Help out an international student [create a college list] please!

Are you a high school senior (I am guessing due to not having your final results for grade 12)?

Have you already applied to this list of schools? If not, then are you planning to take a gap year and apply to start in Sept of 2024?

You have very good stats and strong test scores. I like your ECs but these are difficult for me to evaluate. Some of the schools on your list meet full need, some do not. Unfortunately for international students all of the colleges and universities in the US that meet full need for international students are very competitive for admissions.

Some of the colleges that you have applied to consider financial need when determining whether to admit you, but then meet full need for any student that is admitted. I think that this is fine. “Meeting full need if admitted” is what you need. Any school that is going to meet full need for all admitted students will be a high reach for admissions, regardless of whether or not they are need blind for admissions.

My guess is that you will get some acceptances to universities that are not affordable given your EFC. Whether you will get any acceptance that comes with enough aid to make the university affordable is hard to say. This might be a reach, but is possible.

If you have already applied then I think that you just need to wait and see what happens. If you have not already applied and are planning to apply in the fall to start in September of 2024, then you should be checking at each college and university whether or not it meets full need for international students.

Do you have an affordable option in India? I do know a few people who got their bachelor’s degree in India and their master’s degree in the US. However, even that might be difficult to afford with an EFC of $15,000/year.

One thing to be very cautious about: IMHO you should not start studying at any university in the US unless you are confident that you will be able to afford to complete you degree. It is possible to get half way through a degree and then discover that you cannot afford to complete the degree. See what financial aid is offered when you get accepted to colleges and before you decide whether to attend.

Good luck and best wishes. You look like a strong candidate and it would be great if you can get an affordable offer and come to study somewhere near here!

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