Realistic expectations for college.

AGoodFloridian
Sun, 03 Aug 2014 18:44:04 +0000

Hello Luke! I’m also from Brazil (Paulista!) and my grades are somewhat similar to yours. I’d say 3.5 GPA , but remember… You and I are going to have to send our “historico escolar” to a credential evaluator in the US so they can convert our grades to the GPA format. I’m pretty sure almost all American universities require that! In my case I’m applying for the top universities in Florida (which will be my state of residence!).

But just some personal advice from a Brazilian to another Brazilian… Ivy Leagues are great, they have name, etc… But focus on something more realistic. There are thousands of EXTREMELY qualified Americans that get rejected from the Ivies every year. If you think about it… Getting into ANY university in the US is better than practically any university in Brazil (maybe except for USP, but still).

Another thing which the others mentioned (Thanks MYOS!) is financial matters. Since your school has “Presidents” , I’d assume it’s a private school and therefore you’re “comfortable” financially. However, in order to obtain the student visa, you’re going to need to show USCIS that you have enough funds for ONE year of university. This is perhaps the greatest obstacle for most international students, especially those like me (not financially blessed, but very good academically).

Just summing it up. Ivy Leagues are beautiful, but try something more in reach. In any case, I’m sure you already knew about the visa processes and what not, but if you have any more questions, you can PM if you’d like. We’re on the same boat afterall! Boa sorte cara!