Match me pls! International Student (India) | SAT 1550 | High Financial Need | Seeking Full-Ride CS Programs

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics
• Location: India
• Residency: International
• High School Type: NIOS Board (India) for Grade 12; IGCSE for Grade 10
• Legacy: None
• Gender: Male

⸻

Intended Major(s)
• Computer Science

⸻

UW GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
• 12th Grade (NIOS Board, 2026): Predicted 80% overall (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English, Computer Science)
• 10th Grade (IGCSE, 2023): Mostly C’s, 1 B, 1 D in Biology, 1 E in Computer Science (context: transition year & personal challenges)
• 9th & 11th Grades: All A’s
• SAT: 1550+ (single sitting)
• Class Rank: Not applicable (no official ranking system in my board)

⸻

Coursework
• Standard Indian senior secondary curriculum with focus on PCM + Computer Science
• No AP/IB (not offered at my school)
• No dual enrollment

⸻

Awards
• National Finalist – Compudon Junior Olympiad (digital literacy competition aligned with Microsoft standards) in Grade 9

⸻

Extracurriculars
1. Blanket Distribution Initiative (8–9 years): Helped lead a family project distributing ~1,000 blankets annually to underserved communities in my village.
2. Leadership Roles: Head Boy (Grade 12), Vice President (Grade 11), Sports Captain (Grade 9).
3. Community Service: Ongoing engagement in rural upliftment projects.
4. Competitions: National-level digital literacy competition finalist.

⸻

Essays/LORs/Other
• Essays: Planning to focus on growth story, leadership in rural service, and connection between tech skills & social impact.
• LORs: Strong – will highlight leadership, initiative, and academic potential.

⸻

Cost Constraints / Budget
• Max Budget: ~$4,660/year (all expenses: tuition, room, board, fees, etc.)
• Family Income: ~$14,000/year
• Need full-ride or near full financial aid (need-based or merit-based)

⸻

Questions for CC Community
1. Which US universities realistically offer full-ride or 100% need-based aid to international students like me?
2. Any other schools I should consider where my profile is competitive for top merit scholarships?
3. How best can I frame my blanket distribution project so it stands out in essays?

2

As one suggestion, look into Grinnell.

3

But isn’t Grinnell college’s acceptance rate like 13 percent for international student and looking at my profile isn’t it kinda a reach school for me.
I mean I want a school where chances of mee getting admitted and full aid are very high since I can’t afford to apply to a lot of schools. Also isn’t grinnell a rural town ? Tysm btw

4

No such schools exist. There are only about 20 schools that meet full need for international students, and only about half of them are also need-blind in admissions.
All these schools have very low acceptance rates.

Now, you may get merit scholarships from some schools that are far easier to get into (tagging @fiftyfifty1 and @tsbna44 for their input), but I’m not sure they’ll amount to a full ride, which is what you’re seeking.

4 Likes
5

Okie :sob::sob:

6

Yes, Grinnell would represent a reach for you. However, as an exceptionnally well funded school, it may be more likely to seriously consider supporting your further education than schools — including many with much higher acceptance rates — with fewer financial resources. Grinnell offers an excellent computer science program.

2 Likes
7

Also, consider this. Those top schools that meet full need for all accepted international students…cut the acceptance rate for that college in half. Many have low single digit acceptance rates.

Your application will be reviewed with others from your region…and there are tons of well qualified students from India applying for admission to U.S. colleges. Are you a top student in India?

It sounds like you also want to be in an urban area. The costs to live there can be very high also.

I would urge you to broaden your search. Sure, you can include some U.S. schools, but you should also be looking at affordable options in India.

@MYOS1634

5 Likes
8

I agree with other - there are a handful of meets need, need blind schools. W&&L has the Johnson Scholarship.

If you had $25k or so you’d find some.

You are asking for something for free - a top something.

That’s not how it works.

If it did, the competition would be even stricter. Everyone would be applying.

India has world renowned IIT. Is that not an option ?

But you should apply to the list of schools like Bowdoin, Harvard, Dartmouth - there’s 8 or 9 that don’t care about your need in admissions.l and assure full aid.

When you say like you did about Grinnell - isn’t that rural - we’ll beggers can’t be choosers.

Also, just because you say you need full aid doesn’t mean the school will agree. Ultimately they’ll decide what you qualify for.

Good luck.

9

Defo India has iit but iits are extremely competitive I’m preparing for one but their acceptance rate is 0.01 % India also has exceptional private uni dat par w ivys like mit, Harvard etc. I’m preparing for those too but their acceptance rate is 1-2% so yeah. And tbh ion wanna live here in India like ion wanna do my study in India I wanna escape as soon as possible​:sob::sob:

10

What does “ion” mean in this post?

11

Yes your correct so which uni are my safeties man w full ride ik im stupid asf plss help :sob::sob:

12

Ion = I don’t (in text speak).

13

Please don’t write here in text speech.

7 Likes
14

Really, for an international student needing a full ride in the U.S. there are no “safety” schools.

4 Likes
15

You may want to use standard English to make your posts easier for everyone to understand. Also, please keep in mind that most of us here are parents, so please use language that’s appropriate, just as you would when speaking to your own parents.

Thanks!

(Also: MIT isn’t an Ivy League school)

4 Likes
16

Remember that your student visa only allows you to study in the US. You will need an employer to sponsor you for a work visa if you plan to work and permanently live in the US after completing your studies. Getting sponsored isn’t easy and it’s getting a lot harder due to changes in immigration policies as well as an increasingly tough job market. You should expect to return to your home country after graduation.

6 Likes
17

Yes ma’am so what should I do

18

Okay I’m really sorry I will make sure not to use gen Z slangs.

2 Likes
19

Bad news :hugs:
There are zero universities where you can get a full ride in the US. Even if you have a 4.0 in 11th&12th grade, your iGCSE results mean your total GPA is about 3.5 and that’s too low for highly competitive universities that provide need based full rides to internationals (especially from an over represented country such as India) and too low for universities with merit scholarships.
If you want to leave India and can afford 4k, you need to turn towards possible countries, such as France and Germany that have no tuition or low-tuition universities/higher education institutions such as INSA, Polytech, Polytechnique-X, which have programs in English. If you speak French you can look into MP2I and CMI programs, if you speak German ETHZ, München, etc.
In addition, if you feel that you’re a top student in India, you can also look into Waterloo in Canada and other Canadian universities.

7 Likes
20

Look at Troy University and Tuskegee University.

https://www.tuskegee.edu/programs-courses/scholarships/freshman-scholarships

Edit: they require a 3.7 GPA or above.