<p>Hi.
As a low-income international student, I recently asked various colleges to accept the ISFAA instead of the CSS Profile, along with an explanation of my financial circumstances. Many obliged or at least gave me CSS fee waiver codes. However, one particular institution, and not any small institution, but a pretty famous and prestigious one, denied my any assistance after asking me my country of citizenship. Now,I’m a pacifist and I’m not a big fan of starting arguments, fighting with people especially by accusing them of racism, rightly or wrongly, and I don’t want to use the racism angle to pressure anyone. But it does seem weird that they would deny me equal opportunities after I tell them my country of origin when other colleges didn’t even care about where I come from; an explanation of my financial circumstances was enough for them.</p>
<p>Does this necessarily qualify as racism? If it is racism, what should I do? Should I take it up with the admissions officers/administration? I’m afraid my work for 2 long years will be wasted if I complain and whine to this college; they might just chuck my file in the bin.</p>
<p>A hypothetical example to explain my case:
Say you are from a planet Zog and your people are called Z(many people aware of racial stereotypes can easily substitute Z for a particular community. However I don’t wish to offend anyone so I’ll stick with using Z. No implications are intended.). You ask an institution for help and they say no after they find out you are a Z. Won’t you be inclined to think that that institution’s officer, after reading your email, said something like ‘Ugh! The Z people are the worst! Always trying to steal our money and make profit! Screw them.’</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>(At the risk of sounding haughty and ungrateful to the CC community, I’d like to add that all those people who wish to post “You should pay for CSS, it’ll pay off in the long run! You should have worked in the summer, done this and that”, please don’t. I’ve tried all of that and exhausted the sum that I had saved on standardized testing-single attempts only- and score reports. You don’t know my country and the exchange rate or my financial circumstances, so please be kind and refrain from insensitive sermons which I have received from certain other sources.)</p>
<p>What you said is reasonable, but it’s my dream school.
I’ve already submitted my app. I’ve come this far, the idea of attending this school has kept me going for 2 years, I can’t give in. I shouldn’t. I’ve sent another email to them, but I doubt they’ll budge.
Should I contact the institution? The authorities, dean etc.</p>
<p>Why do you think it’s racism? Did you specify your race? Could it be that the school restricts fee waivers to US students and they were checking to make sure you aren’t an American living abroad? Which school is this?</p>
<p>@Sue: I was thinking along the lines of what you said, which is why I posted this here. It’s an institution that is need blind for internationals and offers application fee waivers, full rides etc regularly to internationals. Btw, racism, by its current definition and irrespective of it’s linguistic root ‘race’, extends to discrimination on the basis of colour, nationality etc.
I won’t name the school, as I don’t want to hurt my chances, hurt the school’s rep, get unwanted attention, create a scandal etc. It’ll suffice to say that it’s a very big, super-selective school from which you wouldn’t expect something like this.
@ 4kidsdad
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. " -Lance Armstrong.</p>
<p>I feel like there’s more to the story. What exactly did they deny you of, and did you care to ask why? Did you look up the school’s policy concerning FA applications for international students?</p>
<p>First, this is a private university and it can do whatever it wants. If you don’t like it, you can withdraw your application. You can also name the university here and try to convince us all that it’s a terrible place.</p>
<p>Or (take a breath) you can call back, ask to speak to an admissions counselor, and make your request again. Without the attitude. In other words, you’re asking a favor, and it’s quite possible this is a favor they don’t usually grant - not to any international student, regardless of what country the student is from. So, be polite, be respectful, make your request, and hope for the best.</p>
<p>@dodgersmom: That’s what I have done so far. I thought I was being civil in this thread as well. I’m sorry if some attitude came through unintentionally. I didn’t mean to. I have already sent them a polite reply backed by my family’s relevant financial circumstances.</p>
<p>As far as the commonality of this ‘favor’ is concerned, this favor is granted to both US and international applicants on a regular basis who can’t afford the CSS profile. The fact that every other school that I’ve applied to has agreed to let me submit the ISFAA or given me a CSS fee waiver testifies to this. A quick search through most Ivy websites will reveal my assertion to be true. This institute, though not an Ivy but equally selective, says on its website that it DOES have “alternatives”(unspecified) for low income families and students who have unusual family hardships. Such families can contact the school’s SFS for those alternatives. It seems odd that they denied my what they offer on their website after asking for my country of origin. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>Eltanin,
I think one of the reasons dodgers mom may be a bit irritated by your OP is that racism is a heavy charge to be raising as a possibility when as far as I can tell there’s absolutely no evidence that the school was reacting to your race. It could be that the school was simply trying to sort out what form they required or you. For instance, Amherst, one of the few need-blind schools for international students, makes exceptions for students from certain countries. Your country may simply not be one of them.</p>
<p>@dodgersmom: That’s what I have done so far. I thought I was being civil in this thread as well. I’m sorry if some attitude came through unintentionally. I didn’t mean to. I have already sent them a polite reply backed by my family’s relevant financial circumstances.</p>
<p>I do agree that this is a favor that I’m asking for.
As far as the commonality of this ‘favor’ is concerned, this favor is granted to both US and international applicants on a regular basis who can’t afford the CSS profile. The fact that every other school that I’ve applied to has agreed to let me submit the ISFAA or given me a CSS fee waiver testifies to this. A quick search through most Ivy websites will reveal my assertion to be true. This institute, though not an Ivy but equally selective, says on its website that it DOES have “alternatives”(unspecified) for low income families and students who have unusual family hardships. Such families can contact the school’s SFS for those alternatives. And while it is rare, there are people with circumstances similar to my own and colleges acknowledge the flawed system which demands money for financial aid, which is why they offer these alternatives in the first place.It seems odd that they denied my what they offer on their website after asking for my country of origin. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>While it is true that it is a private and autonomous institute, it should be accountable to any applicant if it violates basic rights enshrined in the institute’s own non-discrimination policy and the US constitution. I find it hard to believe that this institute would deny me anything on the basis of a “race” issue, probably they don’t even care, but can it be possible that the financial aid officer who handled my case was being unfair? In that case it would make sense to take it up with the adcom/dean.</p>
<p>The only reason why I’m posting this here is for advice, and to ensure that when I further correspond with them(politely and humbly of course ) , I don’t make a fool of my self by stupidly insinuating racism.I don’t have other sources of counselling for US applications. Even if it was blatant, in-your-face racism, I doubt I’d complain about it, since there’s little I can do. And because I am not sure whether it was racism, this is exactly why the thread’s title is posed as a question, asking for your opinion.</p>
<p>@Sue: I know. I said in the OP that I don’t want to blindly accuse people of racism. I haven’t done that in the emails that I’ve sent to the university. I’ve been polite there and here. I can email the whole correspondence to anyone who thinks I’m trying to get attention or that I am stupid or haughty. I’ll PM you my country’s name and everything.</p>
<p>This college doesn’t specify such exceptions on its website.</p>
<p>Yes. My PM to you explains my circumstances which I have alluded to in the OP, which makes that (18*6) + 25 USD quite expensive and unaffordable in my case.</p>
<p>Eltanin - Please be careful about repeating your posts - it makes the thread quite difficult to read!</p>
<p>In response to your query, no, I actually do NOT think it’s possible that the person you spoke to was being unfair. Someone with an inclination to be unfair simply wouldn’t last long in such a job.</p>
<p>What I do think is that you are overreacting. There are only two possibilities here: (1) this school (in contrast to the others you’ve dealt with) does NOT have a policy of granting waivers or accepting the alternative financial aid forms; or (2) someone made a mistake.</p>
<p>So, either it’s a mistake, in which case it’s readily fixable, or it’s school policy, in which case it’s not. Although, if it is school policy, you might be able to request an exception, and perhaps you’d succeed.</p>
<p>As for claim that your U.S. constitutional rights have been violated . . . well, let’s keep this simple. First, a private institution, unless it accepts public funding, can do whatever the hell it wants. And, second, you absolutely can be discriminated against on the basis of citizenship.</p>
<p>I can understand (sort of) the conclusion you drew, given that the query about your nationality directly preceded the denial of your request. But, honestly, let’s assume you make it past this hurdle and end up getting admitted to a U.S. university. If a professor asks where you’re from as he’s handing out an assignment, and later gives you a bad grade on that assignment, are you going to be complaining of racism again? Your logic makes sense only if you impute the worst possible motives to everyone you deal with. That doesn’t seem like a particularly pleasant way to go through life . . . not for you or the people around you.</p>
<p>Hmm, that’s true. I agree. You’re right, I was suspicious because they asked me my nationality first. But what you just said makes sense. I’ll leave out the racism angle. </p>
<p>The conclusion I drew seemed only logical at first. If they don’t care and don’t discriminate, why ask?</p>
<p>The college DOES have a policy on fee waivers etc for internationals,as I said earlier. I actually have seen posts on that college website’s blogs’s comments where they have asked students to submit ISFAA instead of the profile. Unless their FA policy has radically changed in a few months and they haven’t updated their website about it, it seems unlikely. They haven’t specified what their policy is, they’ve just asked people to contact the FA office. I PMed Sue22, so she knows what I’m talking about and would agree that I am not being incorrect.</p>
<p>Of course I am powerless, I am not going to do anything but request for an “exception.”
I’ll let this rest then.
Thank you.</p>
<p>PS:I only had to repeat my post as a new post came up as I edited mine.
Edit:
And unlike a professor, they didn’t ask me my country of origin in a conversational manner. They demanded this information before providing any answer.
Any such policy should be on their website.</p>
<p>The college didn’t demand. They asked. You were asking for a favor…a waiver of a relatively minor and small cost compared to the cost of the college should the college accept you…and they asked you for more information.</p>
<p>It may also be that the school in question grants so many waivers to students from each country, (20 per country, or whatever) and if they have granted the amount to your country, then they will grant no more. Who knows? If you think affording the CSS profile is tough, wait until you encounter all the unexpected expenses college brings! Finances are tough for tons of people. Community college, or attending school closer to home, can be a great option if money is an issue.</p>
) , I don’t make a fool of my self by stupidly insinuating racism.I don’t have other sources of counselling for US applications. Even if it was blatant, in-your-face racism, I doubt I’d complain about it, since there’s little I can do. And because I am not sure whether it was racism, this is exactly why the thread’s title is posed as a question, asking for your opinion.</p>