What to make of all this?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>This is kind of an irregular application to-be, so I'd really appreciate any feedback, with as many arguments as you could conjure - I'm glad and thankful in advance for any help.</p>

<p>I'm 21 years old (22 in 3 months).
I was born in the USSR and at the age of 7 moved to Israel, where I now reside.
I have a green card and will be leaving to the USA in the next few months with intent to live & study (state: NY).</p>

<p>The usual stuff:
TOEFL - 277
SAT I - 1480
SAT II - not done any yet, probably will.
GPA - Pretty rough to calculate (our scale is that of 0-100), but it's above the 3.0 mark and is considered more challenging than the US one.
Class Rank - No such thing here.</p>

<p>In light of the fact I'll be 22 when applying for admission I find submitting "Extracurricular activities" as a bit odd: I have served in the Israeli Defence Forces for 3 years as an infantry squad commander in a Long Range Reconaissance Patrol unit. </p>

<p>My volunteering services are with the Police Border Guards unit in aiding the prevention of drug smuggling - will they want to see awards of my chess acitvity instead? I've seen so many awards in students' lists while we have nothing of such in Israel - how common are they in the USA? Also there are a billion clubs supported by the High Schools, which is Greek to me - do these things matter?</p>

<p>I find the whole issue of admission rather puzzling, inspite of reading a fair bit about it and would be very interested in receiving your evaluation on the kinds of Universities/Colleges would be a good fit for me.</p>

<p>I'm interested (like any good jew) in Finance and Law, but that's still very general and I'm not commited to either. </p>

<p>Another tiny question: Will I be frowned upon if I choose to take the Hebrew SAT II test? Many establishments ask for as many as 3 SAT II exams and I'd be hard pressed to find many I'd excel in - my knowledge of physics isn't as stellar as it was when I graduated from HS - 4 years ago.</p>

<p>If you happen to be familiar with other places aside from CC where I could get feedback on this issue, which is very important to me, I'd be glad if you could direct me to them.</p>

<p>Thank you for bearing with this long post, I almost hate myself after re-reading it!</p>

2

<p>This question has come up before. Your having served 3 years in the Israeli Defence Forces will make you stand out in a goo dway in the admissions pool as would your mature age. This particularly would be true if you centered one of your essays around that aspect of your background.</p>

<p>To find other helpful sites, use a search engine because CC does not allow people to post urls to competing web sites here.</p>

<p>I don't think that taking the Hebrew SAT II will hurt you. Colleges would understand that you've been out of h.s. for a while and thus will be disadvantaged in selecting SAT II tests.</p>

<p>We can not tell you what colleges to apply to based on the information that you have given. We need to know far more about what you want in a college experience. The US has hundreds of colleges including many colleges that are very solid. There are many that could prepare you for finance or law careers.</p>

<p>Sizes range from tiny places with 600 students to places with 45,000 students. Some places have very small classes: others can have classes with 600 students in them. Some are in large cities, others are in idyllic locations next to towns of 6,000 or fewr people. Some emphasize science and technology, others provide broad liberal arts educations. Some have very diverse student bodies, including a high percentage of jewish students. Others are more homogenous. Some are in the cold, icy, grey North. Others are near the ocean and have tropical climates.</p>

<p>And one last important point about colleges: A relative few give generous financial aid to internationals. Many, however, do not give anything to internationals. The total yearly cost of a college education here ranges from about $12,000 (for the lowest cost state universities) to $43,000 (for top private institutions). Some of the most generous universities are the ones that also are mega difficult to get accepted to, accepting as few as 1 in 10 applicants. </p>

<p>If you will need financial aid, that will severely restrict your options here, so if you need money, start by finding colleges that provide financial aid to internationals.</p>

3

<p>Merci!</p>

<p>I will not apply as an international student but as a permanent resident of the USA, since, technically, I am one from the second I received my green-card, and thus I believe I'll be in line for the same aid package as everyone else.</p>

<p>As for the college I'd fancy: An urban enviornment, by no means can I see myself in the rural country-side. The cold, icy, grey North is probably what will suit me best, considering that I have family who can assist me in that region (namely: NYC, Boston).
I'd like a large University, that could offer me a broad course-load to choose from, so that I could explore some and get a well rounded education.
I would prefer a well known university, if my stats can get me into one, since the possibility of returning to Israel after graduation exists, and here a place like UCLA is better known than half the Ivy League.</p>

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<p>Taking the Hebrew SAT II will not hurt you at all. Since you get to pick which subjects you take the SAT II in, a college admissions committee would probably think it idiotic if you decided to take the SAT II in something that you're bad at.<br>
About extracurriculars- Extra-curricular activities are the activities that you participate in outside of school. Talk about your experiences in the military, your volunteerwork, and your chess abilities (and your chess awards). You can also include clubs that you participated in in high school. Many Americans have multiple abilities that they discuss in their applications.<br>
You can definitely get into a great American school. I think that you would like New York University. It is in New York City. Its business school (Stern) has one of the five best undergraduate business programs in the entire US. In addition, finance is Stern's strongest major. If, after college, you want to get a law degree, you can stay at New York University, because it also has one of the best law schools in the country. If you want to find out more about New York University, go to <a href="http://www.nyu.edu%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nyu.edu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Here's a start:
Columbia, Harvard (reach schools for everyone, still, you should stand out in the pool because of your unusual background. They meet 100% of documented financial need.) Also check out U of Penn. for similar reasons.</p>

<p>Brandeis (while it's not large, it is close to an urban area -- right outside Boston , is very well respected, might work as a safety for you, and is a historically Jewish school, including having, I believe some merit scholarships for Jewish students.)</p>

<p>I do not recommend NYU or BU if financial aid is a consideration because both are very stingy with aid and can provide students with as much as $20 k a year less than the students' demonstrated financial need.</p>

<p>I can not think of match schools in the NE that also are well known and could provide decent financial aid. If, however, you're willing to go to the Midwest, consider U Wisconsin as a match/safety and U Minn. for a safety.</p>

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<p>I've heard good things of Stern and absolutely terrible things about the red tape at NYU.</p>

<p>I'll be in need of financial aid and my family's ability to support me would be very limited, since the wages in Israel are low by US standards. If there are schools that give 100% of need - I'll be somewhat in the clear, I don't even mind the loans, it's places like NYU that put me off. </p>

<p>Is it just the Ivies that operate on this need-blind bassis or are there other schools that support this policy?</p>

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<p>I think all schools admit on a need-blind basis. Considering need during admissions would be discriminatory. A good way to get financial aid is to apply to schools that would be easy for you to get into- usually they have average SAT scores that are at least 150 points below yours. Those schools want highly qualified applicants, and will therefore offer you a good deal of financial aid to get you come. Another thing to consider is state schools. Their tuition is significantly lower that private colleges. The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has a strong business program, as does the University of California at Berkeley. The only catch is these schools are very far from New York (and you seem to want to go there), and when you go to UMich, you aren't guaranteed admission into the business school. You must apply to the business school as a University of Michigan student during your sophomore year.</p>

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<p>The University of Texas at Austin (another state school) also has a fabulous business program.</p>

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<p>All schools do NOT admit on a need-blind basis. There are many schools that factor in financial need with admissions decisions. </p>

<p>From an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press last Oct.:
"Macalester cites cost in studying change to aid </p>

<p>Macalester College is considering abolishing its "need-blind" admissions policy to control the escalating costs of financial aid, sparking an emotional debate touching the core values of the St. Paul liberal arts campus. </p>

<p>"We're not talking about turning it into a college for the very wealthy," said Macalester President Brian Rosenberg. "Before or after these changes, we will be one of the most accessible colleges in the country, including schools that are need-blind...." </p>

<p>According to a study of 40 colleges in Macalester's peer group, 15 practice need-blind admissions including Grinnell, Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, Haverford and Swarthmore. </p>

<p>Other colleges have found need-blind admissions too expensive and consider finances for at least a portion of applicants. In recent years, both Carleton and St. Olaf colleges have ended need-blind admissions. </p>

<p>Macalester remains the only private college in the state that still engages in the practice, said David Laird Jr., president of the Minnesota Private College Council. </p>

<p>"There are only a select few institutions in the country that were ever able to pull that off with any integrity," Laird said, "and those were institutions that that had sufficient discretionary resources to handle the variables of each ensuing year."</p>

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<p>Aside from the LAC's and the publics, which privates would be a decent fit?</p>

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<p>You should consider Duke or UNC. They both have great business programs and are both in very charming places and are close to large cities. However, it is about an 10-hour drive to New York. The general weather is pretty balanced.</p>

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<p>bump - (bmp)
v. bumped, bump·ing, bumps
- To raise; boost: bump up the price of gasoline.</p>