Best university for an international student.

College Search & Lists
1

I am from the UK and I am looking for a college to attend in the US and I was wondering what would be people’s recommendations.
I have a few requirements.

  • First of all it can not be too impossibly hard to get into
  • Second it has to grant financial aid to international students (as many do)
  • Third it has to be test flexible on the SAT/ACT
  • And finally I am very politically involved back home and while in the UK I am a left leaning centrist by American standards I probably make Bernie Sanders look like an ultra- right wing Conservative so nowhere that has a reputation for being too conservative.
2

Fortunately for you, most US universities lean liberal. It would be easier to find schools if I knew your gcses, grades, and extracurriculars (though I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure how the U.K. school system works). I have a few suggestions though. All these schools are on this list: https://lendedu.com/blog/international-students-financial-aid-study
Also, all these schools are going to be very liberal and they will be test optional

Wesleyan
-In Connecticut
-3,000 students
-Very liberal (more so than others on this list)
-However, admissions have become very competitive. 18% acceptance rate last year.

Skidmore
-New York
-2,600
-37% acceptance rate

Bates College
-Maine
-1,800 students
-23% acceptance rate

Pitzer College
-Really low acceptance rate (13%) but meets all your requirements
-Southern California
-Part of the Claremont consortium (look it up)
-1,000 students

Connecticut College
-38% acceptance rate
-1,900 students

Bennington
-67% acceptance rate
-600 students
-Vermont

Bard College
-45% acceptance rate
-2,000 students
-New York

Franklin and Marshall
-39% acceptance rate
-2,200 students
-Pennsylvania

Macalester
-36% acceptance rate
-2,000 students
-St. Paul, Minnesota

Please note, most of these schools are very hard to get into. I saw a lot of other schools on that list that I think you might like. You will notice that these schools are small. This is because smaller schools generally place less emphasis on test scores. These schools are all defined as test optional but you should do research into what they require U.K. students to submit. Let me know if you have any questions about the US college system, let me know and I would be happy to answer them.

3

In addition to the schools @justdreaming listed, I suggest you also check out the following:

Kenyon College

  • Ohio
  • 1,711 students
  • 24% acceptance rate

Colby College

  • Maine
  • 1,857 students
  • 23% acceptance rate
  • “test flexible”

Colorado College

  • Colorado
  • 2,131 students
  • 17% acceptance rate
  • “test flexible”

These are among the top 50 schools by financial aid award amounts for international students.
They claim to cover 100% of demonstrated financial need for enrolled students.
They aren’t quite as selective as some of the other top 50 (although their admit rates still are rather low)
They don’t have reputations for being too conservative.

In case your actual need is much greater than your “demonstrated” need, you might get a lower net cost from a less selective school on the following list:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
(Note, however, that international students may not qualify for merit scholarships at some of the listed schools.)