Lost... Where should I go?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>General Information</p>

<p>Female
Asian
Lived in USA for 8 months now
Can't apply for financial aid due to visa status.</p>

<p>Academics</p>

<p>GPA :3.92/4.00 (UW) no weighted because I transferred
Rank: top 4%
Courses taken next year: AP Calculus, AP Literature, AP Art History(I'm taking all the AP class my school offers, except for AP Stats)
In 2nd semester, I'm going to self teaching AP French, AP Environmental Sciences, and AP Psychology
SAT I: 1420(May), estimated 1600s in October
SAT II: haven't taken yet
consists of Math 2 and French(fluent)
ELC Student (Eligibility in Local Context, applies in California only)</p>

<p>ECs</p>

<p>-Volunteering : 210 hours at the Vietnamese Consulate and 50 hours at a Festival
-Internship: An architect internship back in my country
-Clubs : member of book club, asian club and blue and white club(club that involves with the school governement)
-Award: "Most Outstanding Junior" at school for excelling academically, and most oustanding student in physics class.
-Vice president of Junior Class
-President of Art Club (could be hook for essay)
-Has an Art Porto folio </p>

<p>Other information</p>

<p>My previous school education system was totally different from America's, they don't require any community hours, extracurriculum activites or sports(because they are already include in the school's curriculum) therefore I'm a deep disadvantage to many other students.</p>

<p>School needs:
- Size: Small to semi-large
- Location: West Coast(CA,WA); East Coast(mainly New England)
- Major : Environmental Science, Visual Art, International Business, Psychology and French.
- Safe Campus
- Scholarships available (even though I have a small chance)</p>

<p>Please help me! :)
Thanks in advance</p>

2

<p>Some of the UCs are within reach and the price will be lower by far than a private college. Is cost a factor?</p>

<p>How does your SAT score break out?</p>

3

<p>archi, Could you please explain what you mean by “Can’t apply for financial aid due to visa status.”? Whether you are a foreign national or have a green card, you may still be eligible for foreign aid at many colleges. If your family is low income you may qualify for need based aid, which oddly enough is more plentiful than merit based aid. </p>

<p>I assume that you are Vietnamese. This could be a positive for you. Selective colleges and universities have many North Asian (Chinese/Korean/Japanese) and South Asian (India/Pakistani) applicants, but Southeast Asia is underrepresented. Think about how your cross cultural experiences could benefit the campus community and most importantly, how you could communicate this in your application, e.g. through essays and recommendations.</p>

<p>Art is an excellent EC! Even if you’re not interested in majoring in art you should plan to submit an art portfolio. This would comprise slides of your work; a resume listing accomplishments, awards and courses; a supplemental recommendation from an art instructor or mentor. Colleges, especially small and medium sized, need to fill their art departments and the combination of an academically accomplished Vietnamese artist would be of interest to many schools.</p>

<p>Some colleges that I would recommend that are known for good financial aid to internationals are Williams, Wesleyan, Amherst, Macalester, Smith.</p>

4

<p>To hmom2,</p>

<p>Cost is a huge factor for us, our family annual incomes comes under 15,000$. It’s true that some UC are guaranteed that I would get in such as UC Merced, Riverside and Santa Cruz but I still want to get into a more competitive environment.
My SAT score break out is:
CR: 440
Math: 560
Writing: 420</p>

<p>To momrath,</p>

<p>My family are diplomats so we hold the A-1 visa. I thought that holding this visa would make me as an international student and thus, unavailable for FAFSA and any other financial aid. Moreover, even if the need based aid exist, it is extremely hard for international students to apply for due to USA’s economy today. </p>

<p>I’m indeed Vietnamese, and I would never thought that my ethnicity would help. I thought that we would simply “blend in” with our Asian race and bear many asian stereotypical such as Asian are good in math, SATs and rarely in sports. Nevertheless, I would like to thank you for your help!!</p>

<p>The college that you suggest might be a high reach for me though, since my SATs scores are a huge hindrance for any acceptance to these schools. </p>

<p>But again, thank you :)</p>

5

<p>archi,
Don’t underestimate the availability of financial aid for desirable internationals. Contact the schools directly and find out yourself. Many colleges, especially those located in the midwest or rural areas use internationals, including Asians, to supplement their diversity percentages. It’s true that money is tight, but for high achieving non-white students, it’s still there.</p>

<p>I would also contact Questbridge, fast.</p>

<p>Also, don’t underestimate how much your life experiences may count in your whole profile. Many Americans – and especially those associated with academe – have a soft spot for Vietnam. Use your culture to your advantage. I am not recommending that you fabricate. I am recommending that you think about how your personal life experience could enrich the campus community and figure out how to get that across in your application.</p>

<p>Your SATs are problematic, but not insurmountable. You have excellent grades which indicates that you can do the work. For whatever reasons you’re just a lousy test taker.</p>

<p>Your GPA, rank, rigorous curicculum, ethnicity, life experience, art involvement can be parlayed to counterbalance the scores. Many English second language kids have similar issues. You are tri-lingual! Expand on that.</p>

<p>Another idea is to look into schools that do not require test scores. I don’t know that these are the same that offer good financial aid for internationals but it’s something to check on. </p>

<p>Williams would definitely be a high reach; however, they do like Asians and artists. I would definitely pursue Smith and Macalester. Add Grinnell and Colby as well. </p>

<p>Does your highschool have a counselor who can help you complile your list?</p>

6

<p>

</p>

<p>Given the limited amount of aid available for internationals, and the huge competition for it, I’m not sure I can agree here.</p>

<p>Given the scores, I think one of the UCs mentioned may well be the best, most cost effective option. You can also try SAT optional schools and may get lucky with aid at one. Here’s a list:</p>

<p>[Optional</a> List | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]Optional”>ACT/SAT Optional List for Fall 2025 - Fairtest)</p>

7

<p>hmom5, you may be right. It just seems that the discrepancy between the OP’s scores and her grades / rank is SO great that there must be a reason that could be explained. Small LACs tend to be more open to background stories, but someone has to take the initiative to do the explaining. She could use a counselor or instructor to advocate on her behalf. </p>

<p>The key question to me – more so than will she get in – would be could she do the work. Based on her grades and rank it appears so.</p>

8

<p>The discrepancy between grades and SATs is huge, indeed. I think that she may have to take TOEFL.</p>

<p>I find it somewhat bizarre that Vietnamese diplomats would be expected to live in the US on an income of under $15K. I think that there is more to that story.</p>

9

<p>

Mostly likely their government pays for housing, car, and gives them a cost of living allowance.</p>

10

<p>To momrath,
Thank you for your insight, but I’m not going to apply for QuestBridge. The only college partner that I wanted to attend was Princeton but my resident status would render me into a Regular Decision Applicant. Moreover, unlike many other low-income students, I have no job experience, no family crisis situation(death of a parent, divorce, etc.) and neither a huge contribution to the society. Hence, I wouldn’t stand out to many other student, who do deserve the scholarship. </p>

<p>Our school does have only 2 counselors and mine takes care about 200 other students, and that’s a huge amount in my opinion. She is nice but she is constantly interrupt by other students and overwhelms by her amount of work. I only refer to her when I needed a fee waiver or a concern about the school, rarely about colleges. </p>

<p>I’m not sure how my background and many other factors are going to stand out to balance my SAT. I think colleges would definitely see that I come from a non-competitive public high school(which is the case) meaning that I manage to get into the top without much difficulty.</p>

<p>I have already look into the Colleges with Optional SAT scores. Only a few of them were interesting, the rest just doesn’t meet my needs. </p>

<p>But again, thanks momrath for helping me !</p>

11

<p>To hmom5,</p>

<p>Thanks for the website, although I have searched through the list and pick out a few colleges, I still want to reach higher. I mean, to test my abilities. Nevertheless, thanks.</p>

<p>To momrath,</p>

<p>I have a habit of answering each post once at a time so I hope you understand that I couldn’t condense all my answers in to one post. I apologize for making you jump from posts to posts. Anyway, what are LACs? I’ve heard it a few times on CC but never quite understood it. </p>

<p>Speaking of capabilities in surviving in a college environment, my major strength is motivation, hard-worker and creative. I’m not smart, talented or anything else. Would those be “enough” for college to accept me?</p>

<p>To Consolation,</p>

<p>Well, since we are diplomats, the government pays everything except for personal expense - which basically what momrath said.</p>

12

<p>archi, if Princeton is the only QuestBridge school that you’re interested in then I won’t go any further. How can this be? There are dozens of excellent schools in the Questbridge system. Look again and do some research. The QuestBridge organization just recruits and edits. The individual colleges do the selecting.</p>

<p>Colleges don’t select students and give them money because of what the students deserve. They admit and fund based on what they, the colleges, want and need. Your background would be of interest to many selective colleges. If you don’t believe me, I can’t help you any more.</p>

<p>LAC = liberal arts college. Generally small with limited or no graduate or professional programs. All of the colleges that I mentioned are LACs. Selectivity, academic rigor and availability of financial aid vary so you need to do research. Many are well endowed and seek international students to increase diversity on campus. At many, especially those in the midwest or in rural locations, Asians, especially Southeast Asians, qualify as underrepresented minorities.</p>

<p>LACs tend to be less statistics oriented in admissions than large universities. Thus, if there is a logical explanation that your scores don’t align with your grades, they would be more likely to take it into consideration. LACs also provide a lot of academic support, small classes and accessible professors.</p>

<p>If you are an A student in a rigorous environment then you could conceivably do the work at most colleges. Your recommendations and essays would reinforce this, or not. </p>

<p>Your scores need to be addressed. Take the SATI one more time. Take some SATIIs. Then let it go. Concentrate on your strengths – what you are, not what you are no. Write some heartfelt essays, put together an arts package, find some supportive teachers to write your recommendations. And definitely probe more deeply into QuestBridge.</p>

<p>As for which colleges should you apply to, you need a balanced list of reach/match/safety. If you would articulate what exactly are those “needs” that only Princeton fulfills maybe we could make some suggestions.</p>

13

<p>I think that there is a strong likelihood that the value of your housing and so on would be counted towards family income by colleges. After all, everyone else pays for housing out of their income. Not that you won’t get FA anyway, of course.</p>

<p>Regarding TOEFL, many schools require it of students for whom English has not been the primary language of instruction throughout high school, and possibly longer. Sometimes a high enough SAT score will exempt you. Do check out the requirements of schools that interest you.</p>

<p>I find myself bemused at the idea that Princeton is the only Questbridge school that meets your needs. I don’t think so!</p>

14

<p>I’m also surprised none of the SAT optional schools are of interest. To be honest, there are several on that list that would allow you to “reach higher” than the UCs you’re likely to end up at unless there is a tremendous rise in your scores.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>The OP has said her environment is not academically rigorous. I think top LACs, unless they are SAT optional, will be very difficult.</p>

15

<p>Denison U and Union (NY) are good options. Also look at third-tier LAC’s that may offer more in the way of scholarships, such as Northland U in Wisconsin or Alma U in Michigan, both of which are excellent schools.</p>

16

<p>How is your record in your previous school? What was the language of instruction? Were you in school in Vietnam or France or somewhere else? That is going to play into your application heavily.</p>

<p>I agree with Hmom5 that your best chance of attaining a place in a very selective school is to strongly consider the SAT-optional ones. Your SATs are, not to put too fine a point on it, simply abysmal for any selective US school. I would almost wonder if you had some kind of technical problem in filling out the form, such as mis-bubbling. </p>

<p>Of course, lack of English fluency could at least partially account for it, explaining why your math score is better.</p>

<p>Again I ask you, have you taken TOEFL? Do you know what it is? Have you checked to see if the schools you are interested in require it of you?</p>

17

<p>To momrath,</p>

<p>I have a question concerning the merit based aid. Do you mean that colleges only take those that would make the most of their education and gave their money to those students who are in needed?</p>

<p>I’m retaking my SATI this october, hoping to get a 1600 out of 2400 and definitely take the SAT II in November. I would like to thank you for giving me some feedback and some confidence after my zealous belief in Asian stereotypes.</p>

<p>I will search again for LACs, but how does the LACs compares to UCs system in California?</p>

18

<p>To hmom5,</p>

<p>Many colleges doesn’t apply to my location, as I have said before, I wish a school somewhere near the Coast. Moreover, some of the colleges didn’t have the majors that I wished and they are immediately crossed out if I don’t see all my preferred majors on their website.</p>

19

<p>To Consolation,</p>

<p>My previous school was an international french high school, I manage to get all As in my classes so my GPA from 9th grade to 11th grade (first semester) is 4.00. But our education system is completely different from America’s, thus we don’t have APs, community services and even less extracurriculum activities.</p>

<p>Still, I don’t understand how a selective school could require an optional SAT score? Isn’t the SAT score an absolute factor for college application?
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a bubbling problem - I just took it and couldn’t made the average. I think its like what momrath said, I’m a lousy SAT test taker. </p>

<p>I have heard of the Toefl but I haven’t taken it yet, most schools in the East Coast requires it since I’m an international student. I would take it somewhere in October or November.</p>

20

<p>

There are two kinds of aid, need based and merit based. Need based aid goes to students from low income families. The amount is determined by a formula, but the total can vary from school to school. Merit based aid is totally different. Schools use merit based aid to attract top students who may otherwise choose to go to more prestigious or selective schools.</p>

<p>If a college admits you they will help you find the funds to attend. This is not guaranteed, however, but the chance is good. The key is to research colleges that offer need based aid to internationals and that need to recruit Asians. Then, of course, to get accepted. </p>

<p>Colleges, especially the smaller ones, need to build a well balanced class. Grades and scores are important but so are talents and demographics. </p>

<p>

LACs are quite different from large State universities. You can get a good education at either but the environment and teaching style are different. If you’re in Southern California I’d suggest that you visit the Claremont Colleges – which is a consortium of LACs – to get a better idea of what LACs are all about. (Scripps and Pomona are also QuestBridge schools.)</p>

<p>

No, it’s A factor but only one of many. Some educators believe the SAT unfairly penalizes non-affluent students or students who are poor test takers; therefore some very good colleges do not require it. Colleges that do require the SAT understand that non-native speakers of English often score poorly, especially relative to their grades and score. </p>

<p>Archi, you are spending too much time fretting over factors that you can’t control. If you think you may like a smaller school, then get on line and start reading about smaller schools. Talk to the folks at QuestBridge. Take the TOEFL. </p>

<p>If you end up at a UC school, you’ll most likely be happy and successful, but before you decide that’s the right path for you, put some effort into exploring your options.</p>