Less-than-well-known schools that need diversity and admit int'l kids with lotsa FA?

Applying to College
1

<p>Ok, let's face it, I'm Asian, international, going for STEM, and need FA.
Worst combination ever, no need to tell me, I know. Although I've got some perfect scores and not-too-bad EC, top schools filled with int'l(especially Asian) kids are still long shots for me. </p>

<p>Today I just got an email from Washington&Lee, a "most selective" LAC, giving me a fee-waiver to apply.
Then I looked at W&L's demographics:</p>

<p>0.2% American Indian/Alaskan Native
3.1% Asian <----- WOOOOOOW
2.8% Black/African-American
3.0% Hispanic/Latino
2.2% Multi-race (not Hispanic/Latino)
0.0% Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
86.8% White
1.9% Unknown
International Students 4.3% from 31 countries <-----WoW </p>

<p>That's where my fee-waiver comes from !! It's quite clear W&L needs int'l kids to diversify its student body. </p>

<p>So right now I'm really looking at second-tier schools hunting for Int'l (especially Asian haha) kids in order to obtain the glorious title of an "international institute"... </p>

<p>Does anybody know this kind of second-to-top school like W&L? Any insight/even relevant BS would be appreciated!!!</p>

2

<p>I was hoping being Jewish might help my son, but I don’t think that qualifies as anything. He is still just white…</p>

3

<p>^ I think being Jewish can still help a little. I know Vanderbilt was specifically trying to attract Jewish kids a little while back…</p>

4

<p>Actually, W&Lee isn’t second tier, it’s top tier.
But you’ve got the right idea.
And, essentially, you need to look into colleges in the South and the Midwest.</p>

<p>Yes being Jewish can help your son at formerly-Wasp schools :slight_smile: - check out Muhlenberg, Dickinson, Furman, Vanderbilt as mentioned above, etc.</p>

5

<p>Ebowyang, </p>

<p>I hate to burst your bubble (and I’m not being sarcastic) but W&L waives the application fee for ALL international applicants. Often this is done in the recognition that paying the fee is difficult for international applicants. My alma mater (Bates) does this as well.</p>

<p>[International</a> Applicants :: Washington and Lee University](<a href=“Washington and Lee”>Washington and Lee)</p>

6

<p>How much money do you need?</p>

<p>How good are your grades and your test scores?</p>

<p>Have you read through the threads on guaranteed merit aid in the Financial Aid Forum? Some of those scholarships are also open to international applicants. If you meet the requirements, you would be an automatic admit.</p>

7

<p>My situation:
9-10th in China
11th-now Dallas
GPA 4.0
Not ranked
ACT 33, will retake
SAT I coming within 2 days, should be 2200+
SAT II 800 (math level2), 800(physics), 800(Chemitry)
three 5s on AP Chem, AP Cal AB, AP Physics C mechanics,
a 3 on AP Physics C electromagnetism
EFC: 25-30K $
Taking as many AP as I can right now
No big awards. AP scholar with honor? National Math Contest, 2nd place in China, 9th grade. Doing research in computational chemistry at SMU now, hopefully I can get some paper published by December. Other EC: robotics, NHS, VP of Math Team, bla bla bla</p>

<p>So frustrated with college app right now…</p>

<p>Can anybody also send me the link to the threads on guaranteed merit aid in the Financial Aid Forum? THANKS!</p>

8

<p>Look at ALL the Liberal Arts College ranked in the TOP 100-130 that are in the South or the Midwest. Check out “merit scholarships” on their websites. Then do the same for the universities ranked up to 50 or 60. That should give you a good base to start from.</p>

<p>This is what UCBAlumnus was talking about:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html#post16451378[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html#post16451378&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that racial/ethnic diversity doesn’t play a role in admissions because it does. But I think students often overblow and misunderstand the role that it does play. I don’t think being Asian is going to keep you out of anywhere - in fact, Asian students (and Asian international students) are overrepresented at most top colleges relative to the proportion of the American population they make up.</p>

<p>Your main issue is that you’re international and need merit aid - I agree with the above advice that you should look at the mid-ranked LACs, but I think you can start at 50ish and work your way down. With lower stats than yours I went through college with a full scholarship from the #68 school on the list.</p>

10

<p>What do you mean by “EFC: 25-30K $”?</p>

<p>Is that how much your parents have told you they will pay each year, or is that what some Net Price Calculators indicate your family will be expected to pay each year?</p>

<p>If your parents will pay up to $30k, there are plenty of places that will admit you with your grades and test scores where you won’t need any aid at all.</p>

<p>If you got that figure by running Net Price Calculators, then chances are that the colleges/universities will expect a lot more than that. The NPCs are set up for US applicants whose families have very simple financial situations. They aren’t reliable for international applicants, and for applicants whose families own more than just their family home and/or who own small businesses and/or who have significant investment income.</p>