My college list? Thoughts on fin. aid?

Paying for College
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<p>Here's my list:</p>

<p>Swarthmore (ED)
Brandeis
Brown
Bowdoin
Grinnell
Macalester
Pomona
Lafayette</p>

<p>I need to add three more (Should include at least one solid safety). I'm an international applicant, and I was thinking of adding McGill to my list, but then I found out they're quite bad with aid. I'm quite interested in natural sciences (Phys, Bio etc) but the reason I'm applying to LAC's is so that I can get a taste of other things as well. Most important for me, however is financial aid, and I've constructed my list based on that. Any thoughts on whether they're suitable in both respects (money and strong in science)? Also, any suggestions for the remaining three would be good!</p>

<p>SAT I: 2140
SAT II: Bio - 780, Math 2 - 750</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>tonnyman</p>

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<p>BUMP… anyone?</p>

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<p>Are you asking about financial aid?</p>

<p>or </p>

<p>Are you asking about scholarships?</p>

<p>If you’re asking about F/A, then we need to know family income .</p>

<p>Do you know which of these schools give substantial aid to internationals?</p>

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<p>My only comment…if finances are a significant consideration, I would suggest you NOT apply ED.</p>

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<p>^^^</p>

<p>Thumper…do you know how these schools are about meeting 100% of need without loans for internationals? Are these all need blind schools?</p>

<p>If they are “need blind”…what are the consequences of applying from a poor country (don’t know OP’s country) where the assumption might be that the applicant is poor. What I’m saying is…a “need blind” school will likely know an applicant might be poor just from his home country, right? Might that affect admissions?</p>

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<p>Financial aid for international students should be addressed on each of those college websites. Tonny…look for that information on the websites.</p>

<p>There aren’t too many schools that are need blind for admissions for international students. Some schools are need blind for admissions and meet full need. Some schools are NOT need blind for admissions but do meet full need for admitted students. Some schools are not need blind for admissions and have limited financial aid for international students…AND some schools are not need blind for admissions and also do not meet financial need.</p>

<p>You name the combination…it’s out there.</p>

<p>Conventional wisdom is that for international students, finances will have an impact at some point. Remember, they also have to sign a statement to get a visa to study here that says that they have the financial resources to PAY for their own support (this can include financial aid they receive).</p>

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<p>I’m talking about fin. aid. Not scholarships. I don’t think any of them are need blind internationally. Swarthmore is need blind domestically, though that doesn’t affect me. I’m from Pakistan (which would be considered pretty poor :p) and I can afford to pay 15k a year (and that’s not from savings that’s from leftover income). I think that puts me in line for most “only-tuition” fin. aid packages.</p>

<p>And thumper, why not ED? Because AFAIK you can be released from the ED commitment if your financial needs aren’t met. Says so on the Common App form.</p>

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<p>My college’s “friendly rival” academically speaking is Christian Brothers University over in Memphis, TN. </p>

<p>Christian Brothers really likes international applicants and is a very good school for engineering and the higher maths. </p>

<p>They also have a proper William Blake and 18th Century British Literature scholar who teaches there and I heard that one of their Philosophy Professors is quite the scholar of Alfred North Whitehead. </p>

<p>They are a “Catholic” University. I put the word “Catholic” in quotes for a reason, if you know what I am saying :)</p>

<p>Here is the link for their international applicants</p>

<p>[url=<a href=“http://www2.cbu.edu/cbu/Admissions/UndergraduateDay/International/index.htm]International[/url”>http://www2.cbu.edu/cbu/Admissions/UndergraduateDay/International/index.htm]International[/url</a>]</p>

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<p>If the schools are not need blind for admissions, your ability to pay WILL be considered when you apply.</p>

<p>Why not ED? Well…here is my reason. Even for schools that meet full need (not every school on your list does so), financial aid awards can vary by thousands of dollars per year as these schools use institutional methodology that varies from school to school to award these funds. You sound like you will need very significant financial aid to attend a school here in the U.S. That being the case, why not have the ability to compare offers from multiple schools, instead of feeling that just one school may or may not have met your financial needs? </p>

<p>In addition, some schools (not all) will look at the offers by similar schools and sometimes they will make adjustments to your need based aid if another peer school has made you a much better offer. You can’t do this with your ED award…you will have no others to compare it with.</p>

<p>Yes, no one is going to force you to attend a school that you cannot pay for. BUT remember, you and your school counselor AND your parents are required to sign an ED contract when you apply saying you WILL attend if accepted. When you do this…you already should have an idea of the costs, and so on. When you pull out of an ED contract, it more than likely will have an effect on future students applying ED from your school to that college. Why would the college take future risks accepting students who aren’t going to attend? </p>

<p>Why do you feel compelled to apply ED? If you have what it takes to get accepted, why not just apply RD and call it a day…and be able to apply to more than one school. The “edge” for international students applying ED is not all that significant.</p>

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<p>thumper why do you say the edge isn’t that significant?</p>

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<p>Because it isn’t…especially for international students where your financial need IS considered when the school is making admissions decisions.</p>

<p>I will only tell you what I told my kids. We wanted the opportunity to view multiple acceptances AND multiple financial aid offers. We wanted the kids to make a decision based on ALL of the available information…not just one piece. We refused to sign an ED agreement. Both of our kids applied EA and also early to rolling admissions schools. Neither applied ED…in the end, both had multiple offers of admission AND financial aid to take into consideration when they were making a decision about their future college. If financial need is paramount (and in your case, it sounds like it is)…wouldn’t you want to do the same? Or are you willing to hedge your bets on one school’s offer?</p>

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<p>Well, I looked something up. </p>

<p>I go to Rhodes College and they are not need blind, you need some major bank actually.</p>

<p>But…</p>

<p>they do accept fin aid for internationals the more old fashioned way, if you will.</p>

<p>And, if your grades and testing are high enough, you might qualify for a fellowship as well as a scholarship. </p>

<p>I do not know of much of anything about how international students fund their schooling, because I am far too polite to ask any of my fellow students and whatnot of such a thing. </p>

<p>Here is the link for Rhodes and their International Admission process…</p>

<p>[Rhodes</a> College | International Students](<a href=“http://www.rhodes.edu/admissions/68.asp]Rhodes”>http://www.rhodes.edu/admissions/68.asp)</p>

<p>Do not totally rule out CBU, though, OP. I heard that they are having rather profound issues with enrollment (due to the economy, more than anything, the city public uni is really close to there and it is cheaper) so maybe they could at least work with you in that you could e mail around or something. </p>

<p>Also, I more than see where Thumper is coming from for sure. Never knock Thumper :)</p>

<p>OP, I do wonder if you have thought about South Florida for schooling? The weather is really similar to your country. And, they have tons of international students at their Universities.</p>

<p>Here is a link by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs…which has a ton of very valid and honest information for you, OP</p>

<p>[International</a> Students - EducationUSA](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov/]International”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov/)</p>

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<p>Thumper can be “knocked”. Believe me, I make my fair share of mistakes…and anything here is my opinion unless I know it is fact. </p>

<p>I’m sure there are some schools where the is an admissions edge for ED applicants…but I don’t think this edge is as good for international students UNLESS the school is need blind for international students. Most schools are not. Some are.</p>

<p>Still…if finances are an issue, I would not suggest ED…reasons already posted above. Again…my opinion.</p>

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<p>I don’t know if McGill is bad with FA or not, but they are about half the price of the schools on your list for international students. That makes up for a lot of financial aid.</p>

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<p>I have a slight difference of opinion with thumper1 as far as applying ED when you need aid, but the points thumper1 raises are very important to consider.</p>

<p>That said, I think Swarthmore is a sensible choice for an ED app for you. They do limit the number of interational students they admit who have financial need, but they do accept some (the website said about 20 last year.) If you do get accepted, then they treat your FA no differently than a domestic student. Since they meet full need without loans, then even if they expect a higher contribution from you/your family than practically would work, you can always borrow modestly to cover the gap. I think that’s reasonable if it’s your clear 1st choice school.</p>

<p>And maybe ED is a little boost for you, or maybe it’s not, but since it’s so hard to get in to these highly selective schools, I’m not sure a little boost is something to pass up – especially with schools that are good with financial aid.</p>

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<p>Christian Brothers may like int’ls, but I see they require int’ls to demonstrate that they have the funds to go there. <a href=“http://www2.cbu.edu/idc/groups/marketing/documents/web_assets/declaration_of_finance.doc.doc[/url]”>http://www2.cbu.edu/idc/groups/marketing/documents/web_assets/declaration_of_finance.doc.doc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Unless I missed something, CB isn’t providing F/A for int’ls. Plus, it requires FAFSA for aid…which also kind of suggests that it doesn’t have aid for int’ls. But, I could be wrong. Maybe there are some scholarships.</p>

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<p>mom2collegekids, they provide scholarships for internationals ^</p>

<p>The having major bank issue is something I have never totally understood. And, that is why (in a previous post on this thread) I stated that I have always kept out of that with my pals and whatnot. </p>

<p>The last I checked there was an international students area of this forum. I have a feeling OP might find someone there, but that is just me.</p>