<p>Dear parents,
I am a nominally "international student" even though I have been in the US for 6 years. I am a senior applying to colleges, but I don't have any safety schools that would offer me generous financial aid packages if I am accepted. My counselor isn't sure what to do with my situation, so am seeking your guidance.</p>
<p>My stats are pretty good--4.6 WGAP & 4.0 unweighted, 35 on ACT (SAT is worse, but i just retook it today), 800 on Math II and Chem, 730 on World & 720 on Bio; took 6 ap's so far and got all 5's, Intel ISEF finalist, Science Olympiad medalist at the national level, have conducted research for 2 summers. OH yes, and president/founder of Science Olympiad team, VP of science national honors society and some smaller leadership positions. 100 hours of community service. </p>
<p>Ultimately, I want to go into science and maybe become a professor when I grow up. </p>
<p>Currently, I am looking at:
Caltech (?)
MIT (?)
UPenn
Duke
WashU
Cornell
Uchicago
Rice</p>
<p>Swarthmore
Wellesley
Carleton
Bryn Mawr
Vassar
Oberlin
Reed</p>
<p>However, I cannot rely on being accepted to ANY of these schools, but my family also cannot afford public schools (out of state tuitions) without any financial aid.</p>
<p>Could you please provide me some guidance?</p>
<p>I would sincerely appreciate any feedbacks.</p>
<p>I suspect that Scripps College, in the Claremont cluster, and the University of Southern California would offer generous aid packages. (As a Scripps student, you could do science at Pomona and Harvey Mudd if the Scripps offerings weren't sufficient.) I'm not sure what Scripps does for internationals, but USC does have special funding packages earmarked for top international students.</p>
<p>None of your schools are safeties for ANYONE, much less financial safeties. And as an international student, you will be on the bottom of the stack in terms of financial aid much of the time. You need to look at schools that are seeking students, good students and that do not have a glut of international or any students in line for financial and merit aid. Your school choices are all high reaches, in my book. All very well known, high selectivity schools, and we are not even talking about financial aid packages.</p>
<p>Practically speaking there is no such thing as "safety school" (academically + financially) for international students.</p>
<p>You have very good stats and ECs, so you have a reasonably good chance of acceptance at the very top schools. Some of them are need-blind for international students (of the top of my head I know that Harvard and Williams are). You should find all the need-blind schools and apply to all of them. Swarthmore gives good aid, but is not need-blind for internationals, which will make it tougher for you to get in (though you will still have a good shot with your profile). If you are considering womens' colleges, you should look into Smith as well. Good luck!</p>
<p>Actually, there are if the students have very good stats, nngmm. There are many, many schools in the US who are hungry for students with high stats. THe problem is that these schools require research to find and are not the big name schools that have the recognition. They are often not located in areas popular to those out of region. The competition for the few spots available at need blind schools is very high. Only the top of the top will get them, especially from countries that are over represented. In order to get a safety list together, you need to look at much less known schools that give merit money, even full rides to good students. I guarantee you will find some excellent possibilities. If you have heard of the school, it is likely, it is not a safety. You need to look at the more obscure lists.</p>
<p>There are only eight colleges that are need-blind and full-need for all applicants, including international students. These are Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Middlebury College, MIT, Princeton University, Williams College, Yale University, and Amherst College.</p>
<p>Reich, you say you are "nominally" international. Well, you either are or are not, in terms of college financial aid terms. If you fall into the international criteria, then you are NOT eligible for any government aid, and most colleges are not need blind in admissions for you. However, with your excellent stats, my opinion is that you are a stellar candidate with a good chance of getting admissions and aid even at those schools that are not need blind. In fact, your chances may be better in getting something from them as the non need blind schools are even more swamped with international apps than other schools. However, as everyone does, you should have some true financial safeties, and the thread I recommended can give you such choices.</p>
<p>Also, what is your home state? You may be able to get in state tuition depending on state rules. In my state, if you can prove residency in the US for 3 years, you get in state tuition rates which is a very good deal. Plus many of our state schools have excellent merit awards outside of government programs that internationals can equally get. Just having a three year high school transcript will suffice for the residency requirement. Do look at the rules for your state.</p>