Based on all the information above, it seems to me that Washington and Lee may be the very best bet for @Ihopethebest . It is need-blind for internationals, it meets full need for internationals, it has a lower median SAT range than Brown, Amherst or Bowdoin, it is Test Optional if OP doesn’t want to submit his scores, and it has a very generous merit scholarship that it provides to a large number of its students, and which is available for international applicants.
Is there any reason why OP shouldn’t ED to W & L? I think he should definitely ED2 to W&L, and maybe even ED1? And if he does choose ED2, would he be able to submit either November or December test scores?
OP, I would strongly consider using your available time to really, really focus on the W&L application because from what I know currently, I think it is your very best chance to study in the US. I think they are much more likely to accept you than Brown, Amherst or Bowdoin and I think they are much more likely to be affordable for you than any of the public schools you are applying to. If you were my kid, I would suggest that you take a bit of time to think about this and if you agree, to allocate your time and energy to creating the best application you can for W&L , even if that means applying to not as many of the other colleges.
@tsbna44 and @MYOS1634 – thoughts? Am I missing something in my above analysis?
Editing to add, with the extra time available, you could really focus on improving your SAT scores and thus raise your likelihood of acceptance and scholarship for W&L.
I agree - and I like the Johnson backstop in case the need isn’t where OP thinks although I suspect it will be.
I do understand the app quantity given the odds - the more the merrier but I would make ten of them the Southern Miss/Minor State types because you know you will get in. How do you find the funding is the question then but they are not horribly far off. Or if you’d rather go to another country than an unknown - that’s different.
OP wants to ED Amherst but it doesn’t mean W&L can’t be ED2 as long as the application is RD/in by Dec1 in time for the Johnson, switched to ED2 (or withdrawn) once the Amherst results are known.
Once the ED Amherst app is done, OP can complete EA at a few private colleges that have it as well as to public universities with merit scholarships.
At this point, universities that want TOEFL/IELTS results should be left to January RD.
Some colleges will also accept certain minimum SAT scores for English proficiency, so that doesn’t require any extra work for OP. Again, OP needs to go site by site to see who takes what.
Iook at the first stat for W&L, my board is very rigged (it is a state board). I have no chance of even getting in being 6%, other colleges don’t release this data so I am not sure about them.
I can’t express my gratitude that the help I am receiving here is invaluable, I don’t know what I am to you. But I feel you as my family, I never experienced so much care.
That’s not necessarily in the cards. Can’t count on it and at some schools, transfers are non existent - Swarthmore or aid is less for transfers at some.
You wanted to come to America so badly - but now it’s prestige ?
You are adding roadblocks.
Anything is possible but I wouldn’t count on this.
Assume if you find a school you will stay there. You can hope otherwise but assume differently. The likely answer is no - well it’s yes but not at $12k. You’d have the same issue as now.
Colleges are very good at managing their yield. They already know how many students they need and accept more than that number, already understanding that roughly 50% will choose to go elsewhere. It’s called yield management. Every school does this.
But you seem to be getting sidetracked by details that don’t matter to your situation. You have a TON of work to do. Try to focus on the that.
It equals people think it’s a higher quality or a more respected name. Two different things.
My prestigious undergrad education was not good. My public grad school education excellent. My roommate’s friend at Wharton MBA looked for a job as priority over schooling. According to him, our classes and rigor were way more.
My daughter’s regional public was 90% outstanding education wise. Not prestigious.
So prestige in and of itself does not necessarily mean better quality.
Some / many may and will be - higher funding, higher stat students but not necessarily better because of that.
Your goal at this point - get in anywhere you can afford.
You are not close to step 1. No need to look at step 2.
Here’s a secret. If your high school doesn’t offer AP or IB, then the admissions office won’t hold that against you. They will only hold it against you if you had the opportunity to take AP or IB and chose not to do so. Most American high schools do offer that, so that’s why the numbers who don’t have that are so low.
My older kid’s high school did not offer AP or IB and it did not impact their admissions offers at all.
