<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm a student in India and I want to do a BS in Neuroscience in the USA. I've been searching for colleges that have a Neuroscience program and also have need-based financial aids. Also, they must be private liberal arts colleges so that importance is given to teaching the UG students.</p>
<p>I'm especially looking at Bates College in Maine. From what I've gathered about it, I really really like it! They have a need-blind assistance from what I've heard.</p>
<p>But does it apply to international students like me? I can't afford 50K per annum. My family income is 25K per year.</p>
<p>Also:-</p>
<p>What other good colleges offer BS Neuroscience, need-blind admission and also small student-faculty ratio?</p>
<p>I've got a SAT of 1940/2400 and a 4.0/4.0 GPA. Am I likely to get into Bates?</p>
<p>Do you have any advice for me?</p>
<p>See, you are right in the middle 50% in your SAT score. This school is , as far as i know, a “need aware” school. Like SAT score is like sort of proportional to your aid value. Since competition is very fierce, and the fact that you have an average score in the SAT (WRT Bates College) may put you in a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Consider some safeties too… Bates has a 27% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>But Bates offers the option of not sending in the SAT scores. What if I don’t send in my SAT?</p>
<p>And I have a 4.0 GPA. Also Bates lays emphasis on interview and some other things when granting admission. I genuinely feel that Bates’ educational environment is most suitable for someone like me.</p>
<p>Also, I have worked for a research scientist in the US and he has given me a great letter of recommendation. Wouldn’t that help in my admission process?</p>
<p>Anyway what safeties do you suggest? I don’t know very many colleges that offer Neuroscience at a cheap price.</p>
<p>There are no safeties in the U.S. for international students who need aid.</p>
<p>Bates is not need blind for internationals. They do give some aid, but the competition for it is fierce. On top of the 4.0 they will want to see excellence outside of the classroom, academic awards and the like. They will only fund a few internationals and those will be top students from their countries.</p>
<p>Well, I’m 20 now and am about to publish a narrative non-fiction book on some issues in India. Would that count as an indicator for excellence outside of the classroom?</p>
<p>It could.</p>
<p>Don’t just focus on one school. To get a large amount of aid you will need to apply widely and to especially apply to schools where your stats are among their top students’. Even then it’s tough, there is very limited money and you need to give them a reason to choose you over the plethora of other Indian candidates.</p>
<p>Are you self-publishing or is this book being published by an established publisher?</p>
<p>I’m self-publishing it. Why?</p>
<p>Because a school is going to be less impressed by a book that is self-published since anyone can self-publish. Therefore it’s not an indication of any real accomplishment.</p>