Will anyone help me find matches/reaches?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey, I would really appreciate if you can help me find out reaches/matches and safeties. Please just recommend me places which are generous in financial aid to international students.</p>

<p>Asian</p>

<p>Essays - good</p>

<p>Curricular:
completed O level in two years
in O-I, got 'A's in all exams in all terms.
in O-II, got 'A's in all exams (except a B in Mathematics and a B in English language in the first term, got 'A's in these subjects in the second term)
O level: 7A<em>s, 2As
A levels first year: mid term: 5A</em>s, final term: 5A<em>s expected grades issued by the school: 5A</em>s
SAT I: 2090 (CR=650, Maths=770, Writing=670 in first attempt, will give second attempt coming January)
SAT II (result waiting): Expected: 800 Chemistry 790-800 Physics 800 Maths - level 2 </p>

<p>Co-curricular:
-I founded a science journal, Plasma, which is Pakistan's only science journal at the high school about 5 months ago. Now, it has enormously grown into the biggest science community at this level and has members and ambassadors from all over the city. Professors like Walter Lewin (MIT) have appreciated our efforts and written articles for Plasma. I still devote a large part of my time towards developing and establishing Plasma.</p>

<p>-I am a writer at EUSci, the Edinburgh University Science Magazine. I am the youngest and the only international writer; all other writers are either PhDs or PhD scholars. I write on topics relating to astrophysics and my article on time travel has got selected for the March 2012 issue of EUSci.</p>

<p>-Worked as an intern in Alpha Engineering Firm for over an year. Was elected senior intern.</p>

<p>-Part of the project of designing a space settlement for NASA’s Space Settlement Design Competition. Designed the project for the school but couldn't go for presenting the project in the main competition.</p>

<p>-I was awarded the first position in the whole boys’ wing for my academics in the school in class 7th class, 8th class and 9th class out of over 400 students in my wing.
I was awarded the second position in the whole boys’ wing for my academics in the school in the 6th class out of over 400 students in my wing.</p>

<p>-My articles relating to astrophysics and relativity have got published in EUSci, Plasma (my own journal), Nebulous (a local journal) and Ideas Evolved (a magazine-published my article on the grandfather paradox as cover story).</p>

<p>Extracurricular:
permanent member of ASSET, an NGO for the eradication of human right . Worked there for 250 hours.
remained ambassador at World Wide Fund for Nature.
Ambassador of the country's biggest cancer hospital for my school
Ambassador at Ideas Evolved (a magazine)
Ambassador of Azm-e-Alsihan
Member of stepUp Pakistan (an organisation which puts efforts for stepping up Pakistan)</p>

2

<p>There are many websites that can help you do this, but we can’t weight in your financial picture. Surely with your exposure to all those journals you already have someone guiding you? Yes, MIT is a reach, but maybe your science connections will help … you’re pretty much acting as a young researcher today. </p>

<p>Because you’re so focused already on astrophysics, start with the colleges that have the best experts in that field and make your list from there. Some of the professors may already know of you, or soon will. Those professors perhaps could help give you a special bump in admissions if your knowledge in this area makes you unique for an undergrad. Your full list should include the MIT’s and Ivies, but also a range of State flagships that may be able to push some $'s towards you because of your science talent.</p>

3

<p>Well I’ve heard from my counsellor that state universities are not really generous towards internationals…that’s why I am not applying there.</p>

4

<p>Unfortunately, there are no safeties fr internationals. And your counselor is correct, most state schools give zero aid to internationals. One exception is Alabama so take a look there.</p>

<p>Your best bet is to look at some less selective schools known to give aid to intnls. I’ve seen many threads here on that. As there are a lotof applicants from Pakistan, it’s very competitive, so you’ll need to go pretty far down from MIT to find some schools where you can have a good chance of getting in with money.</p>

<p>Look at Kalamazoo, Bates, Colgate, Grinnell, Carleton, Mcalester, St. Olaf.</p>

5

<p>Does bates, Grinnel and Carleton give aid to internationals?</p>

6

<p>talhasami -</p>

<p>You need to check each college/university website separately to determine whether or not there is scholarship money and/or financial aid money for international students. This is something that can change from one year to the next.</p>

<p>Sit down with your parents (or whoever it is who will be helping you pay for your education) and find out just exactly how much money is available. That will determine whether or not you have any Matches in the US - a Match being a place where you can pay the full international Cost of Attendance. And as others have written above, if you are an international applicant who cannot pay the full cost of attendance, every single college/university here must be considered a Reach. It really is that simple.</p>

<p>You might find better advice for your specific situation in the International Students Forum. There is a sub-forum specifically for Pakistani students [Pakistan</a> - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pakistan/]Pakistan”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pakistan/)</p>

7

<p>Well the university websites aren’t great places to find information about aid, are they? Most of the times, they tell you that they are very generous even if its not so true.</p>