Tips for International Applicants!

International Students
1

Hey everyone, I have some tips if you are not a US citizen applying to US universities.

  1. Make sure you list all of the school you attended for grades 9-12 on the common application or the school's application. (I know grade 9 is middle school in some countries, but some universities may request it)
  2. Try and get all of your transcripts from all the schools you attended and upload them or send them to the school as soon as you can. Waiting until last minute is not ideal. (some universities require English translations, so make sure to get those as well)
  3. If you need a fee waiver, contact your school counselor or a teacher if you do not have a counselor.
  4. Take the ACT/SAT if you can and submit the scores to the schools ASAP, again do not wait until last minute.
  5. Prepare and take the TOEFL/IELTS if you want to go straight into taking academic courses at a university. If your scores are not good enough you can be conditionally admitted at many universities.
  6. Try and prepare everything in advance if you want to apply Early Decision or Early Action.
  7. Have at least 1 letter of recommendation.

That’s it for now, but if I think of anything else I will let you know!

2

Do colleges consider international and domestics separately during the admission procedure? Some people say colleges treat both types the same but I have also heard that internationals have a lower chance of getting in due to limited space for internationals.

3

It depends on the school and on your financial aid needs. If you’re a full pay student, many, many American colleges will welcome you with open arms. (They like the money.)

But many others, including elite need-blind schools, DO limit their international enrollment. If they didn’t, these schools would be 90% Chinese or Indian :wink:

4

I agree with katliamom. It all depends on the university and your financial needs, as many schools do not offer full scholarships to international students.