Match me for any T100s! [international, 4.0 GPA, <$50k; data science, computer science, math, business, accounting, or English]

Applying to College
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Chance me for Any range of T100s UG!

Demo: Indian , Male , Would be able to spend $50K per year for tution+Housing.

• Class 10th: 4.0 GPA (UW) , Class 11th (Predicted 4.0) , Class 12 (Predicted 4.0)

• Studying Data Science , Computer Science , Mathematics (Core), Business Studies , Accountancy, English

• SAT - Predicted 1550+ (Can score 1600 on Mocks)

• No APs since I am from a Tier 3 city , the closest school which offers AP is 4-5 Hours(By car) Away.

•ECs - Literary Committee Head (Manages all cultural/language related programs(Debates extempores etc), organise it every wednesday , hours of work weekly) - Vice Leader of Entrepreneurship Group- Successfully Planned a business to support local Businesses and Tourism in our city(Would be running it in a month or 2 after the website is ready)- School’s Volleyball Team Member - School’s Basketball Team Member - Have Done Multiple MUNs - Chaired 2 - Best Delegate Awards in Many- Qualified and Participated and was Top 10 teams at IDE Bootcamp (Organized By Central Government) at IISER Bhopal (Top research institute of our country) - Debate Group Leader - Extempore Group Leader - G20 Summit MUN Special Mention Delegate - Published Research Papers on Business Studies and (Data Science and Computer Science Combined)

LORs - Principal (10/10) , Counsellor (10/10 , Computer Science Teaher (10/10) , Business Studies Teacher (10/10)

Courses I prefer are (Would need yalls opinions) - Computer Science , Data Science , Finance , Mathematics , Actuarial Science , Economics or few others .

Please chance me for any top 100s! I’d like to know my stand and hence choose my Colleges!! Thanks In Advance!

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So Indian as you live in India ?

What’s the difference between the 70th and 170th school ? Not much.

You’ll have plenty of solid options. Forget a rank.

There is little difference sub 100 and after 100.

You’ll be able to go under $30k at some.

Good luck.

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At this point….you have too many “predicables” on your list to give you decent recommendations.

Are you an international student from India?

What can your family afford to spend on college for you annually…when the time comes.

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Your recommenders are not typically what top 100 colleges will want to see. Usually, colleges what to see a LOR from a humanities teacher and a STEM teacher. Alos, you are not supposed to view your LORs. What makes you say they are 10/10?

Have you already applied? Or is this for next year?

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Since everything for grades 11 and 12 are predicted…I’m guessing this student has not applied to college anywhere at this point.

Looks like applications for college starting in 2025

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I am sorry i worded it like that , I am applying for 2025 Batch.

LORs are predictable since I had great relations with those teachers. I didnt have knowledge that STEM and Humanities teachers are favored. I’ll see to that.

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Yeah , Because I’ll be applying for 2025.

My family can afford around $50K/Annum for my housing+tution.

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Also yes , International from India

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It isn’t just that they are favored. It’s that many colleges directly state that they want to see letters from a teacher in a core subject. The teacher ideally needs to be from 11th grade.

Rice, for example, says this: Both of these recommendations should be from teachers of core academic subjects (i.e, not business), and ideally one recommendation would relate to the applicant’s intended area of study. Though not a requirement, we would prefer letters come from teachers who have taught the student for a full course.

Some colleges, I think notably MIT, state they want LOR’s from both STEM and humanities. Check each college’s website to be sure. Generally though, it’s best to aim for one of each.

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As you already know…you are from an extremely over represented part of the world for international applicants to U.S. colleges. Many applying here from your region are highly highly qualified. For the very tippy top schools, you would need to be one of the top students in your country. It doesn’t sound like that will be the case.

$50,000 could be enough to fund your college here IF your high school grades are high enough and if you get a great SAT or ACT score. There are colleges with automatic merit aid for high achieving students…but most are not in the top 100 (and BTW, where are you getting your top 100 schools from).

But until you have a better idea of your GPA in 11th grade, and perhaps a standardized test score for real…it’s hard to even give suggestions.

I recent’s wrote this to another international student…

  1. Get a budget from your family for how much they can pay every year for you to attend college. This is VERY important but even more important for international students. Many colleges in this country are very costly…you will need to complete a certificate of finances showing that you have at the ready all the money for four full years of college costs. This can include college based aid that is guaranteed for all four years, and approved loans…it cannot include things that haven’t been approved. Without the money at the ready, you will not be able to apply for a student visa to study here.

  2. When the time comes…you need to look at affordable options either in your country or other places…not the U.S. @MYOS1634 might be helpful here. When the time comes.

  3. Remember that the very vast majority of colleges in the U.S. are need aware for admissions…meaning your level of financial need can be considered when your application for admission is reviewed. So…when the time comes…you will need to check this also.

  4. There are colleges in this country that don’t provide a dime of need based aid to international students. There are colleges that provide limited aid to international students. There are colleges that fully fund all accepted international students (hint…these are highly competitive in most cases). And this goes for merit aid as well.

  5. Right now…you don’t have any information to be used to help find colleges for you. You don’t even have end of year junior grades. You haven’t taken any SAT or ACT or TOEFL (if required). Once you have your end of year junior grades, and a budget for college costs from your family, folks here will better be able to guide you.

  6. Look at the colleges in your country.

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Thanks for the response , I’ll take my SAT next year , If not scored above 1550 will take it again. My 11th grade GPA should remain 4.0 , since my Half-Yearly Exams also went extremely well and I got a total of 97% in all my 6 subjects.

In India , I’ll be applying to colleges for commerce subjects , since thats all I can do. Here , only PCM/B Students can opt for STEM colleges or I’ll need to do bridge courses.

I’ll also be applying to colleges in China , Singapore , Europe and Australia.

As someone else replied to me in a comment above , T70 and T170 colleges are not that different. Should I , assuming I meet what I say about my GPA and SAT score , expect scoring a shot at such unis?

I get my rankings from Niche & US world news and report

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You have a chance of being accepted. Whether these will be affordable is up in the air at this point.

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The $50k/year May be the most limiting factor, but it is difficult to tell. Many of the schools will be above 50k/year. The question is will you qualify for financial aid to bet the price to 50k. If you don’t qualify, a large chunk of the top 100 will likely be out of range. Many of the top 100 public schools will be out of range because they will not offer financial aid to international students and merit is unlikely. In the lower quarter of the 100 merit will be more likely.

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And out of the top 100…you likely will find net costs below $50,000. If your grades continue to be top notch.

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I don’t think you have an issue - but top 100 what - major? School? US News?

So Michigan State is 61, Indiana is 73, SUNY Buffalo 76, and Iowa 93.

Arizona State is 105, Arizona 115, Miami Ohio 133, Kansas is 151, and Alabama 170.

You know the difference of the first 5 from the last 5 ? Other than location and maybe some specialties - nothing. A degree from one in CS or Data Science or math will have zero advantage or disadvantage other than cost.

For example, at Bama, you’d get $30.5K off (assuming you deliver on test) and you’d be under $25k a year.

There are many other solid schools here where you’d spend less than $50K and they won’t care about your ECs.

So if that’s your goal - simply a $$ amount and solid program, you needn’t worry.

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For this group of interests, you may want to consider a major in data science, with economics as your chosen “applied domain.”

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Thanks for such a detailed response , If possible , Could you list me some schools where I’d spend less than $50K for Data Science/CS Majors?

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For affordable…assuming your stats continue to be as you are predicting.

University of Alabama
University of Arizona
Arizona State University
University of New Mexico
New Mexico Tech
The SUNY schools
Possibly Miami in Ohio, and Ohio University (you will have to check for these majors)
University of Louisiana
University of Mississippi

I’m sure there are more. Most are out of the top 100

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Purdue would come in under your budget as an international student and is very highly regarded for CS and Data Science.

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So @thumper and @momofboiler1 (Purdue) gave you great ideas. But please look at the cost for international - often they are different or merit is less.

U of Alabama is a favorite - in part because if you deliver on your SAT (or actually just a 1420), you’ll get $30,500 off… So you’d be $23K a year. Forget that it’s #170 - it’s strong in engineering and is a well known brand name which attracts, because of merit, many of the most talented kids.

Arizona is typically a favorite - and it’s still good for international at $23K off but not quite as good as domestic. So it puts you high 30s. Like Alabama, it’s a strong flagship school with very good engineering - #115.

So i’m going to go through top 100 - although I don’t think in some cases it’s better than what you’ve just seen. I’m using US News.

U of Florida - can’t find an international cost - but it’s $46K OOS. Fine school but not necessarily better than the others. #28

Georgia Tech - high reach as one of the top CS schools - #33 is right at $50K.

Purdue - #43 - mentioned earlier - a top school at a great price.

Maybe U of Georgia #47

Florida State #53

Stony Brook #58 and Buffalo #76 - both SUNY. Other SUNYs could work too including Binghamton

South Florida - 89

Iowa - #93

Also look at - in addition to what @thumper1 said and I said earlier

Iowa State - #115

Florida International - #124 and #124 Central Florida

Also Mizzou at #124

Kansas #151

A bit smaller is UAH at #227 but known for STEM as well as #185 Missouri Science & Tech.

Now all of these are big schools. Do you want big schools because there are LIberal Arts Colleges and some international students have had success getting deals at like $40K.

Schools like Kalamazoo, Wooster, Rollins and really so many more - look at the US News ranking between 40 and 100 for Liberal Arts Colleges if small schools fit you.

Honestly, if you come close on your SAT, you’ll have many many choices.

Best of luck.