<p>my name is Aviv and i'm from Israel. i'm 20 and i just got released from the IDF. i'm looking at some school options in the states for 2011. i'm a chill, laid back and very social guy who likes to have fun - but i also like intellectual challenging stuff. </p>
<p>i'm looking for a few things in a school. firstly, a good, fun party school with cute girls. that means somewhere not extremely competitive and somewhere really fun with fun people. secondly, somewhere that will provide me with a decent education and that will be somewhat challenging. and thirdly, somewhere that ill get financial aid - i'm can afford around 7 or 8 thousand dollars a year. </p>
<p>Here is the list of schools the i compiled - all give out some sort of financial aid to international students (though some more that others). Please comment on the schools and help me narrow the list down!</p>
<ol>
<li>Bowdoin College</li>
<li>Bucknell University</li>
<li>Carleton College</li>
<li>Colgate University</li>
<li>Dartmouth College</li>
<li>Duke University</li>
<li>Grinnell College</li>
<li>Middlebury College</li>
<li>Rice University</li>
<li>Vanderbilt University</li>
<li>University of Pennsylvania</li>
<li>University of Miami</li>
<li>Cornell University</li>
<li>Stanford University</li>
<li>Davidson College</li>
<li>Wake Forest</li>
<li>Sewanee</li>
<li>Depauw</li>
<li>University of North Carolina</li>
<li>University of Florida</li>
<li>University of Wisconsin</li>
<li>Union College</li>
<li>Lehigh College</li>
</ol>
<p>Most of those colleges will have a very heavy workload, but allow for social activities on weekends.</p>
<p>If you are looking for colleges that provide substantial financial aid to a non-US citizen, that will rapidly cut down the numbers very quickly.</p>
<p>i definitely am looking for schools that offer substantial aid to non-US citizens. ALL the schools in the list offer some sort of aid to international students, but again some more than others (and some only in the form if merit scholarships). however, if a school in the list offers very little financial aid to international students, please do let me know.</p>
<p>A separate part of this forum addresses international students, and may shed light on financial aid issues. You might also look at Canadian universities, which often have lower tuition for non-residents than US universities, and which are often in very vibrant cities. Many of the best US colleges and universities are in isolated small towns surrounded by rural areas.</p>
<p>For good package and with a strong academics, try Harvard. If you are good, money is not an issue. As for girls, I am not sure. You will be working like a dog for four years…</p>
<p>not sure harvard is a good pick for me because of the too hard work. for example, a college that would be great for me is Pomona (i visited there and know a lot of people from there).</p>
<p>no i definitely don’t think that pomona wont be hard work - im not looking for a school that requires to studying. im talking about a good balance between social life and academics, just like pomona - people there work hard but also play hard, which is exactly what im looking for</p>
<p>Somehow, I don’t think of fun + cute girls = Pomona.</p>
<p>BTW…do you want a school that is high in Jewish numbers?</p>
<p>I would take off all schools that have questionable aid for int’ls since you need SO MUCH aid. I doubt UFlorida, UWis, and UNC-CH will give that much aid to int’ls.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, for you to get a merit scholarship from the schools that give them to int’l students, your stats would need to be super high for the school in order to get enough money so that your portion would be $8k or less.</p>
<p>I can’t think of any school that is on your list that would give you that much merit money.</p>
<p>As for the schools that gives need-based aid, they will look at your parents’ incomes and assets. Are your parents prepared to help pay?</p>
<p>thanks for the responses. as for the public schools that don’t have need based aid, i’m planning on specific merit scholarships. my parents are prepared to help, but to the extent aforementioned. which schools on the list, other than the public schools, do not give out substantial need based aid?</p>
<p>OP, you do realize that if you can only afford $7,000-$8,000/year that many of these schools cost over $50,000/year! Mom2collegekids is trying to point out that merit aid to cover this difference for an international student would have to be very substantial. </p>
<p>Also, I believe that our American schools do require some kind of bank account verification to show how much money is set aside for your education in your foreign country, whether it be a Letter of Credit or something to show where the money is coming from! You should check each college’s website to verify what kind of documentation their Financial Aid Dept requires for international students.</p>
<p>i understand, but for now, regardless of financial reasons, are there any schools that in your opinion don’t fit the rest of what i’m looking for?</p>
<p>“a good, fun party school with cute girls.”</p>
<p>Somehow, I don’t think you will have time to party @ Dartmouth, Penn, Cornell or Stanford! And all American colleges do have cute girls! (unless it is male-only school)</p>