Yes, I would have to agree that it IS your fault that you can’t pay for college because you didn’t check anything.
** You have to quit playing the whiny blame game trying to blame someone, for your lack of proactivity.
You relied on piecemeal information coming from others. All of the college information about SAT’s, GPA’s and college costs/fees is posted on each and every college website. It is not a mystery. Anyone can look up requirements for admissions, online.
I know India has computers and the internet. Plus:
Lots of your countrymen, living in small villages, have figured out the process and currently attend US universities.
How did you plan on getting to the US? How did you plan on getting permission to get into the US-we have a complicated visa process? How did you plan on paying for all of the travel, books, fees, local transportation?
So you worked hard to get the certificates, but you didn’t bother to look up admissions issues, including fees, for your dream? You didn’t bother to check that your current SAT scores won’t get you into those UC’s and the ivies? You’ve picked elite schools.
You won’t get much sympathy expecting US taxpayers to fully cover your education. The UC’s are public schools that are paid for by California taxpayers. International students get to pay full fees of $55K per year, since neither they, nor their parents have paid one cent in taxes.
Guess what? Most domestic students don’t receive aid either. Many go to community colleges then transfer after 2 years to save money.
You don’t need to compromise anything; your country has good educational opportunities.