<p>Hi!
I am an International Student and I want to study neuroscience/biology.</p>
<p>I have already apply to some colleges:
Dartmouth
Middlebury
Colby
Grinnell
Oberlin
UW Madison</p>
<p>but I would like to apply to a couple more...</p>
<p>Well, my Dec SAT scores proved to be kinda weird
SAT: Math 800, Writing: 690, Reading: 600
and my Subject Tests: BiologyM:750, Math1:730</p>
<p>Moreover, GPA: 97% and Class rank 1/100 students + nice EC's and a plethora of awards and distincrions.</p>
<p>I think that a large reaserch university (like UW Madison that I applied) will appreciate more my SAT scores (high math, low reading) than the LAC's.
To be honest, I do want to study in a LAC, but right now I would like some suggestions about some large universities, strong in biology and neuroscience, with a deadline 15Jan or later.</p>
<p>What I found: UPitt, </p>
<p>And maybe some other LACs strong in sciences.. what about Franklin and Marshall, or Allegheny?</p>
<p>The schools with generous aid to internationals, I would think, also tend to be schools that are relatively flexible in admission to internationals. I would expect LACs to be more flexible about scores than equally selective public universities. Pitt and Madison are good schools, though.</p>
<p>Check out the Associated Colleges of the Midwest ([ACM</a> ? Associated Colleges of the Midwest — Home](<a href=“http://www.acm.edu/index.html]ACM”>Associated Colleges of the Midwest)). These tend to be a little less selective than their East Coast counterparts and may be even more eager to attract international students. Macalester College is a good LAC that enrolls relatively many international students. Their deadline is January 15.</p>
<p>Well, money IS a factor…
My family can affrod about 30K/year for tuiton and my personal expenses travel etc…
So, I need a partial financial aid to cover the rest of my expenses…
(So, u see I am not applying for aid to UW Madison - not that I thought that I will be granted…)</p>
<p>And tk21769 I have to admitt that your post was the most informative and helpful I have come across in cc.</p>
<p>Hope to hear back from you soon. </p>
<p>PS I am thinking very seriously applying to Macalester… seem like a really good college.</p>
<p>OK let’s have a quick vote.
Which of the following going to be a match - “safety” for me
I can get financial aid + is the best academically (really dont care about party/social life)</p>
<ol>
<li>Franklin and Marshall</li>
<li>Macalester</li>
<li>Gettsyburgh</li>
<li>U of Richmond</li>
<li>Colgate</li>
</ol>
<p>You can EITHER say the colleg/university you vote
OR rank them in order of preference.
I have only one empty spot in my college list and I would like to fill it with one of the above schools.</p>
<p>If your family can only afford $30k, then how will you afford UW-Madison?</p>
<p>You will need to verify that your family will pay $43k per year for your visa to go to UW-M.</p>
<p>Since UPitt doesn’t give aid or merit to int’l students, it probably will not be affordable either.</p>
<p>Q. How do I apply for financial aid or scholarships?</p>
<p>A. International undergraduate students are not eligible for scholarships or financial aid from the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>The Cost to Attend UPitt is much higher than $30k…the COA is around $40k for non-residents.</p>
<p>edited to add.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for a SAFETY…then your list above won’t work because you have no idea if they’ll give you aid. For a school to be a safety you’d have to know that it’s affordable. </p>
<p>You need to find some schools that will be affordable either by paying all costs or will give you a merit scholarship for your stats.</p>
<p>What is your career goal? Are you going to go to med school? Does a school have to have neurology?</p>
<p>Well, I definitely gonna pursuit a career on the field of biological research. No I am not intrested in medicine.</p>
<p>Also, I said that my parents can affords approximately 30k on the tuition, while they can pay for the “rest personal expenses”. However, I am not aware of that “paying visa” that you said. Please elaborate… </p>
<p>Finally, I used the “” on the safety, because I know that when applying for aid (even for a small amount) your chances are slimmer. I would like to read any other suggestions…
By the way, F&M, Richmond and Macalester give quiet generous merit schol. to international students.</p>
<p>NOTE: I run out of time… I keep searching for my the last college that I am going to apply and as the schools that I’ve already applied are pretty selective (see post 1) I want to apply to a college less selective.</p>
<p>*In the beginning it was hard because it wasn’t my way, the way that had gotten me great grades in high school, great grades on the SAT and ACT, and great grades in college. After all’s been said and done, do I think Kaplan’s techniques work for the MCAT? Yes, I do.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>To get your educational visa to come to the US, you have to show financial records showing that your family has the full cost of attendance, including int’l travel costs and personal expenses (minus any aid).</p>
<p>So, for a school like UPitt or UWis (that won’t give you any aid), you would have to show funds for all costs…about $40k. And, you’d have to do this every year to get your visa.</p>
<p>the US will not issue an education visa to anyone who can’t show that he has the funds to be here. The US doesn’t want any students coming here and then be stranded because of lack of funds. </p>
<p>So, are you saying that your parents will pay $30k, plus about $2k for int’l travel, plus about $3k for personal expenses…about 35k total? </p>
<p>Since you only want to apply to one more school, and that school needs to be a financial safety for you, I dont’ think any of your 5 choices will work.</p>
<p>A true admission and financial safety can be very difficult to find for an international student. Internationals don’t have the benefit of in-state residency anywhere.</p>
<p>stateuniversity.com puts out a list of schools sorted by cost of attendance. The ones costing below $40K (before aid) start on page 3. Recommendations:</p>
<p>St. Mary’s College of Maryland<a href=“COA%20=%20$36,494;%20average%20aid%20to%20internationals%20=%20$3,000;%20%20Maryland’s%20public%20honors%20college%20and%20one%20of%20relatively%20few%20public%20LACs,%20with%20a%20nice%20campus%20in%20a%20beautiful%20waterfront%20location;%20deadline%20=%20Jan.%201%20but%20try%20submitting%20late%20anyway%20if%20it%20appeals%20to%20you;%20%20I%20know%20a%20kid%20who%20applied%20in%20March%20and%20was%20accepted.”>/u</a></p>
<p>You asked about Allegheny. They have an excellent neuro program. They will likely provide you with aid so it is worth an application. I don’t think your SAT Reading score will be a problem given your other scores.</p>
<p>I have to ask…you say that your family can afford about $35k per year (for tuition plus living expenses and travel)…so…that may suggest that if your parents fill out FA paperwork, schools will deem that your family’s income/assets are too high for aid. </p>
<p>Aid isn’t given just because families feel that they can only pay X amount. Aid is based on income/assets and need is determined by the colleges. Often when a family says it can afford to pay $30k+ per year, colleges will say that they can afford to pay more.</p>
<p>I don’t know how some of these smaller schools do aid for int’ls…but it would seem weird that if a domestic student with the same need (say $20k in need) applies for aid, he’s given $5500 in loans and maybe $2500 in work study and a $12k grant, but an int’l student would be given the entire amount in a grant. Does that seem odd?</p>
<p>Well here how things actually are…
total family annual income=15.000Euros=21,400$
So I think if they want me to their college, they will give me some aid (esp those with 100% aid meet)…
Is that right?</p>
<p>I believe that I am qualified for aid both academically(well that always depends on the school you apply and on the rest int. applicants profiles) and financial(low income…)</p>
<p>Well, I could… apply to one of those “cheap” colleges.
BUT I have already been admitted to my country’s four top universities (one of them sent graduates to Harvard, Columbia, Cambridge on an annual basis, ect…). So, I am not desperate to study in a US college. Of course a US education is my dream and is undoubtfully the best, but yet this is not applies to every school. Thus, if I am going to stay away from my family, my friends and my country (+ reject my admittion to some excellent universties, where by the way I will not pay any tuition!) I am absolutely sure that I would like to attend a good university.</p>
<p>Do you get my point? I think I am thinking reasonably…aren’t I?</p>
<p>DONT forget I am an internatioanl student…
I think that getting in a state university is quiet hard.
For instance, UW Madison admission rate is about 58% which is high
but for an international is much lower and it will be easier to get into a more “elite” private college that seeks for diversity. (yet I applied to Madison because I love that university.)</p>