Which colleges should I consider.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Dear forum members,
Here is my story.
I am an international non U.S. student.
I will graduate from my high school in this year. I have already applied to MIT, Princeton, Yale and Harvard College. yeah, I know already that its kinda hard to get accepted in those.
Anyways, I have two choices now after probably getting deferred from all of them(the odds in favor of which are much high).
1. I could attend a college in my own country and then apply as a transfer applicant.
2. I might just drop a year and prepare again for the admissions process for next year.</p>

<p>Which choice would you prefer if you were in my place?</p>

<p>I would like to figure out through you guys which universities should i apply to next year (with at least 2 safe choices).</p>

<p>My academic record.
I always stood first in my class of 50 students right from grade 9 to 12.
Percentage marks:
Grade 9: 97
Grade 10: 97.40 (School topper- 3 marks short from being the national topper)
Grade 11: 93
Grade 12: Yet to arrive. Hopefully I will do good. Wish me luck!</p>

<p>I have always scored perfect in maths and computers.</p>

<p>My SAT II scores:
Math Level IIC 800
Physics 800
Chemistry 800</p>

<p>My TOEFL score:
110/120
Reading:28
Listening: 28
Writing:27
Speaking:27
I know it could have been higher but I panicked.</p>

<p>The universities I had applied to told me they would judge me by the TOEFL as I couldn't take SAT I since my own city does not offer them and I couldn't fly to the nearest test centre due to bad weather. I know I am half rejected because of this.</p>

<p>Extra curriculars:
1. I made it to the 9 member team to the International Primary Mathematicians' Convention, Hong Kong.
2. I won the Young Scientists Scholarship- a prestigious one which selects top 100 students or so across the nation.
3. I have an national rank of 45 in national cyber contest. + 347th rank in International Math Olympiad
4. I am in the soccer team [goalkeeper] for the last 5 years.
5. I am a distinguished swimmer and have won many inter branch competitions.
6. I ended up on a television show on Star World which was a quest to find the smartest kid in the nation. (I didn't win though :P)
7. I play the guitar and the keyboard quite well- but i have no recognition as yet. I do work for a local band. (I might get a record if i try to)
8. I have an equivalent post graduate diploma in computer applications.
9. I run several forums where I advice junior students about their exams and study.
10. My mom works for a NGO helping poor and physically challenged children. I have been assisting her since the past 2 years.</p>

<p>Well, I know my chances are less than meager this time but what do you guys think I should do in the coming drop out year in order to ace my college application- i mean what extra curriculars, academic activities etc. and more more importantly advise me on the the selection of college choices.
I wanna major in computer softwares or Information Tech. and I hope for an entrepreneurial career.</p>

<p>And yeah, I am heavily dependent on need based financial need.(probably hard to get for internationals). Any suggestions about scholarships for internationals are also welcome.
I probably have a full year, so I think I can improve my application during this time.</p>

2

<p>Nice string of 800s on your SATIIs there…
And nice going playing guitar :D</p>

<p>Here are some schools I’d suggest, and because you are international, I’ll include the US News Report Rankings so you can judge selectivity (as there is a correlation between the school ranking and its selectivity)</p>

<p>Reach Schools:<br>
Stanford - 4
Duke - 10
Washington University in St. Louis - 12
Cornell - 15
Brown - 16
Rice - 17
UC Berkeley - 21 (I hear it’s especially hard for internationals, for some reason)</p>

<p>Safeties:
Carnegie Mellon - 22
Notre Dame University (they’re famous for sports too)
University of Virginia - 24
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - 28 (very fine institution)
Tufts University - 28</p>

3

<p>I have a dumb question…how were you able to take SAT IIs but not the regular SAT? Aren’t they usually offered at the same place?</p>

4

<p>@mom2collegekids
I knew someone would ask me that. They are offered very much at the same place but not on a single day.
My SAT II’s were in December. I had registered for SAT I on the January 23rd date. In January the weather gods blew me away. My flight was canceled due to intense fog and there was nothing at all that I could have done. I regret not giving the SAT I.</p>

5

<p>@muchoschocolate
Thank you very much for your answer. I wish I discovered this forum last December. I applied only to the colleges’ whose name I had heard. I never thought of selectivity.</p>

<p>Well now, I would be applying to the ones you mentioned next year. I will have to take a gap year. Any suggestions, what I should do in the gap year?
And yeah, what are my chances at Princeton, Yale, U Penn, Harvard or California Institute of Tech.
I have heard the ivies help the internationals a lot. They have great financial packages and they offer great courses in software engineering and stuff. Do tell me!
Thanks again.</p>

6

<p>@muchoschocolate/other members</p>

<p>Brown will continue to consider a foreign candidate’s financial need when deciding to admit, wait list, or deny the applicant. </p>

<p>Duke:
Please note: Financial resources for international students are limited. </p>

<p>Washington University:
Although we do our best to provide competitive financial assistance packages, funding limitations prevent the University from providing financial support for all applicants who deserve it, nor is it always possible to meet every recipient’s requirements.</p>

<p>Rice University will offer need-based financial aid to a limited number of international undergraduate applicants entering Fall 2010. Citizens of foreign countries who apply under Regular Decision and request need-based aid will be reviewed as a separate group.</p>

<p>Cornell is only able to offer a small number of entering international students financial aid. If you are applying to Cornell University as an international undergraduate student, you should plan to pursue your own avenues of funding. Many of Cornell’s international students secure scholarships from their home governments or from private business or industry before enrolling at Cornell. We strongly encourage you to cultivate your own sources of financial support.</p>

<p>Are international students studying at UNC-Chapel Hill eligible to receive scholarships and aid?
International students who hold I-151 or I-551 Alien Registration Cards can be considered for need-based federal and institutional funds. [well, I don’t know what they are talking of.]</p>

<p>Because of the limited financial aid funding available, Tufts can offer admission to only a very small number of International applicants a year. Because funding is very limited, families who have the ability to fund the entire educational expenses should not apply for financial aid.</p>

<p>Seems like, the money factor might keep me from getting a degree in the US. What do you guys suggest?</p>

7

<p>*
Seems like, the money factor might keep me from getting a degree in the US. What do you guys suggest?*</p>

<p>You may have to work and save to pay for your education. I don’t mean this unkindly, but lack of money prevents many Americans from getting college educations in the US.</p>

8

<p>There are many schools that would offer scholarships to someone with your record, but they do not have anywhere near the name recognition or prestige of the schools you have applied to. So what is more important to you-a US undergrad education or the name recognition both in the US and probably in your country. For example, both Grinnell and Macalester offer significant financial aid to internationals (12% of Grinnell’s student body is international-Macalester slightly less)-and both have good computer science departments and offer excellent general education-but both are relatively unknown outside of the Midwest and academia. </p>

<p>As for a gap year, why not try something entrepreneurial if that is your ultimate goal? Can the NGO where your mom works use a tech intern? Is there another NGO, a university or company in the area that would offer you a tech internship? And if you play in a band, can you up your level of involvement? Producing a record would be fun, even if it doesn’t sell. Or work and save some money-because even with a full scholarship, you will want to travel a bit once you are here, eat off campus occasionally, have some cash for unexpected emergencies, etc…</p>

9

<p>@M’s Mom
thanks a lot for the reply.
I get your point. But the thing is that its my dream to study in a top school. There is a school in my country which is ranked 49th internationally among technical schools. I can easily get in there. The annual fee is also about 1/16 of a top school in US. Therefore, I can easily pay up the fee to this local college.
The thing that matters to me is my career. I don’t want to compromise with my education. As I told you earlier, I want a entrepreneurial career and I am willing to put in as much hard work as it would require. I still have a year! Maybe I can pull things together. Just tell me, what is lacking from me which would prevent me from getting admission to a top school, except the capability to pay up the full fee lol- my parents’ financial status is one thing which I cannot help.
Don’t the top technical schools, say for example the ones in top 40, offer aid to international student? What activities must I plan for the next year in order to compel the admissions staff of the top schools?</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice. But by the way,what is a tech intern??? I will ask mom about it.
Music is something which I really love. I devote a lot of time to it already. A record is already on schedule for next year.
You wouldn’t believe me, but I have already lived 3 years of life without much enjoyment-devoted to my studies and EC’s. So I think my desires to travel, eat off campus etc. can be easily controlled. Though emergencies can’t be helped, Education is my first priority.
I would have worked to gather money- but the pay per hour is quite low here. We belong to the upper middle class in our country, but still we can’t afford a US degree without external help.
Can you suggest some scholarships for internationals? probably which are academic merit based.</p>

<p>Once again thank you very much for your generous answers and time.</p>