PLEASE HELP: INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER looking for match schools in MATH/SCIENCE!!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi guys. I am currently a freshman in a tiny, private University in South Florida. Due to immigration issues, I am considered an "international" student, which puts me in the international pool anywhere. Thus, I can only apply to PRIVATE schools. </p>

<p>I'm trying to transfer to somewhere with an excellent program in math/science. Anywhere in the country will be fine. </p>

<p>Thanks so much for the help! =)</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>I did well in high school but not stellar on retrospect:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.67 U / 4.76 W
SAT: (2270) 700 R / 770 M / 800 W
SAT 2: World 710, Span 800 (will take Math 2 and Chem this January)
ACT: 31
Rank: top 5%
APs: 12 taken.
Awards: AP Scholar w/ Distinction (twice, for 2008 and 2009), Questbrigde College Prep Scholarship, Questbridge Finalist, McDonalds House Charities Scholarship
ECs: President of my class (>600) for 2 years, county-wide leadership program, and some volunteering, albeit very little. </p>

<p>Now, as a college freshman:</p>

<p>Double-degree: BS in Mathematics, second BS in Chemistry & Biology
GPA: 3.765</p>

<p>Courseload:</p>

<p>First semester: (17 credits)
- Calc 3 A-
- Bio 1 A
- Bio Lab A
- Chem 1 A
- Chem lab A
- Physics w/ Calculus 1 B+
- Phy Lab A</p>

<p>Second Sem: (15 creds)
- Complex Variables
- Numerical Analysis
- Chem 2
- Chem 2 lab
- Physics w/ Calc 2
- Phy lab</p>

<p>My Extracurriculars now:</p>

<ul>
<li>Vice President/Co-founder of Math + Astronomy Club</li>
<li>Hobby: Stargazing. (About 1 hour per night, own a small telescope) (Means a lot to me)</li>
<li>Read a lot of math (Heisenberg, Dirac, Penrose, etc.)</li>
</ul>

<p>I want to transfer to a school with a great math/science program. My goal is to get a top doctorate program for the sciences, although which specific subject, I am still unsure. Because of various reasons, I can only go to private schools. </p>

<p>Taking into considerations my stats, which schools should I look at in my transfer goals? I would like to start at my new school next fall. Anywhere in the US. </p>

<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! =)</p>

2

<p>*I want to transfer to a school with a great math/science program. My goal is to get a top doctorate program for the sciences, although which specific subject, I am still unsure. Because of various reasons, I can only go to private schools. </p>

<p>Taking into considerations my stats, which schools should I look at in my transfer goals? I would like to start at my new school next fall. Anywhere in the US.
*</p>

<p>I’m confused…you were a Questbridge finalist, but you’re not a resident?</p>

<p>We need more info. There’s a lot of great schools that are strong in Math/Science. What didnt’ you like about your present school, so we don’t recommend the same type of school.</p>

<p>Can you pay all of your college costs?</p>

3

<p>Yes, you can be a Questbridge finalist even if you are a citizen of another country. The catch of course, is that only 2 of the Questbrige partners agree to take in foreign citizens for their “National College Match Program”: Yale & Princeton, neither of which I applied to. </p>

<p>Also, I sound incredibly boring in the initial post. Here’s a bit more info:</p>

<p>I am a 19 year old girl, lowest income, Hispanic. Over the summer I worked a job at a small fast food to help pay for my tuition. </p>

<p>Little bit of story: I came to US with family in 2000. Due to immigration issues and low income thing, I entered HS expecting to drop out. After turning myself around after the first semester w/ the help of a motivation JROTC sergeant, I began to take all APs and IB courses, including dual-enrollment at a local community college over the summer. I attained top grades but my rank and GPA were always held back because of that first HS semester. </p>

<p>By the end of high school (actually by my sophomore year), I was getting straight As, had been named representative of my school to a county-wide leadership program, and even got a full-paid scholarship to attend the National Young Leaders Conference (no big deal, but the scholarship is), and I became my school’s FIRST (in over 6 years) AP scholar w/ distinction. I got elected as President of my class for 2 consecutive years, position which meant THE WORLD to me. Eventually, I helped raise a little over $20,000 for the class’s activities. </p>

<p>Over the summer, it looked like I wouldn’t be able to go to college at all as I was rejected everywhere and my “International” status mixed with my family’s under 20,000 a year income did not help. </p>

<p>So then I took MIT’s free classes online in youtube (Chem & Bio), while I read books on physics for free (I couldn’t pay for them) at a local bookstore (I did this before my work shifts, as the book store was in front of where I worked). I saved up my earnings and paid for enough of the tuition at a local private university in order to register, dropped my job as soon as my 17-credit semester started, and here I am. </p>

<p>I also paint and enjoy poetry.</p>

<p>P.S- No, I cannot pay for much. Thus, I need a school that would offer either scholarships or very generous fin. aid. to Internationals.</p>

4

<p>Well, you sound like a hard worker :slight_smile: And you have great stats.</p>

<p>I have no idea of where to suggest since you’re an int’l transfer student who needs virtually a full-ride. (Is that right?)</p>

<p>Hopefully, someone here has some ideas. </p>

<p>My only guess is to apply to ivies like Harvard who give full aid to int’ls.</p>

5

<p>Harvard and Princeton do not take transfer students.</p>

6

<p>I wonder why you were “rejected everywhere”. Considering your stats, ECs and URM status, there are tons of colleges (including a few high ranked ones) that should have accepted you. Where did you apply exactly ?</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m not too familiar with this, but I’ve heard that even many of the top colleges are not need-blind for internationals.</p>

8

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</p>

<p>So, look into these. HYP are probably out of the question because they take so few transfers or none at all. </p>

<p>I’m rooting for you Metdeth, I’ve seen you often on CC (I think in the HSL forum? We joined CC in the same year) and after hearing your background, you deserve the kind of college you’re looking for.</p>

9

<p>Hi guys! Thank you SO much! For some reason, I had never found that list (the one about the need-blind colleges.) It helped a lot! I did a bit of research and it turns out that out of those 7, only 3 accept International transfers: MIT, Amherst, and Dartmouth. Yale, I am not sure but I have contacted their offices already and I expect I should hear from them shortly. </p>

<p>If anything, I am definitely applying to the 3 that are need-blind for International Transfer applicants. I am also going to look at some other schools that, while need-aware, I may still have a chance on. </p>

<p>Thank you so much for this! It really helped a lot! =)</p>

10

<p>Take a look at Grinnell, a midwestern LAC with:
-exceptionally strong sciences,
-a large endowment that equals excellent financial aid, small classes and new facilities,
-a genuine interest in diversity on campus (12% international students), and…
-it’s own observatory on campus. (Very little light pollution in rural Iowa.)</p>

<p>S visited 10 top LACs and fell in love with Grinnell, the last one he visited.</p>

11

<p>I remember you. Your persistence is very impressive!</p>

<p>I’m guessing that the school that you are currently in is limited in how far you can go and in the pace. I think that you have to consider the possibility that you will not get financial aid and in addition to applying to the needs-blind schools above, you may need to just go to a very inexpensive but high quality college. </p>

<p>I looked up small catholic universities in Florida, and the least expensive one had a tuition that was around $17K. If you could find a school that would prepare you for graduate school but would cost around that amount, could you find a way to do it if you had to?</p>

<p>I went on collegeboard.com, put in 4-yr, and OOS tuition less than 15K and looked for schools that I’ve heard of:</p>

<p>I found 3 that have tuition, room and board for under $20K. </p>

<p>New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (don’t let the name scare you)
Truman State University
University of Minnesota at Morris</p>

<p>In a ranking of % of undergraduates who go on to get doctorates in math, physical science and engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is 13th. </p>

<p>In a ranking of % of undergraduate who go on to get any doctorate, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is 52nd. </p>

<p>OOS tuition is $13,568
Room+board is $5,702</p>

<p>Truman State University</p>

<p>From Wiki Truman State “Truman State University is Missouri’s only highly selective public institution of higher learning”. It is a public liberal arts college. It’s 25%-75% range is </p>

<p>SAT Critical Reading: 540 - 700
SAT Math: 570 - 690<br>
ACT Composite: 25 - 31 </p>

<p>OOS tuition is $11,543
Room+board is $6,854 </p>

<p>University of Minnesota at Morris
Public Liberal Arts College
SAT Critical Reading: 520 - 700
SAT Math: 560 - 680
SAT Writing: 520 - 650<br>
ACT Composite: 21 - 27 </p>

<p>Out-of-state tuition and fees: $10,716<br>
Room and board: $7,056 </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

12

<p>I would suggest looking into LACs that give good need based aid. Swarthmore, Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan come to mind. All have excellent science programs and students do very well getting into grad school. You need to emphasise your story. I think it will appeal to them. Other schools you might want to look at are Lafayette, Dickinson, University of Rochester. Good luck to you.</p>

13

<p>Cornell makes some allowances: I don’t know if this helps you. </p>

<p>[Untitled</a> Document](<a href=“http://www.finaid.cornell.edu/finaid/.../Transfer-Financial-Aid-Application.pdf]Untitled”>http://www.finaid.cornell.edu/finaid/.../Transfer-Financial-Aid-Application.pdf) </p>

<p>"U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents<em>, applicants who have been granted refugee or asylum status</em>, Canadian or Mexican citizens, and Canadian permanent residents** are eligible to
apply for financial assistance, and should follow the instructions listed below.
"</p>

14

<p>Since you are female have you considered the all female colleges like :Wellesley, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke. I have heard these are all especially good. I have also heard some good things about Agnes Scott, Scripps and Mills.
But the first for I have heard are really nice with financial aid (although some of them do not call themselves need blind, but “need aware”). I head some of them also them take quite a few transfer students every year.
I have heard that Smith and Wellesley are especially good in the sciences, and I read Smith just got a new science building so that might be of your interest. I think you should definitely check them out.</p>

15

<p>I am a 19 year old girl, lowest income,…international </p>

<p>ClassicRockerDad…</p>

<p>While those are inexpensive choices, where would a poor int’l get even $20k to attend those schools? (COA would be at least $20k, including transportation back and forth to Florida). She can’t get any federal loans, her parents can’t qualify to borrow/co-sign, etc.</p>