<p>Hello, I am an international student who currently resides in Mexico. I have been interested in going to a college in the US to major in either Computer Science/engineering or Biology (I want to study Computational Neuroscience as a grad student). I kind of procrastinated the application for this Fall 2014 admission (rather, was too busy studying and doing extracurriculars) and missed most deadlines for the colleges I wished to apply.</p>
<p>Because I did not want to idle around a whole year and wait until the 2015 applications, I wondered if applying for spring 2015 was a viable option. I need to meet a generous financial aid, because my family has a low income (less than 25,000 USD a year). I have taken several tests, and their scores are:</p>
<p>TOEFL: 105
SAT I: 1930</p>
<p>SAT II Math level II: 720
SAT II Chemistry: 700
SAT II Spanish: 780</p>
<p>So, considering my financial aid requirements, should I take a gap year or apply this spring? Do I have a chance to meet a good financial aid? Please help me!</p>
<p>Take a gap year, redo the SAT or take the ACT… then apply…
Most universities that give generous financial aid to international students are the prestigious ones. And for those, you need a highter SAT score…aim for 2100+ or ACT 32+.
Don’t sit idle for the year. get a job or something. Do something you are passionate about! Gap years are awesome! if done right.
Good luck!</p>
<p>You’re probably not going to get financial aid as an international student in the spring admissions cycle. I agree with EarlyAction95: take the gap year, retake your SATs, focus on your applications this time around.</p>
<p>You may apply for the spring semester (concurrently with the fall 2015 applications), but your options are very limited. Brandeis is the only school that treats fall and spring aid-seeking intl applicants equally, as far as I know. St John’s NM is also an option. Bates also has a spring 2015 application but any aid-seeking international will most probably be deferred. It’s pretty boring to take a gap year if you don’t have it planned, I know, but you don’t have much of a choice. Good luck! It’s a very competitive process.</p>