A quick academic background about me, an INTERNATIONAL student:
GPA: 9.0/10 (3.675/4 - WES, which, in my opinion, didn’t do me justice)
SAT: 1440/2160
Provided that everything else is solid.
Family income: around $120,000
Major/Academic interest: Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, and maybe English (creative writing)
Would you mind suggesting LACs (or small universities like Tuft and URochester) that will likely offer me high merit/full tuition scholarship? I’ve run the NPC at some schools, and besides the top colleges, the average EFC is $35,000. My family can contribute $25,000 at best.
And please don’t leave me a comment with the ‘automatic scholarship’ link. I read back and forth several times and have UA accept me already.
Hear are what I look for in a school:
Location is not too important, but I like the Midwest a lot. I’d prefer non-preppy kind of schools, and party/heavily Greek schools like Bucknell and Washington and Lee are off the table. I don’t like pre-professional schools, but too intellectual ones like Swarthmore and Reed are also unlikely. Too artsy like Skidmore is not a great fit either.
Also, I’m looking for schools with similar program to Theory to Practice at Ohio Wesleyan University or with the Center for Entrepreneurship like at Beloit.
I applied ED to Hamilton and early action to OWU, Beloit, and Dickinson. and I looked at Hendrix already.
Thanks for your time. All comments are appreciated!
Grinnell and Macalester are the two non-preppy midwestern LACs that come to mind for internationals. Generous merit aid which is why 12-14% of the student body is international. No Greek life at either school. If you want to avoid the partying at any school, check out their substance free housing (The general rule is that you can party elsewhere on campus, but no drinking or other mind-altering substances in the dorm and if you do come home with your mind-altered, you keep it to yourself.)
@N’sMom Thank you for your suggestions. I do like those schools a lot, and I’m applying to both of them. I just don’t think my profile may easily earn me a slot, let alone merit aid.
The key question is: Which school will likely give me substantial merit aid? My stat should be above average there, and Beloit and OWU are 2 perfect epitomes.
@paul2752 I do have 1 back up. That’s Bama, but I’m more interested in the small school environment. Regardless, I’d still be happy going there. Do you have any suggestion?
If you are female, take a look at some of the all women’s colleges - Smith and Bryn Mawr come to mind. Also Beloit has some scholarships for internationals. If your family can contribute $20kp.a. then check out Lawrence as well. Both well-respected, non-preppy mid-western LACs.
Many of the listed schools are LACs (and more-or-less peers of schools like Macalester, in terms of selectivity and program offerings.) The figures may be a little out of date, and it’s not an exhaustive list*. Nevertheless, it may include a few worthwhile choices that you’ve overlooked.
Based on your initial post, you are in for an eye opening. Many of the schools you dismissed probably wouldn’t admit you anyway. I don’t see why the other schools will offer you much merit.
You will have to set your sights much lower for serious merit money.
@N’sMom Unfortunately I’m not female, so bye bye the Seven Sisters. I have already applied EA to Beloit, so I’m just waiting for the aid package. Thanks a lot for Lawrence, I did overlook that school. However, its highest scholarship for international students is $20,000 which I’m not even sure I may qualified for. Therefore, we have to look to the FA, which I’m not sure I may receive enough. But still, I’ll try, and thanks a lot for the suggestion.
@tk21769 Although I’m looking for merit aid, thank you for the link anyway. I’ll take a look at it to see if I have overlooked any. Regarding Colorado College, as I missed its Early Action round, I don’t think I stand a decent chance at its competitive Regular round anyway.
@TurnerT I don’t really get your point on the “eye opening” part. I’ve done excessive research, and I’m looking for some suggestions that I may have overlooked. About those schools that I dismissed, they are famous examples of the vibes that I don’t like. Like, when someone talks about intellectual, UChi kind of vibe, you think of Swarthmore; or when someone talks about Greek, party, and heavily conservative LAC, you think of W&L. That’s just examples for CC posters here know more about my preference and suggest better fit schools for me.
Also, I think I may receive much aid from other schools such as Beloit and OWU because my profile lies above the 75% percentile the admitted students’. And if I have to set my sights much lower (which I do, I’m applying to schools like Susquehanna and Augustana too), I’d just go for UA and be happy there.
The figures on that Desperate Guide page, which I linked above, refer only to “aid” without distinguishing need-based from merit aid. Check the Common Data Set (section H6) for any school that interests you to see if merit aid is offered to international students. For example, for 2013-14, Colby College offered both merit and need-based aid to international students. 101 students were awarded “need-based or non-need-based aid”. The “average dollar amount of institutional financial aid” was $50,080.