<p>Hi -
I'm an international student applying to Duke (RD) for class of 2014. I'm currently filling out the common app supplement, which says:</p>
<p>*Financial Aid: Duke University admits U.S. citizens and permanent residents without regard to their financial status. All applicants are considered for all appropriate merit scholarships. A limited amount of financial aid is available for first-year applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents *</p>
<p>I will require financial aid, but there isn't any way of submitting a statement of my financial situation. Do I write this in my "why Duke" essay, or what?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t exactly tell about your financial situation in your “why Duke” essay. That essay is mainly to explain why Duke fits, not your financial situation. Please do not put your financial aid situation in your essays (unless you have a good life changing story). </p>
<p>They will see your family’s income when you apply for FA. </p>
<p>Also if you apply ED, by November 1, you can send in additional information about your financial situation. “Feel free to mail [Duke] a letter of explanation if your family has special circumstances or unusual expenses, or if you feel there are any other details which will help [Duke] more completely understand your financial situation.”</p>
<p>If you apply RD, by January 2, you can send in additional information. about your financial situation.</p>
<p>Download the International Student Application for Financial Aid from CollegeBoard and send it along with your materials.
Note of warning, asking for finaid as an international student tremendously affects your chance of admissions. Only 20-30 international students get into Duke with FA each year.</p>
<p>Thanks guys - you’ve been very helpful in clearing this up. I thought the essays seemed an inappropriate place to discuss FA, but couldn’t work out where that should go. I understand that Duke is extremely selective even for non-FA internationals, and that my odds of admission aren’t great. Nonetheless, Duke sounds so fantastic that I’m determined to apply, enen though it’s a long shot.</p>