I want to apply for mechanical engineering(undergrad) and I will be asking nearly full ride aid. I think I am narrowing my choice to Cornell and Dartmouth. Should I prefer one over other as I have heard that amount of aid asked matters. Dartmouth is need blind while Cornell isn’t.
If you can suggests any other universities for ED with high acceptance rate, I would highly appreciate your help.
Thanks!
The two schools are rather different in many ways. Cornell is generally better for engineering, since it has a specific mechanical engineering major and other engineering majors, while Dartmouth has just a general engineering major within which you specialize by elective choices. The Dartmouth general engineering major also usually takes more than four academic years for the ABET-accredited degree.
If you are unsure of your first choice, do you really want to apply ED at all? You can apply ED to at most one school, since you indicate that you will attend if admitted.
It is best to start your list with a safety. If you have the stats to be competitive for Cornell or Dartmouth, there may be some schools with large merit scholarships for which international students are eligible. See http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ – Howard and Louisiana Tech are mentioned in http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/howard-us-kathmandu-connection-nepal-emerges-as-top-source-of-foreign-students/2014/08/27/4cd70376-2a20-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html as attracting international students with scholarships (check with the schools to be sure that international students are eligible for the scholarships).
Universities with high acceptance rates will tend not to have much money for high-need international students.
Exceptions include the colleges listed at the above link (http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ ), which offer large merit scholarships for students with qualifying stats. For any of those that interest you, be sure that international students are eligible. Many state universities (which have some of the best engineering programs) do not offer financial aid to internationals. The University of Alabama, I believe, does offer full tuition or full ride scholarship to internationals.
In my opinion, building a balanced list is more important than gaming the ED v. RD or need-blind v. need-aware choices. I don’t think there is enough good public information to really know how these choices might affect admission & aid decisions at Cornell v. Dartmouth for high-need internationals. (Can anyone cite such information?) To get a visa for study in the USA, you will need to demonstrate ability to cover all costs. So if Cornell does admit you, they have an incentive to meet your financial need.
Many colleges that offer the best need-based aid to internationals are small, private liberal arts colleges.
http://www.desperateguide.com/us/top-25-financial-aid-colleges-in-us-for-international-students-need-aware
However, most LACs do not have engineering programs.
Two exceptions: Harvey Mudd (very selective) and Union College.
Thank you! @ucbalumnus .
I think I will be choosing Cornell, as ED, rather than Dartmouth. I am deeply interested in mechanical engineering and I think having a specific engineering course will make a big impact.
@tk21769 now I have found that there are actually very less US universities which provides aid to international students in engineering field though there are a bit more (than in engineering) small liberal colleges that provides generous aid.
Thanks for your help!
update: cornell is need blind even for international students.(source:official email)
I would not apply ED anywhere if you need significant aid. Instead I’d apply to a wide array of schools and see what (if any) options ends up being affordable. I would suggest applying to options in your home country as well.
^^^ Absolutely.
Each college and university that claims to meet a student’s full financial need determines that need based on its own formula. Many students are awarded aid that they don’t think is enough and end up having to attend a different college or university instead. As an international student, when you have your Visa Interview, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have enough combined resources from your scholarships and family money so that you can cover your full Cost of Attendance. If the Visa Officer doesn’t believe that, you won’t get your student visa.
The Net Price Calculators at the college and university websites are designed for US applicants with relatively simple financial situations. They don’t work for international applicants or for US applicants with complex finances. You can’t predict which colleges and universities are going to actually meet your financial need in a way that will make those places truly affordable for your family. This means that you should not apply anywhere ED unless you understand your finances well enough to be able to turn down an admission with an unaffordable aid package. You need to apply to other places that you know you can afford so that if your ED option doesn’t work out, you still have somewhere to go.
Agreed with @happy1. If you have to ask, you shouldn’t apply.
But Cornell is better for engineering.
But isn’t it true that even after the aid they provide, if the cost is higher than the money one shows, one can reject ED agreement? I think I saw that in many internet posts.
Yes it’s true - if the offer is too low for your family’s budget, then you can turn it down even with ED. But you can’t apply there again and of course you don’t know whether any other college will make a better offer.
In terms of financial aid, Dartmouth is better.
Cornell claims to be need-blind, but it does NOT meet need for internationals. They’re highly unlikely to give you a full ride.