<p>Do public universities accept lesser International student than private universities? I'm from Mongolia, and was wondering what school to apply. By the way, What's the difference between public and private universities?</p>
<p>Public Universities: Supported by taxes paid by the residents of the state where the university is located. </p>
<p>Private Universities: Not supported by tax dollars.</p>
<p>As far as “lesser” students (I don’t personally agree with that description, but it is your question), it would depend on the individual university’s admissions history. Look at the “middle 50%” statistics for the universities you are interested in - the ones where you exceed the middle 50% are very likely to admit you, the ones where you are in the middle 50% are matches, and the ones where you are below the middle 50% are far less likely to admit you.</p>
<p>Admission of International students has less to do with whether it is public or private than with the individual university’s particular admissions policies. Most universities consider the International student’s ability to pay in their admissions decisions. Look on the Financial Aid forum for the few that do not consider ability to pay if that is a concern.</p>
<p>A few observations:</p>
<p>Some of the best schools in the US are private: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Chicago are all private. </p>
<p>But also, many of the best schools in the US are public: Berkeley, UCLA, Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin - are all public. </p>
<p>Just because a school is private doesn’t make it good. There are many mediocre or downright poor private schools. </p>
<p>Public schools have very limited financial aid for international students. That is because, being supported by (local) state taxes, their first obligation is to (local) in-state students.</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, before applying you should FIRST check whether a school offers much in the way of aid to international students. Many public schools do not. Some private schools, wanting to attract good American or international students, will offer more aid. Search the International students’ forum on this site for lists of schools known for giving aid to international students,</p>
<p>Topic changed to: Do public universities offer lesser financial aid to Internationals than private universities?</p>
<p>^ It really depends. As a general rule, though, private schools tend to be more generous with financial aid to internationals than public schools. Some top private schools are need-blind for internationals (meaning that your financial situation isn’t taken into account for admissions) and those schools will meet 100% of need. </p>
<p>However, if you don’t qualify for need-based aid, your best bet, if you want to study in the US, is to try to obtain merit-based scholarships from the school in question. Many top schools offer limited or no merit-based aid, so applying to a less prestigious school might be more advantageous depending on your financial situation.</p>
<p>There is a lot of great information on this topic on the Financial Aid forum. Here are some threads to look through to start to get some ideas:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/151609-international-student-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/151609-international-student-aid.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/63770-best-schools-give-most-merit-based-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/63770-best-schools-give-most-merit-based-aid.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/211927-institutional-merit-based-scholarships-full-tuition.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/211927-institutional-merit-based-scholarships-full-tuition.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/559599-top-colleges-provide-merit-based-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/559599-top-colleges-provide-merit-based-aid.html</a>
atrophicwhisper’s advice to look for schools where you are a top candidate is excellent - they are the ones most likely to offer you merit aid. There are over 2,000 four-year colleges and universities (most of them excellent!) in the US, so don’t limit yourself to the 15 or 20 “name” schools. ESPECIALLY if you want some merit money. Good luck!</p>
<p>And to answer your “new” question: Yes, US universities tend to offer lesser need-based aid to internationals. The Federal and state loans and grants are not available to international students whether you attend a public or private. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, merit aid is your best bet.</p>