ABOUT GRADES
I agree with @bar!um, put your GPA on a 20 scale.
But I have this link (qui vient du site officiel de l'Académie de Grenoble) which converts french grades to US grades. Scroll through the page and you'll find a Word doc you can download (Conversion table from French to US grades). You'll be nicely suprised how high your US GPA is
Our school system, school profile and grading system - [L'Anglais]
I spoke a few adcoms at a College Fair, and they have all told me they are familiar with how the French system works, how academically challenging and demanding it is compared to the US one. So don't worry about converting your grades. They know how it works. Most of the colleges (Duke, NYU, Northeastern, Boston U, Chicago U...) expect a 14/15 on the BAC. Ivy Leagues expect more of course..
Can I ask you @elkbelck, have you still in Terminale or do you have your Bac already? If you're still in school, it might be a setback for some colleges. They want results, especially for International students. But you have a high GPA, and if your ECs are good, the predicted Bac grades should be good, you have a chance. Keep in mind though that a lot of International students finish their secondary school leaving exam and THEN apply to US colleges. You can see the process of applying to US colleges outside the US is a PAIN IN THE *** and you should always focus on doing good at school first. If you can manage writing essays, getting your teacher's recommandations AND transcripts translated (tes profs parlent anglais? si c'est pas le cas, faudra faire traduire le formulaire du Common App, leur donner, et puis faire re-traduire le tout en anglais.. PAIN IN THE ***!!!!), and at the same time keep your grades up, go for it. If you can't, maybe consider taking a gap year next year to focus your energy for the applications (like I did, but I'm only 17, so for me it made sense to take a year off).
ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
There are 6 colleges in the US that offer need-blind admissions and need-based financial aid for internationals. Basically, they don't look at your financial situation when they make the admission decisions. If you get in, they'll automatically calculate what your parents earn, how much they can put for your college, and pay the rest (maybe you'll have to get a job or a small loan as part of the "package"). Those schools are :
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Darthmouth, Amherst (maybe Stanford?)
I think this is correct. Check for yourself for more info.
Then, there are a LOT of schools which offer fin aid to int'l but are not need-blind. So your ability to pay is a decision factor. Nevertheless, if you're competitive, there's no reason why they won't accept you. Institutions offering need-based fin aid to internationals include Duke, UChicago, Brown, Penn (and more, check on colleges's websites). Offering merit scholarships (most of them are academic scholarships, and if you get a 17+ on your Bac, you're def competitive to get the maximum offered) : Northeastern, Boston U, Vanderbilt, and smaller schools like Sarah Lawrence (near NYC), Pace (in NYC)... Check those schools out. Smaller, non-ranked, schools. They offer academic and/or extra curricular scholarships that are pretty interesting (most of them range from 10 to 30k / per year, you have to re-apply every year but if you maintain a high GPA it'll work out).
SO YEAH man. What else?
I almost forgot...
NYU Abu Dhabi!!! One of the FEW US colleges that offers a FULL RIDE financial aid. If your parents make up to 130k a year, they won't have to contribute a dime. You'll get all your expanses, room, board, tuition, study away programs, even 2 flights home per year PAID! Too good to be true! It's in Abu Dhabi, but part of the NYU Global Education program (you get to travel everywhere, study from world renoun teachers, ect ect!). Check the website out : nyuad.edu. AND PLUS : if you work hard during 4 years, you'll be eligible to apply for full ride scholarships for NYU GRAD SCHOOLS!! It depends on what you wanna become, but Grad schools are a must in many careers. And they cost SO much, with little financial aid available. So getting a full ride undergrad PLUS grad is a DREAM for EVERY student!!
If you have any more questions, please ask. I'll be happy to help you out!
