hi guys, please try to give me your honest and best thoughts as i have acutally been struggling and stressing over this and platforms like reddit and tiktok can be brutal.
I’m an International student who has done GCSEs and currently doing A Levels, although i have big dreams i lacked in high school so my GCSE profile is 3A, 3B, 1C, 1D.
Im finishing up my first year of A Levels with exams next month and my subjects are Business, Economics and Psychology, if i study hard enough these few weeks i KNOW i can get As or long shot A stars.
Intended Major(s): Business Management/ Business Analytics
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
I have yet to give the SAT
Extracurriculars
My own photography business where ive done a few real shoots but i do it all by myself
Business DEvelopment internship at a local tech org that helps blind people
Selected for and attended an internatonal summer camp abroad related to leadership that has a 10% acceptance rate and i got a scholarhsip from them that covered everything.
I did theatre for 4 years throughout high school and lowkey progressed so frehsman year i was narrator, sophomore year: crew/dancer, junior year: suporting cast, senior year: main lead + director
The problem is with my weak grades, mid extracurriculars AND me being an international student im ALSO seeking aid/full ride, i know atp everyone will tell me to wrap it up and stop dreaming of studying abroad but i feel like i still have time to salvage i just need guidance from somone.
The main problem is i know if i apply to some university in america sure they will accept me but the thing is i dont want to go to some random small LAC in the middle of nowehre just for the sake of seeking aid, thats where my councellor and everoyn says will give me the best aid but whats the point of wasting 4 years at a place that wont even give me a good ROI.
You’re smart. Take those smarts and research those “random small LAC’s in the middle of nowhere” before you close down that avenue. What does ROI mean to you? And how are you wasting four years if someone is generous enough to fund a college education for you???
i dont mean to look down on LACs, what i meant is colleges that offer co ops, ones that firms recruit from, pipelines, connections, i dont think a college thats located in the backwoods would get me that and thats actually what i think like genuinely from the information i know please do correct me if im wrong
You will be in the USA on a student visa. Go look up the work limitations when you are here on a student visa. Those “pipelines” aren’t relevant for you.
What do you plan to study, and do you understand that you are most likely going back home when you graduate?
There are hundreds of good colleges and many more have pipelines than you think. Those pipelines aren’t relevant to you however.
Internships and co ops aren’t given, by the way. They are earned. Me kids both went to lower ranked schools by choice. My son worked hard to get an internship but full time jobs came easy.
My daughter cleaned up internship wise. They both applied for them. But guess what - few will hire an international student to intern.
Your understanding of the landscape is faulty.
That said, apply to schools that promise to meet the need of intl students. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
But know that what you think you need and what they say you need may be different. Many kids find out their families are expected to pay.
You are telling us you’re not a strong student but want a free ride. Already right there - you should have caught yourself.
as mentioned in the post, Business Analytics or Management, i would prefer Economics but its super popular and competitive and my grades wont do me any help with that so BBA
yes i know its likely opt and maybe an h1b which is usually unpredictable too.
i dont have anything against lacs, (even if i do i dont think it should be something to get definitive about but i dont) im definitely open to them but at the same time im trying to be realistic about outcomes, im not going just for the sake of studying abroad, i actually want to build a career and future long term which is where oppurtunities, outcomes and all that is important
all im really looking for is suggestions that tailor to my needs and if thats wanting to go to a college in a bigger city with it shouldnt be bad?
So figure out how much your family can pay, do a deep dive into the group of colleges where you may be able to afford to attend IF everything lines up financially and IF you get admitted, and then pivot to your backup plan which will likely be staying in your home country or another part of the world where your money will go further.
I get that the list of affordable colleges may not be the list of where you think you want to go. But there are no workarounds financially. ANY college in the US which might accept you AND fund you is an opportunity if you choose to view it that view. And if not- you can stay in your home country and try again for graduate school.
But I think if you mentioned the specifics on the colleges you think are too rural, too out of the way, beneath you, etc. you will likely get some folks on here whose kid attended those colleges AND made many opportunities for themselves.
And please do the immigration research I suggested. You will have a little more time to stay in the US with a STEM BS, but your intended majors will not qualify.
What can your parents afford? You say a full ride, which is unlikely. On top of that you would have expenses for books, incidentals, travel and health insurance.
Do you have affordable options in your home country? Start there.
It will be difficult for you to get internships in the US on a student visa, many companies won’t consider international students for these roles. Do you understand the student visa work rules?
You are wrong. There are plenty of wonderful colleges that are located far from urban areas where students have great outcomes. Check the locations of Colby, Dartmouth, Cornell…I think the students from these schools generally do quite well.
Are you interested in suggestions of colleges with co-op programs? If so, can you give us an annual budget for your college costs!
If you need full funding to attend college in the U.S., this could be difficult for you to find.
There are very few full ride offers available for Internationals collectively in the United States, and many more highly qualified Internationals who would want them. In fact many US colleges have no aid at all for Internationals, and many others do not offer full rides to Internationals. So, the competition for getting one of the full ride offers for Internationals actually available, anywhere, is going to be extremely tough.
I don’t mean to be discouraging but this is a reality of the situation. And it means you should make sure you have affordable options outside the US, because there is a good chance you simply will not be able to get the offer you need from a US college.
You have no SAT scores.
You have mediocre grades.
You need full financial aid.
You want to be set up for internships and US H1B work.
You want a return of your investment? What investment?
I get that you want to be entitled to a free education and residency, but even US citizens don’t demand entitlement. Your current situation won’t look appealing to any university.
What US universities expect of those who wish to be funded includes:
A record of strong grades over 4 years of preparation.
Strong SAT scores
Counselor and Teacher input via LORs and classroom participation.
A passion developed through life experiences.
Your choices of study are not lacking for US employers’. US citizen applicants are extremely competitive in those fields.
Read up on US immigration policies for student visas.