Which American Universities will give me a full ride? (and some more queries)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am in my first year at a college in New Delhi, India right now but I want to change my course from Math to Physics. They won't let me do that here since I've already started my first year so I want to apply to Universities in the US and start my undergrad all over again from next fall.
I want to get into a University which will give me a full ride (or charge a very nominal fees), as I can't afford to spend more than the living expenses (which will be around $10,000, I have been told). </p>

<p>I gave the SAT an year ago without preparing or anything and got 1780 (CR 550, Writing 550, Math 680). I know if I prepare well I can easily score more than 2000. So should I give it again? Or is 1780 enough? Also, should I give SAT II?</p>

<p>My score in the final exams of 12th grade was 92.4% overall (which is pretty good as it falls under the A1 percentile).
My GPA in 10th grade was 9 (out of 10) which is A2.</p>

<p>I made a list of Universities that had relatively nominal fees and a high acceptance rate but I have no idea if they would give me a full ride.</p>

<p>The best universities in my list (according to the US news rankings) were University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, University of Maryland College Park and University of Texas Austin.</p>

<p>A little below that were Stony Brook University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Arizona and Texas A&M University.</p>

<p>The worst in my list were Iowa State University, Florida State University, University of Utah and some other state Universities.</p>

<p>So which of these in the three categories would give me a full ride? I am sure the best ones wouldn't but I have a chance with the others right?</p>

<p>One more question-
There is this university which no ones knows about called the Minot State University which has a tuition fees of around $5000 for international students and US citizens. After scholarships, it would reduce to about $0 for me. If by any chance I don't get a full ride in any of the Universities above, will going to this University be the worst decision of my life? (remember that I want to do Physics so I have to go for grad school and then PhD as well) Will going here completely destroy my chances of getting into the top grad schools in the US?</p>

2

<p>The SAT is used to evaluate high school graduates only. Since you started college, you will need to fulfill transfer students’ requirements. You will also find that there are significantly less scholarships available to transfers. </p>

<p>Your expectations about US colleges are way off. E.g. the first 3 schools on your list would have been very difficult to gain admission and likely wouldn’t have offered you any aid if you did get in. For colleges you are interested in, spend some time researching each college’s admission requirements for nternational transfer students.</p>

3

<p>No, I want to start my undergrad all over again. Transfer is when you continue from that year itself right? It’ll be like I dropped a year, so I would only give in my high school scores.</p>

4

<p>You are required to submit all school records. You will be asked to list all colleges attended. The question is specific enough that you can’t get around it by omission. Your status as incoming freshman or transfer will be determined by each school’s own criteria. I just don’t see how any school will consider you a freshman especially for scholarship purposes.</p>

5

<p>I am not getting you. Why can’t I just pretend I dropped a year and start my undergrad all over again? I won’t mention that I am already in college.</p>

6

<p>You’re being dishonest.</p>

<p>Besides, your stats aren’t high enough for getting huge aid from the schools that give such aid. </p>

<p>(thankfully, because we don’t need more dishonest people coming here to get aid)</p>

7

<p>Why don’t you just change in India? I feel like its be easier and cheaper there.</p>

8

<p>parthchavo: if you <em>registred</em> at college but did not <em>attend</em> classes (for example, in some countries it’s customary for students to be “registered” at college while not attending because it’s the only way for them to have medical insurance or access to the 18-25 job scheme, both being legal in said countries) you are a freshman. If you attended classes and got some credit, American colleges won’t let you “forget” about these.
However, all European universities and canadian universities will.
In the US, your status depends on whether you are in college “for real” or “for administrative purposes”. If you are taking college classes, you are considered a transfer.
If you are not, you are considered a freshman.</p>

<p>Also, your high school counselor will need to explain what A1 and A2 percentiles mean (what percent students reach that benchmark nationally).</p>

<p>Full rides are very very very competitive.
In addition, state universities rarely give full rides to out of state students - some do but it’s very difficult.
Try to look into Truman State, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University Minnesota-Morris… Your list does not include any regional university and no liberal arts colleges, is that an oversight?
Look at this thread for example:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1299462-looking-beyond-rankings-8.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1299462-looking-beyond-rankings-8.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In the US, the undergraduate college you went to does not matter much for grad school, only what YOU did when you were attending. Therefore attending Minot State would be a great option that would not in any way alter your opportunities compared to Texas A&M for example.</p>

9

<p>You need to check the websites of the universities on your list, and find out if they award any financial aid at all to international students. Many don’t. Also, check each website for the Cost of Attendance for international students. If you cannot demonstrate to the visa officer at the US consulate that you can cover the full Cost of Attendance, you will not get a student visa.</p>

<p>Sit down with the Math faculty at your university, and find out how many of their graduates have gone on to pursue post-graduate work in Physics. Chances are that some have. Staying where you are for your first degree may be your best plan.</p>

10

<p>I’m trying to imagine an Indian student leaving New Delhi for Minot, ND. The culture shock could hardly be any greater.</p>

11

<p>Basically, you want to lie about going to college for a year in India and start over as a college freshman in the US and get a full ride from that college? Good luck! </p>

<ol>
<li>None of the schools you mentioned offer aid to international students. </li>
<li>The schools that are need blind to international students are VERY COMPETITIVE to get into and you honestly have no chance at those schools because your stats are not in range for any of those schools. </li>
<li>You wouldn’t be able to start all over because you would be considered as a transfer student.</li>
</ol>

12

<p>You definitely need to get 2100+ on the SAT. Take the subject tests too. </p>

<p>Minot State University is the cheapest public university in the US, you will get in.</p>

13

<p>Thanks for the replies everyone. I do not understand why you guys are calling it ‘lieing’. Let me make it clear, the degree I will get in my present college will be called Bsc (honours) Mathematics. The degree that I want is Bsc (honours) Physics. So anyways I will have to do the 4 years again. (don’t make judgemental remarks if you don’t even get what I’m trying to say, mom2collegekids)</p>

<p>The reason I can’t study in India is because transfers aren’t allowed here.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot Myos1634 and happymomfo1. That was very helpful. Gadad haha no I am pretty sure I will handle it. I will take the SAT and the subject tests, thanks XtremePower.</p>

14

<p>You have been quite clear that your intent is to lie:</p>

<p>I am not getting you. Why can’t I just pretend I dropped a year and start my undergrad all over again? I won’t mention that I am already in college.</p>

<p>You would be a transfer student EVEN if you change your major. That’s how it works here.</p>

15

<p>You probably won’t get a full ride anywhere with those stats, and even if your stats were good, you’re international and therefore still probably not going to get a full ride. Also, if you apply to places as a new student and not a transfer, and they find out you lied, you’ll be rejected.</p>

16

<p>mom2collegekids: I did not know that. I won’t take money from your country dishonestly. Chill.</p>

<p>cagg333: I am not ‘lieing’ anymore. I will take the SAT again and score well. My high schools marks are pretty good and my ECs are okay. So I don’t understand what you mean when you say my stats aren’t good.</p>

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<p>Btw, I have a friend who got full ride at UT Dallas this year. His high school marks were as good as mine and his SAT was 2100. That is what made me so hopeful.</p>

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<p>Your friend probably received the Eugene McDermott Scholarship because thats the only way he could have received a full ride. The scholarship is given to only the top applicants at UTD and is a very competitive scholarship: “More than 1,000 high school seniors from more than 30 states and five countries sought membership in the program. Of those, 55 were invited to interview for places in the program at the annual Finalists’ Weekend, and from those, 24 were chosen”. The students selected had amazing extracurriculars, high SAT scores, and GPA (“Together, they ranked in the top of their high school classes and their two-part SAT scores averaged 1536”). Also, half of those scholarships went to Texas residents and another eight scholarships went to people from other states in the US. That only left 4 spots for international students, students with high stats and outstanding extracurriculars. You don’t have good stats its just that simple. You don’t seem to have any extracurriculars that stand out. Your SAT score and GPA are not good and realize that your competing with other international students who have better stats and extracurriculars than you do.</p>

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<p>The only thing difference between my friend’s stats and mine in terms of performance in high school are SAT scores (which I’ll be taking again anyways). Everything else is almost the same (his overall was 92%). His ECs were better, he won something on an international level once. I know I won’t get a full ride in the good universities, so I will try my luck in the lesser known universities (like the ones Myos1634 mentioned). I have a chance there right?</p>

<p>(btw I have a high GPA, A1 percentile means a GPA of perfect 10)</p>

20

<p>Since you seem to know all the answers, you should not waste more time in arguing about your case and intentions. Start working on your applications, and wait for the outcome. Since you could “easily” raise your SAT scores above 2000, this will take your chances from close to ZERO to perhaps a single percent digit. Please realize that many students think they will do better on the SAT and find out … they will only increase it by a few points. Raising your math score to a perfect 800 will still leave way below similar applicants. </p>

<p>Based on your recital of facts, I do not think you stand much of a chance.</p>