Are these Universities good enough for an International seeking low contribution? [3.78 GPA, rank 1]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • International
  • State/Location of residency: Indian
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Independent highschool - state board based

Cost Constraints / Budget:

Family can contribute 10-12k USD per Annum

Intended Major(s)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.78
  • Class Rank: 1
  • SAT Scores: 1550+ (predicted oct score, waiting for result)

List your HS coursework

my school uses a state board type of framework.

MATHS - 2A
MATHS - 2B
SANSKRIT
ENGLISH
CHEMISTRY
PHYSICS
school if not included above.)*

Awards
none in the national level, just a few school ones.

Extracurriculars
Received an appraisal letter from the Prime minister’s office regarding an essay about environmental preservation for future generations

President of an AI club in my school, thru which I hosted a informational event and headed 50 of my peers in creating data sets for training purposes. Over 1000 people attended this event.

Currently involved in an informal small scale research on technology and it’s effects on adolescents.

Head of an intercity technology club, in which fellow tech geeks share everything about what’s new.

Freelanced digital art work, and sometimes contributed my work to charity.

Volunteered at an orphanage with the help my school to supply food, toys and other essentials.

Student president with a school over 700 people, created a solarpunk environment in my school.

Youtube channel which made over 4k USD and 1.7M Views, in which I showcased how to design art but mainly it was aout entertainment in gaming.
Essays/LORs/Other
Pretty good LORs from my Teachers.

Have to work on my essays haven’t started yet.

Schools
• Brown (ed)

•Amherst

•Umiami

•ponoma

•bowdoin

•Duke

•Swarthmore

•Yale

•Rice

•Caltech

•Columbia

•Dartmouth

•Northwestern

•Princeton

•Uchicago

•UPenn

•Vanderbilt

•Harvard (might replace)

•Carleton (might choose middlebury instead)

•cornell

If a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below; also, for colleges that admit by major or division, consider that in chance estimate.

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): yes
  • Extremely Likely: yes
2

Your list is VERY top heavy…too many reach schools. If you really want to study in this country, you need some less competitive schools for admission on your list.

In addition, most of the colleges on your list are need aware for admissions…meaning your level of financial need could be considered when your application for admission is reviewed.

It’s very possible you might get accepted someplace on this list…or you might not get accepted anywhere on this list.

Please make sure you have a sure thing affordable school in your home country on your application list as well.

IMO, you need some less reachy schools on your list, and perhaps a few less high reaches.

And why are you applying ED? With your significant financial need, it might be better to be able to compare net costs amongst more than one acceptance. My opinion.

3 Likes
3

Better get going on these. Each school has their own essays in addition to the common app essay. Your ED school, Brown, also allows for an optional video submission. That application is due soon.

My advice: dramatically cut your list. There’s no way you can get all of these done.

6 Likes
4

Different high schools even just here in the US compute GPA very differently. When we get to international students applying from high schools all over the world the differences are even greater. This is very hard to compare. However…

This is way easier to compare. If you are the top student in your high school, that will help you to be competitive for the schools in the US which meet full need for international students. Admissions at colleges and universities in the US will have admissions staff who know how to interpret your grades in your country’s grading system.

I agree with others that your list is very long. Also, given how much financial aid you need, there is no school in the US where both admissions and affordability are likely. I think that you need to trim the list. At a minimum first send in applications to the schools that you think are likely to be a good fit for you. That way if you get burned out in putting together so many applications at least the applications to schools that you prefer will be done.

Perhaps you need to do two things. One is to apply to universities in your home country where admissions and affordability are likely. Also apply to a few universities in the US which you feel are the best fit for you. Then just wait and see what happens.

I see that you will be sending in an ED application to Brown. I think that this is a good choice and a very good university. You are a competitive applicant but admissions is very competitive and difficult or impossible to predict. I also see a number of applications to relatively small schools. If you prefer a small school (such as what here in the US we would call a liberal arts college) then get those applications sent in first.

With regard to essays, be genuine. Be yourself. Also try to avoid grammatical errors (which you have successfully done in your post as far as I have noticed). If you get stuck, then take a short break and relax. This does suggest that it is best to start the whole process a bit early if you can.

Best wishes. You look to be a strong student and I expect this to work out one way or another.

1 Like
5

Any reason you didn’t state your intended major?

6

it’s CS, I am so sorry I forgot to mention it

7

I cannot appreciate your reply enough.

my school is not that competitive, and I believe even in being in the 1st position does not make a huge difference.

I have a bit of time to Regular Action, I am currently planning to ED to brown and EA Uchicago and Umiami.

Yes, I am looking out for these Liberal arts colleges but they are my second priority. I really want to study abroad as I believe it would give me a great exposure to people around the world and perhaps, a more holistic experience.

Many of the people I met through either told me to apply to Brown or Amherst for the ED. I am preferring Brown because it provides a BS degree.

I have begun my essays, a bit. It just seems so hard to weave parts together and have a continuous flow. I’ll keep your points in mind!

1 Like
8

Your right, Currently, I am focusing on the schools I can EA and ED to. I really have to change my choices in the Regular action part. I just cannot think of much target schools for me.

9

I agree to changing some schools, to start off I will first complete off my EA and ED apps which will leave me time for selecting better colleges during RA.

I just wish I get accepted to just one of any of these. I believe these universities have great standards of education.

I am applying ED to brown as it gives really good aid and I could reject the admission in case there is some financial disparity.

10

This post is an extension of my previous, a lot of people told me to have some reaches. I am really confused at this point in differentiating what a reach or a target would be. I’ll appreciate the people’s advice here as they seem to know more than I do. Sharing my stats once again.

Demographics

  • International
  • State/Location of residency: Indian
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Independent high school - state board based

Cost Constraints / Budget:

Family can contribute upto 10-12k USD per Annum, It is pretty low. Hence I am seeking colleges which are either need-blind or need-aware.

Intended Major(s)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.78
  • Class Rank: 1
  • SAT Scores: 1560+ (predicted oct score, waiting for result)

List your HS coursework

my school uses a state board type of framework.

MATHS - 2A
MATHS - 2B
SANSKRIT
ENGLISH
CHEMISTRY
PHYSICS

Awards
none in the national level, just a few school ones.

Extracurriculars
Received an appraisal letter from the Prime minister’s office regarding an essay about environmental preservation for future generations

President of an AI club in my school, thru which I hosted a informational event and headed 50 of my peers in creating data sets for training purposes. Over 1000 people attended this event.

Currently involved in an informal small scale research on technology and it’s effects on adolescents.

Head of an intercity technology club, in which fellow tech geeks share everything about what’s new.

Freelanced digital art work, and sometimes contributed my work to charity.

Volunteered at an orphanage with the help my school to supply food, toys and other essentials.

Student president with a school over 700 people, created a solarpunk environment in my school.

Youtube channel which made over 4k USD and 1.7M Views, in which I showcased how to design art but mainly it was aout entertainment in gaming.

Essays/LORs/Other
Pretty good LORs from my Teachers.

Have to work on my essays.

Schools (Please let me know which schools to replace, I mainly added these IVY leagues schools because they are need-blind)

• Brown (ed)

•Amherst

•Umiami (ea)

•ponoma

•bowdoin

•Duke

•Swarthmore

•Yale

•Rice

•Caltech

•Columbia

•Dartmouth

•Northwestern

•Princeton

•Uchicago (ea)

•UPenn

•Vanderbilt

•Harvard (might replace)

•Carleton (might choose middlebury instead)

•Cornell

Some schools in this list might sound out of reach for my stats, but there are not many colleges that offer good aid to international students. Hence, I am left with limited choices.

I believe all the advice that I receive, will have a great impact on my career. I cannot thank you all enough.

11

I understand your desire to attend a top-ranked university in the US. Unfortunately, while you are a strong student, your list of schools is filled with high – or dare I say – impossible reaches, except perhaps for U of Miami and Carleton.

The only stat you potentially have, that resembles those of applicants who are admitted to some of the schools on your list, is your predicted 1560+ SAT. Even if this score does come to fruition, you are still facing a significant uphill battle competing with tens of thousands of domestic/international applicants, for roughly one thousand spots at each school.

Among these applicants, some have unbelievable ECs due partly to their talent and partly to them being from highly privileged families who have carefully curated an application narrative for them since they were very young. A small number of these applicants have also represented their states/regions/countries in various olympiads and other high-level academic competitions, which you are not able to claim, and which might have set you apart.

The fact that you need substantial financial aid will also make acceptances more challenging than they already are, at schools on your list that are need-aware for international students. Indeed, as painful as it is to say, a lot of schools view international students as cash cows.

And here you are, needing tremendous financial aid but not offering a single can’t-miss reason in return (e.g., an IMO medalist) for these schools to take you. With India being so populous, and with these schools wanting more countries to be represented in their incoming classes, they are unlikely to pick you, other than perhaps U of Miami and Carleton. Again, you are a strong student, but the cards are heavily stacked against you.

4 Likes
12

Everything is a reach. No targets.

Many of these schools are need aware. They will tell you had much you need to pay. If it’s too much, they may not admit you for that reason alone. International full pay is a revenue source. So a school like Miami may be your best hope admission wise and may meet your need.

But they might also determine your need to be $30k. Or might say - we’d love this student but not at that price.

You can apply and see but I see zero targets -to answer your first question.

Truth is you need an affordable safety.

And until you have an SAT score you don’t know what you’ll have. But highly unlikely a 1560.

Best of luck

13

I can’t believe that you said that it’s at least possible for me to get into UMiami/Carleton, even if I get anyone of these colleges, they would have a great contribution towards my career than the colleges in my country do. I will happily accept them.

I agree, there are people out there and my country is huge. The options for need-blind are limited and there is no way around than to proceed to need-aware ones.

Thank you very much, I’ll keep in consideration these both. Meanwhile, I’ll go look for some more schools within my reach. If you have any to recommend, I will greatly appreciate it.

1 Like
14

I agree, everything is indeed a reach. The problem is safeties/targets barely provide aid for me to cover my expenses.

Can you please recommend me some safeties schools that will fit me? I am having a hard time at finding safeties which align with my requirement of aid.

I guessed my sat score as I got 2 questions wrong in R&W module 2 and a question wrong in R&W module 1. Anyways its on 17th, so we’ll know it soon.

thank you very much for your help.

15

You are an international student who needs significant aid. Even with a 1560 SAT score, it’s really impossible to give you a list of safety schools in the U.S.

@MYOS1634 are there really no strong colleges in India for someone interested in computer science?

16

If you said I had 30k, I’d have a school.

I agree with @MYOS1634 taking a chance on a less selective intl meets need but I’m afraid those schools will hold out for full pay students.

I understand the desire to come to the U.S. but generally, especially for non citizens, things have to be paid for. Colleges are businesses that require funding to operate.

CS can be done many places. You need a back up. I hear IIT is incredible. Do you have a chance at one of the campuses ?

1 Like
17

Sadly, No I don’t stand a chance at IIT’s.

to clarify I meant 10-12k per annum.

Thank for the reply/

18

I just don’t want to stay here, Please. It is too much trauma that I hold up.

19

Not really. You have roughly two weeks to write your early essays. The rest are due around Jan 1. Less than 90 days. And with 21 schools on your list, you have a total somewhere around 60-80 essays. Many applicants have been already writing these for months.

Frankly, you need to cut at least half of these schools.

3 Likes
20

These colleges accept top students from your country mostly. If you aren’t in the mix for IIT, than you aren’t one of the top students in your country.

You need to dig deeper into colleges in India and at least have one there where you will get accepted.

And remember, once your student visa expires, you will be expected to return to India. Getting a job here for international students, and the visa needed, is becoming increasingly more difficult.

2 Likes