International applicants and financial aid

southrederick
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 20:08:30 +0000

Libby said…

(Question 1.)
Hello Libby,
I am a student from Nepal greatly interested in applying to the University of Chicago? Why do you not have an Early Application option for international students as well??

(Answer)
We do; you can apply early in the same manner as anyone else. You just can’t apply for financial aid early because we have to look at all of the international financial aid applicants together. Admissions for international applicants is not need-blind.

(Question 2.)
I have a question about regional admissions officers. I live in Washington, DC, but on a diplomatic visa without citizenship or permanent residency. I’ve attended school in the United States since 2001. Will my application be compared to international applicants from overseas or to domestic applicants from the District of Columbia? I’m not trying to guess my chances, because I know that admissions for “international” students (in quotes because it’s only on paper that I am one) is incredibly competitive either way, but I’m curious about how that sort of thing would be considered.

(Answer)
about which pool you will be “compared to” as an international student living in the states.
I want to discourage students from thinking that they are being compared to others in our applicant pool. You aren’t. Each application is read based on its own merit. We have no quotas for international students, DC students, blond students, left-handed students, or any other kind of students. We have no designated spaces in our class for children of alumni or athletes. That’s the great thing about being able to admit 40% of your applicants. If two people look great on paper, we don’t have to choose; we can just admit them both!
The thing about being an international applicant is that the pool becomes very competitive when you apply for financial aid. Otherwise, your odds are the same as anyone else’s.

(Question 3.)
Could you please give me some insight into how hard is it for international students who ask for aid to get in?

(Answer)
Very hard. Isabel is happier when we have more international students getting aid, either in the form of the merit scholarships or need-based financial aid. Last year was a good year for international applicants, and we were able to fully fund 43 students. “Fully fund” means that we met their full need. We did not give each one of them $48,000, but we made it so that they were able to come here.
If you need the funds to come here, then you should apply for aid. We will not be able to admit you unless you can document that you are able to pay your way. If you do not need the funds to come here, do not apply for aid. But definitely apply. Things happen.

(From uchicago website…)
Chicago is committed to recruiting and supporting top international students.
Who does Chicago consider to be an international student? Chicago will consider you an international applicant to the College if you are neither a U.S. citizen nor a U.S. permanent resident, regardless of where in the world you live.
International applicants account for nearly 13 percent of Chicago’s undergraduate applicant pool. The University seeks academically talented, intellectually ambitious applicants from around the globe who possess awareness of and curiosity about the world around them. This past year, Chicago received 1,127 international applications, out of which 236 were admitted to join the community of scholars in the liberal arts college at on of America’s premier research universities.