International Students Questions Thread

<p>Hello College Confidential, I am an international student in college and I thought it would be nice if we could have one big question thread where we can all ask and answer questions. I'm from Japan but many concerns that are unique to internationals, as I have learned through experience, are common to all countries.</p>

<p>I went through the incredibly long and complex international U.S. college admissions process and I am quite certain that I can answer many of the questions you guys and girls (high school freshmen/soph/juniors/seniors especially) might have about international applications/admission/statistics as well as college life as an international student. If you have any concerns, not only as an international but just generic admissions, feel free to post here or message me on the forum. I check my PM box regularly. </p>

<p>Hope you all have a succesful application process, and I'm willing to help as much as I can in getting through the process!</p>

<p>I am here as well..:)..</p>

<p>OK.. First question: Which college do you attend? :)</p>

<p>Do you really need to know? =P Check my other posts and you'll find out soon enough.</p>

<p>hey haru07</p>

<p>first of all, thanks for creating this thread! i know it will help me as much as it will to other international applicants. </p>

<p>so, i moved to the US 2 years ago. my family is in the process of getting permanent residency (green card). when applying to colleges, i am basically an INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, right? do some colleges handle this situation in a different way? </p>

<p>also, will my international status HELP in the admissions process or lower my chances of acceptance? e.g i know it does not help when applying to UCs. but what about privates? (i'm thinking of NYU, BC, BU, USC, Emory..) i've heard mixed responses from others. some say it will help, but others have said no. </p>

<p>also, i am international student residing in the US. how would this situation be different if say, i was living in a foreign country? I'm asian and used to live in central america for 10+ years. </p>

<p>i know it's long, but thanks for taking time to read this!</p>

<p>hi guys, this thread is really awesome... :D</p>

<p>I am an international student too. Just curious, which universities are not too stingy with Fin Aid for international students? other than HYPM+Williams... I heard schools like Cornell are really stingy ><</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

<p>vitalism have a look at various LACs.</p>

<p>ajayc: are LACs really more generous? I have heard that even williams is rather stingy with International fin aid ><</p>

<p>Williams is need blind for internationals, vitalism!</p>

<p>LACs are generous compared to other universities.</p>

<p>I'm curious haru07, where do you study?</p>

<p>kevster1001: If you do not have permanent residency I believe you are an international student. However if you do have permanent residency you should be able to do the FAFSA and such. International student means lower acceptance rates, especially if you apply for financial aid. NYU and BU, and USC (dont know about Emory) all do NOT give aid to internationals, so they would love an international student who pays full tuition to go there. Still, I don't think the acceptance rates would ever be significantly higher for internationals even at those universities. For the most part, unfortunately, being an international student is a disadvantage. As for where you are living, I don't think it matters much. What is important is whether you are a permanent resident of the U.S. If you are, you are allowed to receive federal aid.</p>

<p>vitalism: I can name a few...Oberlin, Colgate, Lafayette, Pomona, but they are all very difficult to get into, the international admissions rate is something like 10% for most of them. But if you do get in it is pretty much guaranteed that your full need will be met. Places like NYU, USC, almost all public universities, and many private universities will not give any aid to internationals save merit scholarships. And you only get the scholarship after you prove that you can pay full tuition. And yes, LACs are somewhat more generous, but still remember that aid for internationals is extremely limited and that those paying the tuition will have priority over you. </p>

<p>tetrisfan: Look through my posts and you'll find out.</p>

<p>haru: come on man out with it where do you study? :p</p>

<p>Ah! Lafayette!</p>

<p>haru07: thanks for the response. sorry i forgot to mention that i am not applying for F.A. but i did get the message that admissions is tougher for internationals. <em>sigh</em></p>

<p>Except at HYP, where everyone is looked at in the same pool (or so I heard...)</p>

<p>^
That's what they're saying, but it's actually no secret that admission for international students is tougher. Numerical evidence is rare but here's one:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/facts/profile/06/08.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/pr/facts/profile/06/08.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>6% at Princeton</p>

<p>Yes, being an international puts you in a highly competitive pool, And if you want aid, you are in for the toughest pool of that college..</p>

<p>issac: stop demoralizing man we have heard that load of times. :p</p>

<p>Let us apply and play along! :)</p>

<p>but i heard LACs like Williams are stingy too ><</p>

<p>Or is the contrary true?c</p>