I’m an international student who’ll be applying to colleges for class of 2026, and will need 100% scholarship. Should I apply Yale SCEA or Cornell ED!? While applying Cornell ED will give me chance to apply to other colleges as well, I think my ethnicity might give me a bigger chance of admission in Yale than other students from my country. What should I do??
I think you kinda got it mixed up. Yale is the one that offers a non binding Early Action. Cornell offers a binding Early decision. My advice; apply where you really love and ensure you don’t miss…and also pray you don’t get deferred😅
As an international student needing full aid you are a real long-shot for either school. Apply early to the college you most want to attend.
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Several points. Don’t count on getting in any of these schools unless you are one of the top students from your country. Sure, apply to one, but don’t base your planning that you will get in.
Cornell is need aware for internationals, so not being able to pay will be considered. Both schools are financial aid only – no merit available.
Yes but Yale doesn’t allow applying EA to other private schools if I apply SCEA to Yale. While if I apply to Cornell ED, it will surely be binding but there is a huge chance I won’t get accepted. So it’s important that I apply EA to other private schools as well.
Anyways, just attended a virtual information session of Dartmouth College. Will probably apply to it as I’m really interested and also have a lot of chance at getting accepted.
needing aid as a international student is an issue - SUPER long shot! apply wherever you feel right.
Of course I understand that. That is why I am trying to choose a college on the basis of chance of getting accepted only. I’d be happy at both Yale and Cornell. But a difference of even 0.1 % at chance of acceptance is quite important to me.
My main reason for considering Yale is because they are need-blind for international students. Also, I belong to an ethnicity which is severely underrepresented at Yale, I think only about 10-15 students in total, which might give me a slight edge as they aim towards a diverse student body. Any advice or suggestion is welcome.
Dartmouth’s acceptance rate was 6.17% this past year. It will be significantly less for internationals. Don’t be fooled by ED acceptance rates of 22% (591/2,664). Approx 200 of those spots are taken by recruited athletes. Count on another 20+ to be based on other strong hooks like major donor kids plus another 25 Questbridge kids. The remaining applicants will have been some of the strongest candidates in the total pool. Unless you are the winner of some major international award, your chances at Dartmouth may be less than 1%.
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Diversity for internationals is not really a factor for Yale. If there is some story related to overcoming extreme adversity and your ethnicity, that may be a compelling story, assuming your academics pass a very high hurdle.
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I definitely had to overcome a lot of difficult situations. But none of those are related to my ethnicity. And I’m also the highest achieving student at my high school.
You are going to need to be one of the highest achieving students in your country. Here is a link to Harvard’s page on international students. Statistics | Harvard International Office Set it for Harvard College and click on your home country. Cornell, Yale and Dartmouth will have similar statistics. I am not trying to belittle your ambitions, but you must be realistic. Shoot for Yale (Cornell or Dartmouth), but base your planning that you will be studying somewhere else.
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Yes of course. I’m applying to 20-25 colleges in the US and a few in Canada as well. If I get rejected from all of them, then also I have a back up plan. But still I’m hoping to attend college in the US… And want to make all the right moves for maximum chance of acceptance.
Unless you’re willing to share a little about your ethnicity, whatever you’re comfortable sharing, it’s hard to give more specific advice, since you say it could be an advantage in applying.