<p>I am an Irish student and am considering the fact that I may not, as so many others do not, get into an Ivy of my choosing. I am also not in line for need based financial aid but, ironically, desperately need financial aid. I have a 4.0 gpa and all A* predictions in my UK A-levels. I can substitute these for SAT 2's at NYU but am not sure about the others? any insight? Also, what packages are offered to people in my situation as someone with a 2250 SAT 1 at these colleges? I am also, if it matters any, a volunteer with well in excess of 600 hours of volunteer time and numerous other high flying achievements in EC's. Finally, what are the prospects for a lawyer coming out of these schools grad schools? That is the most important part as I hope to attend my college of choices law school.</p>
<p>If you can’t get into any Ivy, you won’t get into Vandy or Duke either. I would choose Boston College over NYU personally if those were your two choices left standing.</p>
<p>Boston College only deals with need based financial aid. The only merit aid you could really get would be in the form of an athletic scholarship or the entrance to the Presidential Scholars Program, which requires you to apply Early Action.</p>
<p>I assume you are an international student, so need based financial aid is out of the question.</p>
<p>I think it is premature to assume you can’t get into Vanderbilt or Duke. Your test scores and grades are within range of those schools and they are trying to have more international students. Irish counts!
Obviously those schools are pretty selective so no one has a great chance of admission…
Their websites should list whether any aid is available for internationals.
Also, if you search on the CC forums (this and the financial aid one) you should be able to find more on schools with aid for internationals.
Good luck :-)</p>
<p>NYU might give you some merit scholarship, but that’s a large might. Most schools do not provide need-based financial aid to international students.</p>
<p>Are the scores I have attained not good enough for Vanderbilt or Duke? There is still plenty of time for repeating if needs be. Goldenboy8784, what are your reasons for picking BC over NYU? And how much could the Presidential Scholars Program offer me? Along the same lines how much would the top merit based grant from NYU offer me? And what scores are needed to achieve this? Finally, once again, what would the prospects be out of these schools law departments?</p>
<p>If you want information about using your A-levels, there’s an international forum just for students from the [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/united-kingdom/][b]UK[/b][/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/united-kingdom/]UK[/url</a>] . . . why not go there and ask?</p>
<p>Your questions about law school might also be better answered in the law school forum, but I’ll let you find that one yourself.</p>
<p>As for your questions about school-specific merit scholarships, having you thought of checking on the schools’ websites?</p>
<p>In other words, you have the tools at your disposal to answer many, if not all, of your questions yourself. Why not use them?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Law is a post-graduate program in the US. If you want to pursue Law as a first degree, you need to do it in a country that offers that. </p></li>
<li><p>Each college and university posts specific information about need- and merit-based aid for international applicants right on its website. If you cannot find this information, send an email to the International Admissions Officer or to the head of the International Students Office and ask. Before you get excited about applying to the institutions on your list, make dead certain that they do offer some aid to international students.</p></li>
<li><p>If you have not already done so, you should read through all of the information at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://educationusa.state.gov/]EducationUSA”>http://educationusa.state.gov/) and make an appointment to meet with one of the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. They are expert at helping students in your country find good places to study in the US, and they will be able to tell you where students with grades and exam scores like yours have been admitted and whether or not they received any financial aid.</p></li>
<li><p>b@r!um who often posts in [International</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/]International”>International Students - College Confidential Forums) is one of our resident experts on financial aid for international applicants. Look for what she has posted on that issue. You could also try sending her a PM for more specific advice.</p></li>
</ol>