(state champion), Volunteering 560 hours last year, International Debate, 2 Work experiences, an international program about energy with MIT,…
I am applying for Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, Duke, Upenn, Washington University in St louis.
What are my chances in getting admission in these universities?
Thank you. *
T is for Tunisia (from another post).
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Getting financial aid and getting full financial aid are two very different things. Even Harvard will have a student/family contributions of a few thousand dollars. I think it will hurt you more to have a school see that you are planning on contributing nothing than a reasonable, if low, amount.
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I agree.
I think Miami and Rhodes will give merit and maybe some aid, but I doubt that they would cover full COA - including int’l travel and health insurance and personal expenses. If those schools (and ND) are need aware, then likely they won’ accept you.
I realize that if the answer is still a bunch of zeroes, then just understand that those schools won’t likely bother to accept you. They’re going to want to “protect yield,” so will likely accept those who can either pay most/all costs…or have demonstrated that they can pay the costs that any offered aid won’t cover.
Your first obstacle will be getting accepted at THESE schools. None of them are a slam dunk in terms of admissions.