Chance an African [international] student. Be brutally honest [4A,1B A-levels, 1/126 rank, 1570 SAT, need lots of FA, computer science]

Congratulations on your strong record.

As I think you know, the problem here isn’t your ability to get into a strong CS program in the US; it’s the difficulty of securing the generous financial aid you need. The majority of schools will either admit you without adequate funding, or turn you down because of your high need.

I would consider adding Grinnell College to your list. They have strong CS and a large endowment that allows them to fund a decent number of high-need international students. (Grinnell has a lot of applicant-pool overlap with Reed.) Maybe also add Amherst College, which is on the very short list of need-blind, full-need-met schools for international students (along with Bowdoin and MIT, already on your list).

You might also consider adding Berea College, which admits only low-income students and meets need for all, including the 10% who are international. (They do not charge tuition, and cover other expenses via a campus work program.)

I’m not familiar with the aid policies of every school on your list, but it seems as if you’ve done your research. Best of luck!

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