I’m currently a junior in high school, and was hoping that I could get some advice selecting colleges to apply to next year/
This is currently my list:
REACH:
MIT
PRINCETON
CORNELL
CALTECH
STANFORD
HARVEY MUDD
MATCH:
LEHIGH
DUKE
CASE WESTERN
OHIO STATE
LAFAYETTE
WUSTL
NORTHWESTERN
SAFETY:
U OF ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE
I know that the safety section is a little lacking, but I really haven’t found any schools I could put there.
I’d need high financial aid, near full tuition, preferably full ride. My entire list is kind of based around this.
I’m also an international student, so I know that my chances at these universities would be marginal at best.
Intended Major: MechE, with either a double major in AeroE or at least a minor in Aero
My EC’s:
Original research with the New York Academy of Sciences
Student at the Junior Academy of the New York Academy of Sciences
Interned at ARM
Co-founded a software company that provides free software to non-profits, and other philanthropic organisations
School captain, founder of school eco-club, school magazine committee chair
Volunteer at local ashram, year-round
Scores:
SAT 1: 1550
SAT Subject Tests: Math 2: 790
Physics: 780
Maintained A+ grade average in school till date
It’s very difficult for an international to get full, or nearly full, scholarships. Schools very much look for internationals to pay tuition. That said, there are schools that strive to meet full financial need for all students. You can google search schools that meet full financial need to find some lists. These are primarily the most elite, wealthy, and competitive scores, like Harvard, etc.
The good news is you would be a competitive applicant at these schools. You would be qualified to go to any of them. The disappointing news is that these schools receive many, many more applicants than they can accommodate. Most of your reach schools accept well under 10% of applicants in RD, and that includes applicants who have something that makes them especially attractive to the school. One example: we visited a top LAC a few years ago. They said 70% of applicants were fully qualified to attend and succeed. They accepted 14%. So 1 in 5 fully qualified students were accepted. Now if Harvard/Stanford sees 70% of applicants as qualified and accepts 5% then you can see the issue.
You can certainly apply to these schools and see what happens. Just know the odds are long and you will also need to apply elsewhere. Note there are several other excellent schools on the list of schools that STRIVE to meet full need. This includes Clark University in MA, which might be a good choice for you. Alabama–Huntsville is a good safety.
As an international with high financial need, you have no matches. You have reaches, and a few safeties such as UAH that guarantee merit aid for your stats. Check the list at automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com to see if there are any more places that guarantee the aid you need.
AeroE is not a good choice for international students. It is almost impossible for them to get internships or OPT jobs in the US in that industry because most of those jobs are defense related and require security clearances.
Check out Loyola Marimount University, University of Central Arkansas, Rice University, and Mississippi State. All of them are good options for MechE and offer full ride.
Nice work maintaining such a competitive profile. The only thing I would have to say about your school list is to not take Duke and Northwestern as “matches.” Both schools have very low acceptance rates which go even lower for international Asian students (the hard truth), so don’t be disappointed if you get rejected or waitlisted from either school.
Just for some context, here are the 2016 acceptance rates of Duke and Northwestern in the context of your “reach” schools:
Also, prestige is one thing, and comparing these schools to each other based on reputation is splitting hairs at this point. You need to look at the undergrad experience holistically. Good luck with your applications!
Nice job maintaining such a competitive profile! The only I would have to say is perhaps you shouldn’t consider Northwestern and Duke as “matches.” Both schools are extremely difficult to get into, and even more so as an international Asian student (the hard truth). For some context, here are the 2016 acceptance rates of Duke and Northwestern versus your reaches:
However, prestige is one thing, and comparing any of these schools based on reputation is splitting hairs at this point. You need to look at the undergrad experience holistically, and each school has its strengths and it’s drawbacks. Good luck choosing!
Most of the schools you’ve listed are reaches for you besides:
Ohio State, UAH, (Lafayette?) and maybe Case Western
The other schools (Duke etc) have a 10% or less admit rate for US students. The bar would be higher for international students.
Check out NCSt, Iowa State, Arizona State, Virginia Poly and Texas AM. These are large schools with high admit rates and decent engineering programs. They have the same profile as Ohio State. I think with your stats you’d get offers from all of those… But financial aid is not likely.
Look into UT Dallas, Miami Ohio, Montana State, Ole Miss, Mississippi Southern, UMN Twin Cities - they may have full tuition scholarships for your stats (NOT guaranteed but possible).
If you are looking for a prestige school with global recognition, McGill University is a very affordable option as an international student. http://www.mcgill.ca
I know you want to study engineering, but that’s really where you will have to compromise if you want to get into a good school with good money. I know several international students who came to Reed and wanted to study engineering too but did not have a choice about that; most LACs don’t offer engineering. But they made it: one of my friends attends Princeton as a PhD student in electrical engineering and another attends Rochester. It’s a longer path but what seems to me to be very rewarding and worth it.
But I digress. Even colleges like Reed admit only 6-9% of international students who apply for financial aid. Vassar admits 5%. And these are FAVORABLE admit rates; Harvey Mudd has SO little money to offer to international students, particularly those from India, many of whom can already pay the tuition.
I think you already know these things, but with persistence I think you can make it happen. I’ve watched so many international students, many of whom were exceptionally hard-working and had excellent grades and test-scores, not make it anywhere, simply because they were not researching /enough/ or were displaying a remarkable lack of realism. Add more safety schools and look for more merit-aid schools. Get rid of Ohio State and Case Western (not nearly enough money to offer you). Northwestern and WUSTL are NOT matches; they are SUPER DUPER REACHES, particularly for an intl student from India looking for full financial aid.
“If you are looking for a prestige school with global recognition, McGill University is a very affordable option as an international student.”
With OP’s stats he is going to get accepted to McGill (if he applies). The issue is affording it.
McGill full pay is still significantly less expensive than comparable US schools full pay. However, tuition has gone up quite a bit for international students – probably a reflection of the fact that its excellent reputation brings in a large number of international applicants. Also, full tuition scholarships are unlikely at McGill (to be honest I haven’t heard of any).
Drexel has terrible financial aid.
If you like the idea of co-ops, you can look into UCincinnati (look at Honors College and Cincinnatus scholarship) as well as Northeastern (high scorers only).