Please help a poor international student find an university.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello, this is my first post, and I'm hoping this is the correct forum. If not, please redirect me to the correct forum.</p>

<p>I am a Bangladeshi (next to India); I turn 20 next March. I completed my 12th grade board exams (A levels) under a British qualifications board (Edexcel) this June 2013, and technically that is when I graduated.</p>

<p>My credentials: 8 A, GPA 4/4 in 10th grade board exams (GCE O levels)
A in Physics and Chemistry, B in Biology and Mathematics, GPA 3.5/4 in 12th grade board exams (GCE A levels)</p>

<pre><code> SAT 1 - 2010 in Oct 2012, 1980 in June 2013, combined 2060.
Have not appeared for SAT II, or TOEFL.
GPA 4/4 throughout high school, and used to be in the top 5th percentile every year.
</code></pre>

<p>I don't have any ECs like drama etc. because they aren't prevalent in Bangladesh. I did work at hospitals though, and volunteered at slum children's health programs quite extensively.</p>

<p>I graduated from a private prep school which I attended . I missed an exam session because I couldn't pay the exam fees, or I would have graduated earlier, in January 2013.</p>

<p>My parents make less than $10k combined annually. The school I went to waived most of my fees. I have a fee waiver and I can apply without fees.</p>

<p>I tried getting admitted to medical colleges (for MBBS) here in Bangladesh but unfortunately I will not be able to pay $20k bribes needed to gain admission. I can't afford to attend private universities here as well, because the costs run pretty high over four years. I've registered for entrance exams for BBA programs in public universities, but there is a chance I might not get in. </p>

<p>Basically, I'm asking for any international friendly university or college which is accredited and will fund me. I know my credentials aren't stellar, but I can get 2200 plus on the SATs and high enough on the TOEFL if I get tuition right now. I'm also not above absolutely any sort of work or employment to pay what I can. Any major with decent enough job prospects at a decent school where I don't have have fees looming over me will be great.</p>

<p>Please help me find places where I can study for the least amount of money, or work part-time and pay the fees. I was hoping to study Biology or something related, but I'm open to everything since I can't be picky.</p>

<p>Thank you for reading.</p>

2

<p>I’m not sure :confused: maybe University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or University of Madison-Wisconsin or Rutgers University?</p>

<p>Basically, look for good state schools, as they tend to be cheaper.</p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>Apdenoatis, state schools are NOT cheap for internationals since they give no financial aid. In addition, “Cheap” in the US isn’t “cheap” in the rest of the world.</p>

<p>Michael: First thing: register to take the TOEFL immediately.
The college you’ll be applying to with the greatest odds of admission is Berea College. A prerequisite is that applicants should be lower income, so you qualify. Only 5% internationals are admitted but ALL admitted students are funded - generous donors and the college itself pay for 100% tuition, room, board, and fees (for all applicants, internaitonal and domestic). In exchange, you work for 15 hours for the college. You’re paid directly and must use that money for your personal expenses. If you live frugally (ie, don’t go out for pizza or waste your work money on beer) you can even save some of that money in order to contribute to your education your 2nd year, when you’ll be expected to contribute a little bit but still get the free tuition, room&board deal. And the school’s really good, too.
Berea is not on CommonApp and requires you to send everything in an envelope, including your test scores, so you need to take IELTS or TOEFL ASAP.
[International</a> Students - Office of Admissions](<a href=“http://www.berea.edu/admissions/international/]International”>http://www.berea.edu/admissions/international/)</p>

<p>Then, register on commonapp.org. Start filling out everything you can. Find a counselor (head teacher, master teacher, principal) willing to write the general recommendation for you, and 2-3 teachers willing to explain in what ways you’re out of the ordinary. (The teachers and counselors can use the CommonApp forms as the basis for their Berea recommendations, too).
Check out: [Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org%5DColleges”>http://www.ctcl.org) and us news world record (it’s a magazine that got the idea of “ranking” universities. The two most prestigious categories are national universities and national liberal arts colleges). The best odds are for you to apply to schools in the Midwest and South. NESCAC schools tend to provide generous financial aid to internationals they admit but are super selective so select a few but not too many. Grinnell, Macalester, and Dickinson all welcome internationals and provide financial aid.</p>

<p>By the way your A Level “GPA” isn’t 3.5 but 3.85, because the British B is called A- in the American system (as per CIE page).</p>

<p>As an international student, you will only be allowed to work on campus and will NOT be allowed to work part time off campus.</p>

4

<p>I am not familiar with the relationship Bangladesh has with other nations in terms of education. Is there a country (or universities within Bangladesh) that would offer you lower tuition because of your citizenship. </p>

<p>A US university is not a golden ticket. Sometimes, your best bet is elsewhere in the world. My own US citizen daughter is quite determined to study in the UK, for example, because she can finish her course in much shorter time. I get the impression you wish to study medicine…if that is the case, the US is not the best place for you. Even if you get aid for undergrad, you wont for medical school. Better to apply in a UK-type system that is accredited where you wish to practice. In that system, you will be working much sooner and with lower incurred costs than if you study in the US.</p>

5

<p>I would look into schools where you would be able to obtain scholarships (below level schools). Also look at state schools such as UVA, UCLA, UNC, UMichigan…all are still expensive but at least you will be receiving an amazing education.</p>

<p>Also look into schools in Canada, they are often much cheaper so I would highly recommend that. Hope this helps.</p>