Hi, I am an international current highschool student who was recently admitted to Columbia university and has committed!! I was really looking forward to experiencing Columbia, but corona virus came along. I intially did not apply with financial aid to Columbia, because we initially would’ve been able to afford it, but the corona virus changed my family’s financial situation, so now it would be really difficult, if you get me. Columbia also has a rule that if you did not demonstrate aid at the time of application, then you will never be eligible to apply for the next 4 years. Sooooo, I’m looking to transfer to another university for my Sophomore year, I’m looking at Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Princeton, and Cornell. I was not admitted to any of these schools, for freshman admission, so I know it will be superrr difficult. Does anybody have any advice or suggestions for me to increase my chances of getting in for my sophomore year???
Ps I am an intended computer science major
Sorry to hear that this time has been so difficult for you. I think a lot of people on this forum would agree that transfer students get little aid, if they even get any. So I think the thing to do is not to prepare for transfer, but to see if you can negotiate with Columbia. You should let Columbia know that there is a significant change in your financial status at this moment and ask whether they can help.
HYPSM are all need-based aid, even for transfers. That said, they take few transfers every year.
OP: the chances of transferring are slim. The handful of transfers to Stanford for example, are non-traditional and/or otherwise exceptional individuals. Also, Stanford is not need blind for Internationals.
As you probably know, Columbia is not need-blind for Internationals either, so the only thing you can do is to explain the situation and ask for re-consideration of aid.
If Columbia can’t help you, I’d research what schools will meet 100% of demonstrated need for international transfer students. I don’t agree with the post stating that transfers get little aid. Plenty of top schools meet full need, even for transfers. Full need for international transfers might be more difficult to find, but I suggest researching yourself.
Transferring into Ivies is going to be difficult. I wouldn’t count on getting into any of them. Find some other schools that interest you and make sure you apply to more than just the ivies. You’re going to need some contingency plan if you don’t get into any of them.
Transferring to any of “Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Princeton, and Cornell” after one year is not realistic. It is exceptionally unlikely that this is going to happen.
Do you have affordable options in your home country?
You might need to take a gap year. Applying to these same schools as a freshman after graduating high school and taking a gap year is still a long shot, but it is a bit more realistic than hoping to transfer. There are also quite a few other schools that are very good for computer science that you could and probably should consider.
Call Columbia financial aid and explain the situation. Tell them that you cannot attend unless you get more money.
I completely agree with all of what you guys are saying, I’ll try my hand at talking to Columbia’s financial aid department, and then if they still don’t budge. I’ll definitely draw up a better list of schools I could transfer to. It’s just that my parents only want the best, so they wouldn’t want me to trasnfer into a uni worse than Columbia. So they’d prefer I’d stay there even if it was financially taxing. And that would just make me feel bad :((( hahahaha but thanks anywasy for all your help!!
hi, current columbia student here. so sorry to hear about your family’s situation. unfortunately, I know from experience that columbia does not really offer aid to international students, except under exceptional circumstances (ie., you are a dirt poor genius from a small russian village, or something like that lol). international students are basically cash cows for columbia - even if you had reported this financial difficulty right out of the gate, you would have been very unlikely to get aid. moreover, the university is currently bleeding money due to the corona situation, so they are unlikely to be as generous with financial aid across the board as they have been previously in the near future. transferring to HYP+ for solely financial reasons is not very likely to be successful, as i’m sure they have similar policies/are in similar situations.
I also often feel quote guilty about what my parents have to sacrifice to allow me go to columbia. however, know that a columbia degree is an excellent springboard for the rest of your life, and if you play your cards right and work hard you will not only make them proud but be able to thank them for their generosity in spades.
even though i hated columbia for the first few months i went there, choosing to go there ended up being one of the greatest decisions of my life. it’s not perfect by any means, but it’s an amazing place. good luck!
Thank you so much for this message! Hopefully, I’ll be able to stay for the full 4 years, but I’m glad you’ve enjoyed your experience at Columbia thus far xx