Re #139, I’ll correct that. Hamilton’s 75th percentile SAT is 2220.
JackWang, this is not necessarily the case. When you arrive at an info session/tour, you will often be asked to sign in. Many schools use the sign in as an expression of interest, not the registration for the tour (after all, you could register and then not visit and that wouldn’t show much of anything). Whether or not a school requires registration in advance is sometimes a function of practicality - if they have a large room for the info session and numerous tour guides available, they might not care about registration in advance.
So are you guys saying that it’s harder for international students who need financial support to get in? I don’t really get it sorry.
And as far as I know, only very few schools offer financial aid(need based) to international students. Most of my friends who have gotten some merit based scholarship didn’t not apply for it. And I think usually the ones that offer scholarships are low match or safety. However if the applicant is very exceptional, Ivy League schools would offer full scholarship.
@jackwang0703 : A school can be 1) “need aware for international applicants” (in terms of admission) and also 2) “meet the full demonstrated need” of all accepted students. There’s no contradiction in this type of policy. However, didn’t you post that your family would not require need-based aid to fully support your education?
I took my kid to tour 3 colleges last week and we were already beginning to feel a little burnout after the last tour. I think you need to do a lot more research on these schools before planning to see what, 15, 20 schools? (Ivy League schools don’t offer merit scholarships. And I’m thinking that if 3 members of your family can afford to fly twice to the US this year and spend thousands of dollars touring colleges that you aren’t going to qualify for much need-based aid. ). I feel that such a rushed tour will be exhausting and expensive and leave you with little more than the same kinds of impressions you could get simply by doing virtual tours or looking through campus photographs. I also think you need to consider what the purpose and priorities of this trip are. Are you visiting to help you make the best choice for you, or are you visiting so that an admissions officer will check off that you were on campus and you may possibly gain some small admissions advantage? I’d say your time here is valuable and should be used to help you make the best decisions you can. Rushing to 20 colleges to check off the “visited here” box seems like a poor use of time. Especially since those colleges wouldn’t expect an international student to visit.
OP - You have to forgive the tone of some of these comments. Many, many Americans cannot fathom making a long trip without a car. It’s just not in their DNA. Personally, I would no more fly to a foreign country and get behind the wheel of a moving vehicle than I would fly to the moon. But, YMMV.
Yeah I mean we are not like not able to pay the tuition without financial aid, but still it’s ideal if o can get some merit-based scholarship cuz the tuition is exorbitant and my parents are just regular middle working class.
OP, read Merci’s post #143 again. There are only 5 schools that are need blind and meet full need for international students (HYP, MIT and Amherst). Other schools might offer an international applicant the full amount of needed aid, but they will consider whether applicants need aid in determining whether to admit them. That means that an international applicant who needs significant aid has to be an incredibly strong candidate for the school.
For merit aid, an international applicant (as well as a domestic applicant for that matter) would have to be a a strong candidate for the school (at or above the 75th percentile). There is generally less merit money available for international students and many many students want such aid.
And circuitrider, I see no need to apologize for anyone’s tone. People on this site have been incredibly generous of their time and wisdom and in the case of transportation, are trying to explain that American public transportation is often not that practical (particularly trains) - this is different than other countries, where trains are often much faster and run more frequently. The OP has a suggested a very ambitious schedule in a very short time and frankly, without a car, he’s not going to be able to see all the places he might wish to.
I’m just gonna be honest with myself. I’m kinda starting to hesitate whether we should actually do this trip. My purpose frankly is just to be on the actual campus and see what it’s like. So we are just making judgments from the environment, not in depth. I just wanna see if there are some campuses that intrigue me or some that I don’t enjoy.
Let’s go back to the beginning of this thread, before it got so ambitious. You won’t be able to visit every potential safety on your list. Not in one week. My suggestion would be to pick the city you will be departing from and plan to spend an extra day or two there. It’s the lamp light dilemma all over again, but, I don’t see any solution for that other than renting a car. Number two, I disagree with @midatlmom: you can certainly visit NYU and Columbia in a single day. NYU is a neighborhood more than a university; get off the subway at West Fourth Street, walk around - you’ll know very quickly if it’s your cup of tea. Columbia’s entire campus fits on one city block. It’s not going to take all day. Then, head south, spend the night in Philly and you can almost certainly get in a visit to Penn on Day Two, Johns Hopkins on Day Three, and save Washington DC for the last leg of the trip. From there, you can squeeze in Georgetown, GWU or any number of match schools in the D,C. area. It’s a reach-y list; there won’t be time for any LACs, but, it includes seven universities that would certainly be of interest to your parents and reachable by Amtrak. short cab rides or metro connections
I recognize that I probably shouldn’t respond here, but circuitrider, you have clearly misread my advice - I was talking about doing 3 official visits in one day and I said that it would probably be impossible to do Columbia, NYU and Fordham in one day. Visiting Columbia and NYU in a day is certainly doable, assuming tours and info session schedules work out. Adding an official tour/info session of Fordham strikes me as impossible.
Hey guys um I’m looking for a hotel to book in Midtown, NY, preferably with a metro station nearby. I’m trying to find one that charges less than 200 per day. Does anybody have any recommendations? I want the hotel to have easy access to NYU and the tourist attractions. Thank you!
Good luck with that.
Thanks. I’m being idealistic.
Thanks. I’m being idealistic.
AirBNB?
Manhattan has very good subway coverage, and not too many bad neighborhoods. So if you expand a bit outside of midtown, you should be able find something.
I think there are a few inexpensive not-great-but-not-horrible hotels on like 8th ave near 34th st. Right near the A/C/E and Penn Station.
That price point is tough in Manhattan. If you go to Weehawken there are nice hotels under $200 and it is a quick Ferry, Jitney or light rail-to-PATH to get into Manhattan.
But honestly, if it is your first time there and you can afford it, I recommend considering a spurge in tourist central right in midtown.
So what do u guys think of Holiday Inn Express Midtown? I checked and it’s about 260 bucks per night. How’s that price?
You’re fine.