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Tough (and Odd) College Enrolment Decision
Danny3895
125 replies14 threads Junior Member
Hello everyone!
I am an international student with decent grades and scores. However, I was unable to get into my top-choice colleges along with one safety school I applied. I and my counselor was completely shocked to find that out as I am not a bad student overall. But I was looking for large amount of aid and most of my schools were need-aware.
I have gotten into one college in Boston called Suffolk University. And not sure if I should go in or take a gap year and repplay next year while improving my weakness. The problem is I am already one year older than the rest of class because I went on an exchange program in US where I had to repeat the class again back home.
I would like to hear some suggestions here. Should I go to this college and transfer to a good place next year or take a gap year and reapply to top schools again?
34 replies I am an international student with decent grades and scores. However, I was unable to get into my top-choice colleges along with one safety school I applied. I and my counselor was completely shocked to find that out as I am not a bad student overall. But I was looking for large amount of aid and most of my schools were need-aware.
I have gotten into one college in Boston called Suffolk University. And not sure if I should go in or take a gap year and repplay next year while improving my weakness. The problem is I am already one year older than the rest of class because I went on an exchange program in US where I had to repeat the class again back home.
I would like to hear some suggestions here. Should I go to this college and transfer to a good place next year or take a gap year and reapply to top schools again?
This discussion has been closed.
Replies to: Tough (and Odd) College Enrolment Decision
Why not universities in your country of citizenship or residency?
Even if you enroll at Suffolk, the schools you try to transfer to should be a different list of schools, not the same ones that rejected you. Include safer safeties and don't reach quite so high in your new list.
Who advised you to apply to ONE safety school--- and as a "not bad student" from overseas who needed large amounts of aid?? My first step would be to go to someone else for advice.
I'm assuming that you did some homework before applying to Suffolk. If it's the one school that accepted you, and it's the one that's giving you the aid you need, then it looks to me as though your decision is made.
One question though-- weren't deposits due on May 1? Is Suffolk still an option, a month later?
You should be happy if you got sufficient aid anywhere in the US. There are a huge number of students who are "not a bad student overall" and would like to come to the US.
How badly do you want to study in the US? Do you have the grades and test scores that would guarantee admissions and aid at any of the places such as U of Alabama that do offer that? If you like any of those better than Suffolk, then take your gap year and apply to them. Here is one older list to look through for ideas: http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
There also is nothing wrong with studying in your own country, and coming here for another semester or year of exchange. Think about that option too.
I am particularly not inclined towards studying in my home country due to poor quality of undergraduate education. And I believe some of the schools I applied to could have catered to my potential interests and intellectual curiosity. Overall, it's been a very tough and traumatizing year for me due to this random college admission process.
One other question, Boston is a very expensive city. Does aid include housing? I don't know much about Suffolk (have seen it when in Boston), but I don't think there is much campus housing. Can you afford off-campus housing there? Does your aid include housing? For next year only, or going forward as well? Good luck (and bring a coat and boots if you attend Suffolk, Boston is cold and snowy.)!
What are your stats?
What would your family be able to contribute this time?
York is better than Suffolk, but if you now have a significant amount of money to contribute in addition to what you had this year, it'd make a LOT of difference and you could net more acceptances because admitting you wouldn't be such a financial liability for the college.
(For Americans : Schulich is Canada 's Wharton).
In any case, don't take Suffolk.
You won't be challenged there.
Ask Schulich if you can defer to work... Is work a possibility?
If your family can afford 30-35k yes it'd make a big difference but there's no certainty you'd get into a school as goodness Schulich (it'd have to be a top 30 national university /LAC).
Is your primary goal studying in the US? Then sticking with Suffolk might make sense, provided you are able to afford all four years there if you aren't able to transfer out.
Do you want a long term job in the US after graduation? Then think again. The likelihood of scoring an H1B visa after your year of OPT expires is even lower than the odds were for finding the financial aid to study here.
Do you want a long term job anywhere outside your home country, and Canada would be fine for that? Then go to York with plans to stay there through completion of your studies. Canada has much friendlier immigration and work permit policies for international graduates from its universities than the US does.