Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

I was recently informed that international students' chances of getting into desired colleges are SEVERELY diminished upon asking for financial aid. Some schools become completely off-limits and others discourage you from applying.

This worries me and my parents greatly. They simply cannot afford to pay more than $10-15K per year, seeing as how they are paying around 8K for my brother who is in college (annual net income is in the sub 50K region before taxes).

I was aware that international applicants undergo a comparatively tougher admission procedure, but the news that demanding financial aid can reduce your chances to 1-2% is simply shocking.

What schools are generous in terms of Fin. aid to internationals? Do any prestigious schools offer merit-based scholarships? What would be some good schools for me if I am interested in Science/Math/Engineering?


My dream schools are Stanford and Caltech (both tied at the top spot) and if anyone would off any information about their admissions procedures, I would be much obliged.

Additionally, I have toured a fair number of countries and lived in them for extensive periods of time (3-4 years in Russia, India, Australia, Afghanistan), would my constant traveling be a good topic for my essays?

By Interesteddad (Interesteddad) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 11:56 am: Edit

Even forgetting finanical aid, the acceptance rates for international students are very low. Swarthmore cites 1 in 13 chances (about 7%) overall for international applicants.

It's not that that they don't want international students, but rather that they get HUGE numbers of international applications. For example, Williams got 875 international applications this year out of 5341 total apps. From these 875 apps, 32 international students will enroll this fall. And, this is for a college that isn't well known in the United States, let alone internationally. Add the name-recognition of a Harvard or a Stanford to the mix and you can imagine the huge number of international apps.

On financial aid, the colleges make no bones that international acceptances are not "need blind". To have a "need blind" acceptance policy for US students, somebody has to pay the freight. Although they probably won't go on the record, I think that the colleges most definitely expect international students to pay their own way.

By Stanfordhopeful (Stanfordhopeful) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 12:57 pm: Edit

This makes me really sad.

My college counsler expressly told me that I would have a very diffcult time getting in without financial aid... this just complicates matters more.


All my college choices need to be re-evaluated and I need to come up with a list of exactly 7 schools where I have a chance (my school only lets you apply to 7 colleges).

By Stanfordhopeful (Stanfordhopeful) on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 01:45 am: Edit

Bump.

By Interesteddad (Interesteddad) on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 03:13 am: Edit

>> This makes me really sad

On the one hand, I understand. There's a lot about the college admissions scene these days that make me really sad, too!

On the other hand, there are at least 100 truly excellent colleges and universities in the United States and the list of good schools goes at least 250 to 300 names deep. Frankly, I'm not at all convinced that the dozen or so "big name" schools provide anywhere near the best overall college experience, certainly not for every student.

My wife is quite familiar with one of the better known Ivys (she works there) and she doesn't think it would be a particularly good school for our daughter. It's very de-centralized. They don't even have a student union or a decent snack bar. Half the professors are too busy working on their Nobel prizes to teach. The classes are huge. Many of the students, as my wife puts it, "are very proud of themselves.." And, frankly, there's not much sense of community there. It has a presigious name, but there are plenty of schools that would provide a much friendlier atmosphere. Collge is supposed to be fun.

Here's the funny thing. Once you get beyond the top 50 or so schools, there are colleges and universities that are eagerly trying to attract students. I don't think the love affair with the brand name schools is a particularly healthy or appealing situation.

If you want to do science or engineering, check out Georgia Tech. It is a very good state school in the middle of an absolutely fabulous city (Atlanta) of 4.5 million people with an airport that has direct flights to every corner of the world. My daughter's best friend (from here in Massachusetts) is planning to go there and I think it's a fine choice for engineering. My daughter is very seriously considering going to a college in Atlanta. It would be very high on my list of cities to live in after college and all of the universities in the city are tightly connected to the business community. That's just one example of the excellent schools that are available.

$20k per year (tuition, room, board) at Georgia Tech compared to $36,000 at most of the private schools. Now, we're talking in the right ballpark, even if it means some student loans. I can't advise you on admissions odds or financial packages, because the international scene is SO different from what our US kids face. But, I guarantee you can find a great fit somewhere in the US.

In addition to the many options in the US, I would seriously consider some of the schools in the UK. I understand there are some serious bargains in accelerated undergrad/graduate programs.

By Drusba (Drusba) on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 12:30 pm: Edit

The issue of financial aid is a matter of financial reality. The problem is that internationals cannot qualify for federally (US) funded or backed financial aid which is a huge amount of the aid given out by US schools. To give aid to internationals a college has to use its own funds or programs and many won't do it or really can't "spare that dime." As to what any particular college would do, you should check with each college (info is often on college's web site) and you should check periodically because a school can sometimes change from year to year as to what is available for internationals.

By Greghornphs (Greghornphs) on Sunday, August 17, 2003 - 12:57 am: Edit

<Spammed message deleted. --Obiwan>