Each school is different. Some are need blind, and some are need aware. I would say that most schools are need blind, but there may be more T20 schools that are need aware. Some on the forum are pretty “up” on schools that are need aware, so they can chime in.
The timeline for requesting a special circumstances review varies by school. I suggest contacting each school & asking.
Here’s my take: If you have had a loss of income and require additional aid, you need to be upfront about that. If they can’t assist you with the kind of aid you need, you’re going to have to say no … so start working with the aid offices as soon as possible.
Hello, I am an International student planning on applying for a full ride, I know my chances are slim because of that, however, I always wondered how they link my application to the css profile application? how do they link this to this, since there isn’t a way to link my css profile/college board with my common application for example, and also if you’d know where I’d find colleges where I would have a better chance as an international student applying for a full ride
@Dolaring you have some obstacles you need to understand.
There are only seven colleges here that are both need blind for admissions AND meet full need for all international students.
They are:
Harvard University. “Harvard has a need-blind application process for all students, domestic and international. …
Princeton University. …
MIT. …
Yale University. …
Dartmouth College - since 2022. …
Amherst College. …
Bowdoin College - since 2022.
As you can see…these are highly competitive for admissions with very very low acceptance rates in general and even lower for international students.
So…either you will be applying to a college that is need aware…meaning your level of financial need will be considered when your application is reviewed. Or you will be applying to a college that doesn’t guarantee to meet full need for all accepted international students…OR BOTH.
So…let’s start with your location (because some locations are more difficult for international students), and your stats (GPA and SAT/ACT score)
Honestly…you should start your own thread about your own college search and selection. You will get much better advice by doing so…
Oh wait…you already HAVE a thread started. You received some good advice there. Please read it again. I a.so just tagged a couple of posters to respond to that other thread…they might have some ideas!
I suggest checking out this website and perhaps consider contacting them for assistance with your search: EducationUSA at AMIDEAST Cairo | EducationUSA. I have worked with staff in other countries in my role as an international student advisor for a college, and I found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful.
I’ve read it all already, there is indeed alot of useful information there, but none of which answer either of my questions, I have a hefty college list already and will open another forum after officialy testing for the act, was just wondering if there are other universities I should know about, and how colleges link the css profile application to the commonapp application
You will be putting your identifying demographic information on the common application AND the same CSS Profile. The colleges will set up an account for you and everything you submit will be put in that account.
Make sure your name, address, birthdate, and everything else on the application exactly matches the info you put on the Profile.
I also believe there are clear directions for international students on the CSS Profile.
And the folks at educationusa should also be able to answer this and any other questions you have.
@MYOS1634 anything else this international student needs to do so that his profile information will get received by colleges to which he applies.
Am I missing something?
Did I fill out the FAFSA wrong or is this normal??
I filled out FAFSA last October 2022. Was disappointed to see EFC at $54,490 !!! Super high, nearly passed out from shock.
I called FAFSA and asked about this and they said it was based on husbands income $163K AGI
(Filled out FAFSA with auto IRS fill in.) Also husband has 100k in stock.
We live month to month and finances are stretched.
Financial aid results are trickling in and we are getting ZERO
I will need to find a job to pay for DD college because we can’t afford tuition
D Applied to OOS schools that give merit (received moderate amt) and has gotten in to one in state college that’s ehhh
Feel terrible since she worked so hard and now she may end up at CC (not end of world but discouraging)
So . . . were the FAFSA results for our family normal?
Advice and Suggestions please
not that this will make you feel any better, but very similar numbers to what we saw.
It’s not our first rodeo, so we knew what to expect with our last kiddo. We could not pay that EFC for four kids x four years plus add in a transfer and professional grad school . . . so all of our kids looked for schools that offered high auto merit or at our very reasonable in-state options. And, i retired from being a housewife and went back to work very recently, which is actually pretty great , and will get us through a few more college graduations.
Found this out with our first, even when we had 3 in college we only were eligible for some of her loans to be subsidized. In state or OOS with merit. We live in a very high COL area so money doesn’t go as far.
Yes, it’s a typical EFC for that income. It’s difficult to adjust expectations at this point, but you need to regroup and focus on affordable schools. The school a student attends is not necessarily what defines the future. I’m constantly hearing about young people my kids went to K-12 with who have wonderful careers that they love … and they went to state directional schools, started at community college, didn’t go to college right away, etc. If your D is a strong and motivated student, she will do well regardless of the school she attends.
There is no (non-merit) financial aid given for single parent households making less than 6 figures so it could be much worse! An extra $63k would be a game changer for some to afford college. Not sure how any below six figure salary households can afford anything for college yet their EFC says otherwise.
Start a thread titled “Urgent! Made financial mistake, now looking for colleges offering merit aid for … GPA, …ACT/SAT, $… budget senior”
Knowledgeable people will respond and offer suggestions so that your daughter has choices.
(Having a choice will matter a lot, even if she doesn’t attend her #1 college).
If you can find a job to help pay for tuition, it’s a solution - any hours you can find will help. Many workplaces start at $15/hr, which is not much, but it still helps - and the better you find, the better for you and your child’s choices.
You may have filled FAFSA wrong.
In any case, FAFSA doesn’t really help, colleges that offer good FA tend to use the CSS Profile. Have you used that one?
There have to be possibilities: what’s your budget?
your daughter can have a shot at a 4-year college since some are still taking applications.
an issue with advanced students at CC’s is that they may not have many credits to take, unless they happen to live in a system such as California where CC’s offer a full range of courses, so it may not even be a real choice for your daughter - what state do you live in?
Are public, instate universities 1° affordable and 2° still taking applications?
What are her stats? What does she plan to major in? How many AP’s/DE/IB classes has she taken (which ones?)*
kelsmom - Thank your for that very important reminder. So hard when her fellow classmates can afford top tier schools. It’s where you end up that matters!
MYOS1634 - she has a choice - one in state option - hasn’t received “enough”(sounds terrible to even say that) from the popular OOS merit schools and we are still waiting for financial aid sheet from several colleges. Her gpa was 3.89UW/4.3W no SAT/no AP. She has been admitted to some great schools that we can’t afford. Somebody on the waitlist will be super happy when a spot opens up at some of those schools.
by “to have a choice”, I mean “to be able to choose between 2 orr 3 relatively good, albeit not top, options”.
This is essential so a hard-working kid doesn’t feel they’re “settling” nor feel they “are cornered”, but feel they’re in control, can choose just like everyone else, go visit several campuses, get enthusiastic, and make a choice that they feel is best for them rather than feel “boxed in”.
These may not be her top OOS choices but they’ll be possibilities to consider, to discuss with friends at the lunch table (“I’m thinking of Z University, but X gave me a nice scholarship, and T College admitted me to their Honors program AND gave me a scholarship” v. not saying anything because she only has one university and she feels forced to go there. It may sound like a 1st world pb to us but is very real to seniors.)
For instance, Hendrix offers a flagship tuition match - if you can afford an in-state public university, she’s likely to afford Hendrix, which is an academically strong LAC with an innovative curriculum.
UMaine also offers a tuition match.
SUNYs, even without a merit scholarship, are a bargain, offer strong academics in a variety of fields (ceramics -physics- at Alfred, fashion or meteorology at Oneonta, Sports/exercise science at Cortland, Engineering at SUNY Buff, Business at Albany…)
Many CTCL’s offer merit money (and are academically strong) - if you listed your State and/or her preferred environment, I could suggest a few apps she could easily send to CTCL’s within 400 miles and/or in her preferred environment. (Many are free to apply and don’t have extra essays, so if she used the CommonApp she can easily add a handful.)
In short, she could have 2 or 3 additional affordable acceptances in a month
, and will get us through a few more college graduations.