<p>This kinda talk is just plain depressing. Let’s just apply and go into retirement.</p>
<p>I’m sorry. I meant - By no means was gary NOT smart. My bad.</p>
<p>And I know it’s depressing. Gary asked for aid as well. I’m just being frank. America’s not exactly flourishing with money.</p>
<p>please please calm down people…</p>
<p>all of you do have some valid points, there is simply no point in fighting over such trifles</p>
<p>@rsaxena and funky…one thing i’ve noticed is that the process can get as depressing as you want to make it.
there are already a lot of problems to face…don’t add this useless depression to them</p>
<p>@ani…fair point, i was thinking on the same lines</p>
<p>@funky…i’m transfer for some and freshman for others, and there are some where i’m ineligible…its a really funny situation that i find myself into right now</p>
<p>@all…from what i’ve learned in the past two months…you can’t really compare 2 candidates based on stats alone, so please don’t do that</p>
<p>and finally amidst this great deal of excitement…
and confusion…
my real question still remains unanswered</p>
<p>anyone knows any good colleges except the famous ones who may give me aid and also meet my needs?
amherst and hmc were already on the list</p>
<p>[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “International conference followup”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/international_applicants_helpful_tips/international_conference_follo.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/international_applicants_helpful_tips/international_conference_follo.shtml)</p>
<p>this might help. Their blogger has chosen the top (non-ivy) schools in the country which offer more than a million dollars in aid to intl.</p>
<p>^Nice post. Thanks!!</p>
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<p>Of course; point taken. But really, Gary got into UPenn. It’s still an Ivy League college; I wonder why you guys are thinking its not worth a lot.</p>
<p>@anshu</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>As depressing as it is, FunkyMonkey is correct in most aspects and no amount of spouting off various user names can diminish that fact. By saying a particular user got in with a 2180 without mentioning any other context you choose to ignore that he might have had great ECs along with great academics. And also, exceptions do happen. Are you swinging your hopes on being that single once in a bluemoon exception? No ndian can get into the Ivies by just having a great personality. It’s a ruthless process.</p>
<p>Oh and Penn simply sucks for engineering. Its only saving grace is that it’s an Ivy otherwise people wouldn’t even give it a single glance. You have to get over just the name and look for other factors determining a good education.</p>
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He never said they were. His point was that it is very difficult to wing out full money from them.</p>
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Yet, rudeness prevails in every statement.</p>
<p>Here I would also mention that there are several stories of applicants similar to the one Monkey described from DPS RKP, Modern and other feeder schools who get rejected every year. I’ve heard not one, but many. Reason? Couldn’t pay their way.
It’s not a free show. If you want to go with a full ride and technically there isn’t anything such as a ‘free ride’(student contributions exist everywhere), then you have to be extraordinary. There has to be some factor that makes them pay a Crore for you right? Keep options open, that is my advice.
I think funky was just telling the truth. If one is in a feeder school which he seems to be in, then one is aware of these facts.</p>
<p>Zap, sorry for going off topic like this on your thread, I just wanted add my 2 cents! :)</p>
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<p>Let me quote Gary7 himself (FB inbox message)</p>
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<p><em>turns red with rage</em> Hey I really like UPenn. </p>
<p>^^Pixie just because Penn isn’t that highly ranked for engineering does not mean that it “sucks for engineering”. Do you mean to say Yale’s engineering and applied sciences department sucks too? And fyi, gary’s in the college of arts and sciences</p>
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<p>Nobody said that. I just said that he got into 1 college. And he was a very competitive applicant with demonstrated academic promise and a good spirit to go along with that. UPenn is great! Wharton is at par with Harvard Business School.</p>
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<p>Hold it. All I said was that this particular guy, got into Harvard with 2180. So it’s not that SAT scores should be used as the sole metric of someone’s academic ability and that its not like this Zaphod’s 2180 essentially kills his chances. Don’t read too deep into it.</p>
<p>^^Sucks was a little strong, but there are definitely many better engg schools than Penn’s. Sorry I can’t be more positive about it but I’ve heard a lot of bad stuff about the quality of edu there. UPenn’s only known for Wharton bdw. </p>
<p>^What you’re saying is exactly what I said. You only mentioned his SAT score, neglecting to mention the other (probably excellent) parts of his application. This creates a false assurance.</p>
<p>^Yeah and that is why I clarified what I meant.</p>
<p>Sorry if I’ve offended you at all pixie. I was merely stating that Funky - no matter in which school he is - wrote statements that were too strong and inflexible. Anyway I’ll take back everything I said.</p>
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<p>I know that impression comes through; that was why I added the disclaimer before my statement. >_></p>
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<p>Yes. I’m not as practical as most people here, and if I don’t get accepted anywhere, then I’ll take it without shame/disappointment. Period.</p>
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<p>Seconded. I adore Penn. </p>
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<p>Elaborate. </p>
<p>Thing is, Penn’s engineering department may not be on par with engineering schools like GT and Caltech but it’s got SO MUCH more to it! Flexibility. One University. Stuff like that. There’s a lot more to a university than just rankings related to your major. :)</p>
<p>Oh and just by the way, Penn Engineering is VERY well respected. And Penn graduates receive a more well-rounded education than most universities which are on-par and employers really like that about Penn.</p>
<p>I don’t think people who are passionate about engineering think of going to UPenn.
UPenn name does make up for its relatively weaker engineering program. So, if you get substantial FA, why not? Personally, I can think of 30 other schools I would rather go to for engineering. My observation is that majority of international applicants tend to give more weightage to prestige and so I am not surprised by favorable opinions expressed here.</p>
<p>EDIT: Penn State is better known for engineering than UPenn. ha ha</p>
<p>I know I am offending a few of you with my harsh remarks about UPenn. Hey, there is nothing wrong being a prestige hog.</p>
<p>Here is my list of 30 schools ( not in any order ) which I feel are better for engineering than UPenn:</p>
<p>1) MIT
2) CalTech
3) UC Berkeley
4) Stanford
5) Georgia Tech
6) UMich
7) UIUC
8) Rice
9) UT Austin
10) UVa
11) Viriginia Tech
12) RPI
13) HMC
14) Princeton
15) UCLA
16) RHIT
17) Olin
18) UW (Seattle)
19) UWisconsin
20) UMinn
21) WUStL
22) Duke
23) Purdue
24) Northwestern
25) University of Maryland
26) Brown
27) CMU
28) UC San Diego
29) Cornell
30) Harvard (just to rub it in)</p>
<p>P.S: I am just trying to have some fun with you guys 
Take it easy, UPenn is a very good school.</p>
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Hey rsaksena, I wasn’t directing that statement at you, it was just rhetoric. But if you are doing that, then please don’t. I’m looking at your good here.
Muahaha :D</p>
<p>You guys go on with the prestige thing please. I’m just saying, IF it hadn’t been Ivy Legue, you wouldn’t even have given a second glance at it. But since it IS one, that must have been one of the first engg programs many of you looked into, researched about, went “arre wah!” about and hence psychological effect.</p>
<p>I agree with Tippu completely. UPenn isn’t really the best college for engineering. It is, from what I’ve heard, extremely flexible and if you’re a mind-blowing applicant, the Jerome Fisher Program for Management& Technology is godly (and offers you a median starting salary of over 100k). But Penn’s thing is Wharton.</p>
<p>What a lot of Indian students (myself included) don’t register is that in the US, prestige and that USNews ranking list and quality of education do not go hand in hand. That is why Purdue - which accepts any Indian applicant if he bothers submitting an application - is ranked higher than Penn, Harvard, Brown, Yale, Columbia and Dartmouth when it comes to engineering. It is level with Princeton and lower than Cornell. We Indians are all about prestige. I remember my dad telling me… “Harvey Mudd? What in the world is that? If you get into IIT, I dont care if they’re PAYING you to go, you’re not going to Harvey Mudd”</p>
<p>That being said, I, being Indian, would attend Harvard/Yale/Dartmouth/Brown/Columbia rather than most of the 30 colleges Tippu just listed. 
You tell anyone you went to PennState rather than UPenn, they’ll laugh at you.</p>
<p>@rsaxena: I dont think my statements were strong or inflexible. I think it’s harsh reality.</p>
<p>Another thing most people tend to forget is how important the SAT score is. You’ll see Harvard saying things like “We reject 2400s” and sites saying “The SAT score is not the only thing that matters. It’s just a test you give one fine Saturday.” Both of these statements are true. However, we overlook the point. SAT is the singular most important thing on your application. You could debate for 10 years but it (ill add probably here to avoid harsh retaliations) wouldn’t make up for a 2000, say. I’ve been to the American Center in my city and gone through a list of random names, their SAT scores and their college placements. Everyone above 2300 got into an Ivy. 50% of 2200s got into an Ivy. Bottomline - a 2400 may not guarantee admission, but what was a 10% acceptance rate just shot up to a 90. That one Saturday morning IS, regardless of what adcoms would otherwise want you to believe, the most important part of your application.</p>
<p>That being said. SOME colleges are less and some more focussed on your SAT score. UPenn, I know for a fact, is less which is a good thing. Harvard loves a good SAT score, but may accept a bad one. Caltech will never accept you with a 2100. Period. MIT is special - let’s not go there. Princeton hardly looks at anything below 23. Same for the other Ivies, except Cornell maybe. UChicago is special - they love essays. And good ones at that.</p>
<p>@pixie: You read my mind. You should get into Harvard with a Psychology major. :P</p>
<p>NO!! I have to become a spy! From the US naval academy. I’m actually (seriously) thinking of throwing in an app there) :)</p>
<p>Speaking of spies, did you guys hear about the Wiki leak?</p>