<p>Hi</p>
<p>I am an international student and a rising Senior. I am considering several US colleges and universities. I have a good academic record (4.05 cumulative GPA unweighted) and take the full IB DP programme. I am very active in school and have done many community service hours. I also have received many honors as well. My only one problem seems to by my SAT scores. My SAT scores compare far less in regards to my GPA. My current SAT score stands at 1820.</p>
<p>I am planning to apply to these colleges in the condition that I receive sufficient financial aid. Me and by brother's current tuition already accumulates to more than 50,000$ and is taking up nearly half of our family's income. </p>
<p>The colleges that I am planning to apply include some good Liberal Arts Colleges such as Bowdoin and Hamilton. In my current knowledge, these liberal arts colleges give financial support in terms of need based/blind or sometimes merit based aid. </p>
<p>However the problem is that I am considering Private Universities as well. They have huge endowments but I do not know if the condition for financial aid for US citizens apply to international students. Do Private Universities give a lot of financial aid compared to LACs? Are the requirements for financial aid different for an international student?</p>
<p>Thank You</p>
<p>Your list is very short. There are less than 10 US colleges that are need-blind in admissions and meet full financial need. Cornell for example, is need blind in admissions but does not meet full financial need of internationals. OTOH, Stanford is not need-blind in admissions, but does meet full financial need.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, your SAT score will be a major impediment to admissions and merit aid to most colleges that meet full financial need to internationals because they are all highly selective. Start with USNews ranking and search the top dozen Unis.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Bowdoin and Hamilton are also private. Hamilton is not need blind for internationals, and most schools whether they are LACs or universities are not need blind for internationals and may have limited financial aid for internationals. I’m not sure about Bowdoin, but you can probably get that information from their website. As bluebayou pointed out, the schools that do provide more extensive financial aid for internationals are some of the hardest schools to get into. Your SAT score will probably keep you out of most of those schools.</p>
<p>mathism, </p>
<p>You need to spend some time in the International Students Forum, and find out more about where various students with profiles like yours have been admitted and whether or not they have received financial aid. You can find that forum by going to the main page where all of the forums are listed, and then scrolling down. Here is a link for you: [International</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/]International”>International Students - College Confidential Forums) Look for any threads by b@r!um who is the resident expert on that subject. </p>
<p>While there are very few colleges and universities that guarantee to meed the need for international candidates, there also are quite a few places that offer only one or two (but very good) scholarships each year for international applicants. If you take the time to research lots of colleges and universities, you will be able to identify some that might work for you.</p>
<p>*I am considering Private Universities as well. They have huge endowments *</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Only a small number of privates have “huge endowments”. And, the ones that do that give lots of aid to int’ls are the hardest to get accepted to.</p>
<p>I think you’ll need higher tests scores to have a better chance.</p>
<p>Think about it…there are millions of kids in the world with similar stats, if getting lots of aid to come to US schools was that easy, they’d all be able to do it.</p>