Should I ask for need-based financial aid from the following colleges?
1)Vassar
2) Smith college
3) Wellesley College
4) Bryn Mawr College
I’m an international Student,good to average extra curriculars
Old SAT- 1880
ACT- 28
World History SAT- 510 (I know)
Maintained around 90% throughout high school.
Do you need aid? It will lower your chances if you apply for aid, so don’t do so unless you really need it, especially when you scores aren’t exactly competitive for those as it is. (Not trying to be rude, just realistic!)
@greenstudent the problem is that I can pay for college but also have an elder sibling, and college would take up almost all of my parent’s earnings. So while I understand that there are definitely kids with a MUCH greater need than I have, I know for a fact that around $69k a year is not going to be easy to pay at all!
I have HIGH REACH schools like Wellesley where I have not applied for aid. Simply because it’s more of a “give up a fortune if I get in there” kind of case.
But these other colleges I’m really unsure about.
I’m mainly looking at Smith and Vassar for aid. Should I go ahead and ask?
I have a cousin at Vassar, if that helps anything! 
URGENT:
If I apply for financial aid, and don’t qualify for it since my parents do earn enough, will I be rejected from the college? Or will I simply not get aid?
You just won’t get aid.
I do get your dilemma, I’m in a similar situation where my family earn a fair amount but because of where we live and a house project we’ve got to do I simply couldn’t ask my parents to pay for me and I don’t think they could.
If you really couldn’t go there without the aid, then I would apply for it - it would be more annoying to actually get a place and then not be able to take it.
Are there any outside scholarships you could get? What do your parents say about it?
OP- I hope you have some safety schools in the mix which are affordable to your family. Your list seems highly unrealistic based on what you have posted.
Are you a HS senior?
If you need aid, apply for aid. There is no point in getting an acceptance at a school without aid…if you need it to attend.
Yes, these schools are need aware for international students…but younalso say your family “can” pay. So really…I don’t see an issue with applying for aid…since the outcome will be that you don’t need much.
You should absolutely apply for aid. It does not hurt to apply.
Good luck.
^ At schools that are need aware for international students it WILL hurt but if you need the aid you have to ask for it. It makes no sense to not apply for aid, get in, and then not be able to afford it.
@blossom yes I have actually gotten into Liberal Arts at UIUC…but I do understand that I’m aiming way too high.
To me the question is, will you go to these schools if you get no aid. If the answer is no, there is no reason not to apply, even if it reduces your chances of acceptance.
@“Erin’s Dad” thanks for the help. I am going to ask Vassar and Smith for aid…just hope they accept it since the deadlines have passed!
The challenge is as an international student, if you don’t apply for aid as an incoming freshman, you will not be eligible to get aid in subsequent years. This means if you have a situation, where you may need aid, you will not even be eligible to apply.
Vassar states on their website that your best chance of receiving financial aid is if you apply on time. They only fund ~45 students a year.
Bryn Mawr states that all of your forms need to be in my the deadline for which you are applying. If you are applying RD, your paperwork was due 1/15/17.
As you also know, your ability to pay will be a factor in the admissions process, you will have to show that you can pay or else you will not get a visa.
@sybbie719 thanks!
Holyoke and Vassar will let me apply for aid, even though the deadlines have passed.
Not too sure about Bryn Mawr and Smith though.
S just got a $30,000 international scholarship from Clarkson. He is an international student who has studied in the US and interested in Computer Engineering. Does anyone know how good Computer Engineering at Clarkson is?
It’s a good engineering school. Can you detail his stats?
@MYOS1634 Here are the stats:
Asian male, studied in CA, categorized as International Student.
Combined Old SAT- 2270
ACT- not taken
Math II - 800
Physics - 750
Literature - 730
He plays high school football and baseball. Have some volunteering experience. He got into some other schools without any scholarship that has much better ranking as CE colleges but the scholarship brings down the cost of attendance, and that is a great motivation.
Congrats. It is great that he has some options that are not overpriced.