International student here! What's the best option?

Paying for College
1

<p>Ok, I am not into college applications yet but I was just wondering what will be the best choice for me. </p>

<p>So I want to study in either US or Canada, but prefer the US since the universities are better. If by some chance I am accepted into Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, my financial problem is gone as they have a need-blind policy for financial aid even for international students.</p>

<p>But let's say I can't get into any of these colleges, but I get accepted into University of Chicago, Stanford University or any other really good university that have high fees, but getting scholarships or grants from these institutions are hard. Should I accept the offer but leave with huge debts of about 150k? By doing this, I won't be able to do my masters degree directly afterwards as that will increase the debt even more.</p>

<p>Or should I study in either University of Toronto or McGill university in Canada, where the overall cost is substantially lesser. This way, I might even get into a good master's program directly afterwards, and I won't have any debt after all this.</p>

<p>So what do you think is the best choice? I'm not saying that I will definitely get into all these outstanding universities in the US, but what if I do? What then?</p>

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<p>but leave with huge debts of about 150k?</p>

<p>Very bad idea!</p>

<p>Also, you’d have to get these loans from your own country. American banks won’t lend to int’ls without an American co-signer. They’re afraid that after you get your education, you’ll return to your home country and not pay.</p>

<p>Anyway…no one should borrow that much for undergrad. No one should borrow even half as much. Do you have any idea how high your payments would be?</p>

<p>You need to stick with schools that will either meet need or schools that will give generous scholarships to int’ls.</p>

<p>How much can your family contribute?</p>

3

<p>“So I want to study in either US or Canada, but prefer the US since the universities are better.”</p>

<p>This is just so very, very wrong that I don’t even know where to start. Go take another long hard look at the Canadian universities. Most of them are significantly less expensive than their peer institutions in the US.</p>

4

<p>We can contribute about $140,000 for 4 years…this is all from savings btw.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, I know, but what are their “peer institutions”? For one, I know that University of Toronto is better than a couple of Ivy League unis in terms of individual subject rankings.</p>