Hey, i’m an international student interesting in studying in the US and i really want to be enrolled at a university that offers generous financial aid to Intl’ students so i’m putting my scores and i want you guys to tell me my chances
SAT : 2200
SAT Subject tests : Math 720 (i will probably take another subject test i have seen that Stanford recommend two subject Tests)
i will be taking the TOEFL tests
My GPA is 3.9
PS : i will indicate that i need financial aid while i apply so can you tell me my chances ? and which other colleges do you recommend me ?
Your grades look good and your scores put you in the range at least for Stanford, but it won’t help you much
Stanford only accepts approximately 5% of applicants, who represent the brightest, most accomplished students in the US and the world. Your grades and scores are within their typical range, but they reject many, many more students with similar stats than they accept. May I presume that you are Asian? If so, you belong to the most brutally competitive applicant pool of all, unfortunately. If you are interested in a STEM degree it is even more selective. You need more than good scores and grades; you will need other exceptional accomplishments to distinguish you from thousands of others. Will you need a full scholarship, or can your family pay for some of the costs?
Can i know how it won’t help me too much ? and what are the things that could help me too much ?
@woogzmama I’m not An Asian ,i’m from North Africa ,i don’t think that my parents will contribute a lot of money, but i heard that
once you are accepted at Stanford ,you demonstrated need will be met in some sorts of Aid ? isn’t it true ?
Stanford is one of a small number of American colleges that guarantee meeting need for all accepted students, including international ones. Unfortunately, most of those colleges are the most selective ones, and the competition for admission is intense. North Africa is not as competitive as East Asia or India, but Stanford is still very difficult for even the most qualified students to get into. The same applies to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and most others that will meet demonstrated need. Your parents will have to fill out all the necessary forms by the established deadlines. Most American colleges include federal loans, which international students are ineligible for, in their financial aid packages. If you are intent upon attending an American college, you will need to research alternatives to the most selective ones, just as American students have to. If you have some affordable choices at home or in Europe, then you can focus your efforts on elite institutions here. Otherwise, you will need to explore some smaller colleges that do not receive as many international applications, and will therefore be more generous with aid packages, or less selective public universities with automatic scholarships. Don’t bother with the most elite public universities here (e.g. UC Berkeley, Michigan, et al); they offer almost nothing in the way of assistance to out-of-state students, and are very expensive ($50k+) for non-residents.
By your speech i understand that once i’m admitted at Stanford they will try to meet my demonstrated need ? should i be a competitive student to get a place at Stanford ? i mean if i get great scores on the SAT and the SAT II And the TOEFL will it augment my chances of admission ?
The TOEFL might be recommended, but it won’t help you much. Your English skills as an undergraduate applicant will be assessed by your other application materials.
Based on the stats you have provided, you would not be competitive in Stanford admissions.