What are my chances for Stanford? I'm an international student.

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi! I'm a prospective international student looking to apply to Stanford University for my undergraduate and graduate years, in Pre-med and Medicine, respectively.</p>

<p>Being from Croatia, English is my second language and I'd like to ask whether this is a good thing? Am I disadvantaged because of this? I also speak German, know Latin and some basic Japanese (self-taught).</p>

<p>My school has no clubs, or AP, or honor system. The Stanford admissions staff said they would consider my accomplishments with respect to my situation. Namely, our school system allows us little independent thought (no part-time jobs or volunteer hours to speak of). I did enter the national competition in Biology (5th) and English (7th), but having mostly learned everything myself. Except for my English teachers, our teachers force rote learning and allow no intellectual curiosity whatsoever, which is one of the reasons I want to study at Stanford.</p>

<p>My GPA, on a scale of 0.0-4.0, would be 4.0 - all As. My SAT score is 1970, 760 Math and 620 Writing, 590 Reading. I will be taking another SAT soon to improve on these (but it's hard being ESL - goal next time: 2100+), and SAT subject tests in Math, English and possibly another two subjects. I can't take the AP tests because I would have to travel very far away and I don't have enough money for that. The financial aid for international students at Stanford is limited, but they said I should definitely apply, whatever my financial situation may be (and it is grave).</p>

<p>My desire to help (heal) people and fascination with the sciences helped me realize what I want to do with my life - become a doctor. After having learned about Stanford and the facilities there - people that study to pursue knowledge and intellectual curiosity - I knew that that was the school I wanted to go to. The first step was to learn enough English. The second one was, using that English, to learn everything else.</p>

<p>My computer skills are very advanced and I'm certain I could find a good job in that area. I am VERY much interested in Stanford's Open Source Lab and the developments and programs thereat. I am also very interested in Asian culture - I would like to study Japanese at Stanford (further it) and also take up Korean and Chinese. At my school, which has a pretty dry curriculum (everyone studies the same things), I endeavor to introduce people to other cultures through many projects and presentations. </p>

<p>I am also part of the German "Partner der Zukunft" (Partners of the future) program which helps spread German culture and teach the German language worldwide. </p>

<p>Being from a former communist and socialist country, our curricula haven't changed a lot and I don't have a lot of extracurricular activities to show, because our system doesn't give us time to do those. My extracurricular activities have thus far been seven years of Taekwondo (which sparked my interest in Asian culture - I'm a red belt now), eight years of Music classes (Music Theory, Solf</p>

2

<p>How much money do you have available to pay for your education? Medical school is even more expensive than an undergraduate program, and there are almost no scholarships. Most US students pay for medical school with loans. You won’t be eligible for those loans because you aren’t a US citizen or permanent resident. Some medical schools do not accept international applicants, and most of those that do insist on full payment in advance. If you are serious about being a physician, you should attend medical school in your home country, then come to the US for advanced training after completing your medical degree.</p>

<p>If you haven’t already done so, you need to read through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) Then you need to make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center in Zagreb [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - INSTITUTE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION (IDE)](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Zagreb]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Zagreb) These counselors are expert at helping students from Croatia find good places to study in the US.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for a prompt and helpful response!</p>

<p>Considering my parents’ income and a job I would take there I could muster up 15-30 thousand dollars. That isn’t enough to cover the tuition, and I know the situation is grave when it comes to loans, but Stanford has a very generous financial aid package (albeit limited for international students - maybe they could recommend/offer a loan?). (My parents’ yearly earnings are btw $45000)</p>

<p>Completing medical school here is always an option, and doctors are always needed so, no problem there :stuck_out_tongue: But I believe Stanford would give a much wider education.</p>

<p>Stanford said I should apply regardless… I’ve seen somewhere that if they accept a student, they make sure that the student can attend.</p>

<p>Do you think that, despite all these “roadblocks”, I should still apply?</p>

4

<p>I think you should apply. Money should never be a “roadblock”.</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for the advice! To both of you.</p>

6

<p>Definitely try to raise your SAT score by reading the Official Guide by the Collegeboard, if you haven’t already done so. I read it, and it really helped in passage-based reading in practice tests. I used to get more than 10 wrong on that section, but now I only get less than a few wrong on each CR section! :slight_smile: I think you should apply because they will definitely examine what you did in light of the opportunities available to you. Good luck! (BTW, very eloquent writing)</p>

7

<p>“I’ve seen somewhere that if they accept a student, they make sure that the student can attend.”</p>

<p>If you are accepted, they will offer you the amount of financial aid that they determine (by their standards) that you need. This may be significantly less than what you and your family believe that you do need. If you are fully prepared to be accepted by a college or university that you later find out you can’t afford to attend, then do go ahead and apply. However, make certain that you and your family have a very clear sense of what is affordable for you.</p>

<p>If your parents’ annual income is about $45,000, how on earth are you going to come up with “15-30 thousand dollars”? Are they willing to give you fully one third of their annual income for your studies? As a student with an F-1 visa you will be restricted in the number of hours you can work, and where you can work. If you stay in the US during the summers and work then, you will have to cover all of your living expenses during that time. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see how you can earn the additional $15,000 as an international student. You may want to post a question about that in the International Students Forum. Someone there should be able to tell you if it is reasonable to expect to earn that much.</p>

8

<p>Thanks! I try, but I don’t get many chances to write in (American) English. And I do love doing that :)</p>

<p>And thanks for the advice. We really aren’t offered that many opportunities.</p>

9

<p>It’s okay, I’ll figure it out, I just needed to make sure I have a chance to be accepted. I’ll check out the forum but there’s always a way.</p>

10

<p>Guys, I found this: [International</a> Student Message Board • View topic - Stop Asking For Scholarships and Take Some Action!!](<a href=“http://www.internationalstudentforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3883&sid=1fe8264ff9f7505ec9f7f3b9df923d8f]International”>http://www.internationalstudentforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3883&sid=1fe8264ff9f7505ec9f7f3b9df923d8f)</p>

<p>Apparently, I can take out a loan if I have a co-signer, and I do (because I have very kind relatives in the US), so that could work, right? I’m not going to pine away for a scholarship - if I get one, I get one, if I don’t, I don’t. And I will ask for financial aid from Stanford, because they said it would be very bad if I needed it and I didn’t ask. </p>

<p>Either way, thank you all for your generous input! Now I know what my goals are. And also thank you, anothergalaxy, for the Official Guide referral. I’m going to start with that right away.</p>

11

<p>You need to talk with your kind relatives about the possible loan. If they co-sign, they will have to repay the loan if you can’t. Are they truly prepared to do that?</p>

<p>The original post that thread that you have given us the link for is from 2007. In other words, before the current world-wide economic crisis hit. It is much harder to get every kind of loan now than it was in 2007. Your relatives may be willing to loan you the money, but it is quite possible that they won’t qualify as co-signers. Even if they can get a loan one year, they might not don’t qualify in the future, which could mean that you won’t be able to finish your education.</p>

12

<p>That’s true, but there has to be a way, right?</p>

<p>Either way, concentrating on the money right now adds just more stress to the situation, and as Foutaises said, money should never be a roadblock. </p>

<p>Despite that, I know Stanford isn’t need-blind when it comes to financial aid students from overseas. I will have to come up with a way of acquiring the money somehow, but the co-signer idea’s definitely very good. True the relatives might not qualify, and if I can’t pay, I have to go back to my own country and return to the US using the USMLE. But that’s also not that bad. </p>

<p>I value your tactfulness, you’ve opened my eyes quite a bit. [International</a> Student Loans - Student Loans for International Students](<a href=“http://www.internationalstudentloan.com/international_student/]International”>International Student Loans Available - Find your Funding - IEFA blog) - The website still does look encouraging.</p>

<p>But, whatever obstacle may be in my way, I’m still going to try and apply. Que sera sera.</p>