<p>Hi, I'm a high school senior in this stressful... period of applying to colleges.... and I was wondering...</p>
<p>well, first of all, I'm a Canadian citizen going to an international school in South Korea and am applying to both US and Canadian colleges, but I'm leaning more to going to the US for college.
But money's tight in our family and so i wont be able to attend US colleges unless they give me sufficient financial aid.. </p>
<p>my question is, i hear that students that need aid dont tend to apply for ED cuz they wont be able to compare financial aid packages and the decision (hence, the money they need to pay) is binding. but considering ivy league schools such as U Penn, Yale, etc who do need-blind admissions for both US and Canadian citizens and ALSO meet 100% of need for aid, wouldn't it be so much better to apply ED (in Yales case, SCEA) to these schools to improve ur chances even by a little bit?? if you get in, they will meet ur full needs, so.... Im sorry my question is so unclear... </p>
<p>so, rephrasing, why would it be risky to go ED if i need lots of financial aid if the school is need-blind admissions AND will meet 100 percent financial aid? (IF i get accepted)</p>
<p>ah, and my test scores are 2300 (SAT) and 4.0 GPA, also 120 TOEFL (probably wont stand out in the midst of all the genius applicants, i know...)
thank you!!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that when a school says that it will meet 100% of demonstrated need, they are using their definition of need, which may differ from yours. If your parents finances are not very complicated, there should be little difference, but things like having one’s own business will muddy the waters a bit, and may make your ED decision more difficult.</p>
<p>Also unsure why a Canadian citizen with toronto in the username felt the need to take TOEFL; you’re right, that will not stand out.</p>
<p>There are only SIX colleges that both meet full need AND are need blind for admissions for international students. As a Canadian, you would be an international student.</p>
<p>These six colleges are amongst the most competitive for admissions in this country. </p>
<p>Your first hurdle would be to gain admission…and that is no easy task at these six colleges. They accept about. 10% of applicants which means 90% or so get denied admission. In that 90%, there are excellent and well qualified applicants…like you.</p>
<p>While thumper1 is correct that here are only 6 universities that are need blind and meet full need for internationals, there are colleges above those 6 that are need blind/full need to Canadians as well. Penn and Chicago come to mind. Columbia used to be, but is no more.</p>
<p>It’s also worth noting that the acceptance rate for internationals at these schools is roughly half the overall acceptance rate. Hopefully, you have some Canadian unis as backups, which will be much more affordable.</p>
<p>Thank you guys for your input… yeah I see why ED would be risky… and the chances of getting accepted in these schools are very slim anyway, so applying for aid… wouldnt be so helpful haha…</p>
<p>im applying to UBC and U of T as well for backup…</p>
<p>oh but thumper1 the website states elsewhere this: hm… </p>
<p>Penn practices need-blind admissions for citizens and permanent residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Financial aid for other international students is limited, and, as a result, an applicant’s ability to pay for a Penn education is considered in the admission process.
Admitted international students who apply for aid when applying for admission will receive aid that meets 100 percent of their family’s demonstrated need—during each year of their undergraduate career. The University provides more than $6 million in financial assistance to such students each year.
Non-citizens and non-permanent residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico who anticipate the need for financial assistance at any point during their four-year course of study at Penn must apply for aid when they apply for admission.
That said, since competition for aid among international students is high, non-citizens and non-permanent residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico who have the financial means to afford educational costs are encouraged not to apply for financial aid. </p>
<p>but my question still stands: what would be the dangers/drawbacks of a student like me applying to ED for such prestigious schools? like, if i get in, then its yay! right? they would meet 100% of my needs, and if I don’t get accepted, it would just be whatever, and I would apply for regular admissions. No??</p>
<p>First of all, you don’t define need; the school does. So I suggest you start running some NPCs for these schools you are considering so that you will know what they think your family will pay. Bear in mind if there are some unusual financial situations with your family, those NPCs will not be accurate. Like having a family business, for instance. Also, make sure the school does guarantee full need to international students if accepted because full need met guarantees do not apply to all categories of students at some colleges. </p>
<p>The drawback of applying ED to a school with comparative offers is that you will be looking at an offer in a vacuum. If you are not familiar with fin aid and what other schools might give you, you have no idea whether you and your family should go for it, as it’s about as good as it gets in terms of a package, or if you got a lean package and could do better with another school. If you and your parents have determined what is affordable in college costs and reasonable to expect, that 's one thing. A lot of times, the limits are wishy washy, and the momentum of ED takes over. Parents can end up taking on more than they should have or would have had there been other offers on the table because of the emotional pull this process tends to have. </p>
<p>Run a number of NPCs, and see what your parents feel is affordable. IF Penn 's NPC is out of range for your family to manage, this might not even be an alternative.</p>
<p>Also, it’s not all that easy getting out ED at times. You get the answer in November when schools are in holiday mode. If the money is not enough, you try to negotiate; it can take time. You can spend a lot of time getting documentation, going back and forth and waiting before getting a final revision. In the mean time you have to get your other apps out and make sure PEnn or whoever your ED school doesn’t have you listed on the ED list that schools circulate or you can automatically be cut from RD consideration. Mistakes happen, and each time you have an exception to the way things work, the chances go up. </p>
<p>if you click the link Financial aid for international students it states the following</p>
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</p>
<p>I understand this as if you are a non citizen/non-permanent resident of the US, Canada or Mexico, then Penn is need aware in the admissions process. However, they are need blind to citizens of the US, Mexico and Canada. Because OP is a Canadian citizen, Penn will be need blind to him in the admissions process.</p>
<p>If you look at Penn Admissions FAQ’s it states the following:</p>
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</p>
<p>ITA agree with Cpt, while the school is need blind in the admissions process, they not you or your family determines what your financial need is. There is often a huge disconnect between what the school feels that the family can afford to pay and what the family feels that they can afford to pay.</p>
<p>The OP has the same less than 10% chance of acceptance as any other student. These generous schools will determine aid primarily using parents’ incomes and assets. So to the OP…that really is your issue. Can your parents afford what their family contribution would be to these $60,000 a year schools? Even if you have totally full need, you will be expected to make a student contribution that can be at least several thousand dollars.</p>
<p>“But money’s tight in our family and so i wont be able to attend US colleges unless they give me sufficient financial aid.”</p>
<p>You are using very subjective words here. Money is tight in many if not most families, even those who are considered wealthy, well to do, rich, “Sufficient financial aid” means nothing. What is sufficient financial aid for you and your family? How much can you and your family pay each year for your education? That includes savings, current income and loans (which you are not likely to be able to get in the US so it’s what 's available to your parents in their situation. That is what the model is in the US on how to pay for college. </p>
<p>You need to find out what schools are going to expect you to pay, before you start picking schools. No sense fishing in an empty pond. If your test scores and grades are such to make you competitive for Penn, there are likely schools that have good merit aid (make sure internationals are eligible for it) and you can give that a go .</p>