For an int'l with EFC=30K/year, are safeties/matches non-existent for heaven's sake?

International Students
1

<p>K, I’m desperate. I’m an int’l from China now second year in the states, facing the same agony as hundreds of thousands of other int’ls are: locating those mysterious “safeties”, beyond a list filled up with HYPS, MIT, Ivies, etc.
Planning on going STEM (maybe BME or physics or applied math), and graduate school/MBA after undergrad.</p>

<p>Full-ride/full-need-met that kinds of miracles are clearly unlikely due to intense competition; but I’ve got some $$, though not much, so would schools be so greedy as to not even taking 30K/year for a decent guy?
But then there’s the CSS thing involved in this:
30K/year is what my family is willing to pay, and what I’m trying to let colleges come across as my EFC;
but I’m the low-income-high-saving type of applicant on CSS. (the majority of funds come from spending, well, almost all of my family’s saving at a rate of 30K/year) Would CSS become an issue?
For financial safeties, I understand that most state schools aren’t an option (except for UMN, Twin City); for the most part, my hope lies in rich LACs with decent science programs.</p>

<p>I also have trouble identifying/locating myself. For example, should Union College be considered a reach/match? what about Grinnell, Bucknell, Hamilton and Vassar? </p>

<p>Any advice?? Like, unveiling some hidden public schools with cheap OOS tuition also strong in STEM, or those that give int’l $? Or any other LACs? </p>

<p>Please assume I care nothing except academic quality.</p>

<p>Here’re my stats:
Academics:
i). Back in China, 9-10th grade:
National Math Contest, 2nd place
National Science Contest, regional 2nd place in chemistry, 3rd place in physics
English Club Manager/Coordinator
Class monitor/rep in student council
GPA 93/100
Not Ranked</p>

<p>ii). Here in the U.S.
SAT II: 800s (Chem, Physics, Math level2)
Three 5s on AP Chem, AP Cal AB, AP Physics C mechanics, a 3 on AP Physics electromagnetism, thus received AP scholar award with distinction.
ACT: 32(E28/M35/S34/W30), 33(E33/M36/S28/W33)
SAT: 2180 (CR650/M770/W760), will retake. (CR, wait for my vengeance!!!)
GPA 4.0
Not ranked
Taking as many APs as I can…Cal BC, Phy, Govn, Econ, Chem, etc.</p>

<p>ECs:
i). Back in China<br>
I was in Chemistry Olympiad Program; study/training for the upcoming IChO at that time
Model UN
English Honor Society
School Spring Play
ii). Now in the U.S.
Vice-president of Mu Alpha Theta
School Ambassador
Sergeant at Arms of school math team
Also a member of Marching band, Men’s ensemble, National Honor Society, Robotics Club
Computational Chemistry research internship at SMU (ongoing)</p>

<p>About 100 service hours (only during last 3 semesters here in the states)</p>

<p>THANK YOU!!!</p>

2

<p>If your family can pay 30k then there are lots of options for you. Run the college-matching search engines for places where the OOS tuition and fees are 20k or less, which would leave you 10k for books, meals, housing, transportation, etc. CollegeNavigator finds more than 500 bachelor’s degree awarding institutions in that price range. Surely some of them have the major that you want and admits students with your grades and exam scores:
[College</a> Navigator - Search Results](<a href=“College Navigator - Search Results”>College Navigator - Search Results)</p>

<p>There are threads at the top of the Financial Aid Forum on the topics of automatic merit-based aid (and yes, some of those awards are open to international applicants), and competitive merit-based aid (some of those are open to internationals as well). Go read through those threads and investigate the possibilities.</p>

<p>Once you stop looking only at “top” institutions, you will find that you have many, many options. Especially given that you have 30k available each and every year for your education.</p>

3

<p>LOTS of schools will be interested in an international student with your stats who can pay $30,000 :slight_smile:
Pretty much all LACs ranked 35+ would be interested, as well as regional universities.
With your stats, you qualify for merit scholarships at MANY directionals and honors colleges.
Check out Suny Geneseo, ASU Barrett, Pitt’s Honors Program, of course UAlabama’s scholarships (you qualify for the automatic full-tuition and the honors college), Truman State, NM School of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, UMN Morris, U Wisconsin-Superior, SD schol of mines, Missouri school of science and technology…
Hurry though because some applications have closed and others close this week. UAlabama’s automatic scholarship is the easiest application I think. (There are other, competitive scholarships, too).
All the colleges you list would be matches, except that schools like Vassar are “reaches for everyone” due to their selectivity.</p>

4

<p>happymomof1 and MYOS1634, </p>

<p>I can’t say more thanks to y’all!!
It’s exactly because of you awesome people that CC becomes indeed awesome!!</p>

<p>And I’ll definitely check out all those schools you listed!</p>

<p>God bless you and God bless America.</p>

5

<p>The schools I listed a SAFETIES for you. That is, it’s 99% sure you’d get in :)</p>

<p>For matches, look at LACs ranked 35+, especially those out of the West Coast and New England.</p>