Hi, I’m an international student from India aiming to apply for the fall 2018 term. I really need help in shortlisting colleges because most of what I know about the American college system comes from social media, and so I’m kind of clueless. I will be applying for aid also. What kinds of schools would I be competitive for with the following stats?
SAT 1450, 21 Essay
5’s on both APUSH and AP Psych, self studied
9th - 88%
10th - 94%
11th - 80%
Expecting 88% in my 12th grade midterms
(My high school is ranked third in the country)
EC’s -
3 years of MUN-ing, won several awards and chaired two
Weekly volunteer at an animal shelter
Harvard College in Asia internship
Member of Social Service League (6 hours a week all year except summer, making and selling things for charity)
Member of Debate and Elocution Society in school
Worked in Literary Arts department for school fest (second largest in Asia)
Private tutor for 9th and 10th grade Math
2 years basketball
I’ve also won awards for essay writing and English Olympiads, as well as had my poetry published in some magazines.
Kenyon, Hamilton, Oberlin, Connecticut College, Pitzer, Skidmore and Wheaton (MA) would suit you academically and offer you a range of selectivity options. A source for further ideas can be the “overlaps” for these schools, available through their individual U.S. News online entries.
Bates, Smith and Clark, as well as the similarly named Lewis & Clark, might be other schools to research further. For the study of psychology, the suggestions in post 2 would still hold, however.
You can get into most schools and the majority have Psych programs, so you really need to narrow things down. What part of the country are you interested in; you can choose based on climate, natural attractions such as the beach, sociopolitical factors, etc. What size school and how much do you want to pay? Since you are an international student, do you need easy access to an airport and public transportation? Will you be remaining in the US after graduation? To earn a good income as a Psychology major in the US, you need to consider PhD level education.
@PAclgmom When compared to American costs of living, my family doesn’t earn much, and it would be difficult for me to be able to independently pay more than $30,000. I will definitely be applying for financial aid, need blind or not. Therefore, as long as it is a decent school that has a fair chance of giving me aid, I do not mind the location. I plan to return back to India after my Master’s.
I don’t know a lot about aid for international students, but I would take a look at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ. Great Psychology program and they have an airport shuttle that runs practically all the time to Newark International airport. Newark has direct flights to Mumbai and New Delhi. Good luck!
Note that only a small number of universities are need-blind for international students AND promise to meet full need – Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT. As far as I know, Amherst is the only liberal arts college that meets both criteria.
Most other colleges have very limited financial aid for international students, and applying for financial aid will place you in a very competitive pool of international applicants. Look especially at the wealthiest colleges (including those in post #9) and the colleges where your stats place you in the top 25% or so.
I’ll add to the above, though, that after a student gains acceptance at many colleges, their country of origin (whether domestic or international) will not be a factor in their financial aid award.
If you’re applying for aid as an international student, throw your net wide and apply to colleges across the country. Wealthier LACs like Grinnell tend to give good aid. I’d start there and continue applying. Look for both need based and merit based aid.
A broad and strong psychology department will ideally offer course elements in the major subfields of modern psychology: clinical, cognitive, developmental, social, personality, educational, physiological/biological and sensory. When reviewing programs, you may want to look for these components within the course descriptions, as well as for opportunities for research and fieldwork.