suitable univerity for me?

College Search & Lists
1

I wish to study in one of standard univerities in US for undergraduate program. I am an international student and my toefl ibt score is 97.
I want to study environmental science (particularly energy related-but I think this is specific so may be only available for graduate study-is it?).
And I am from low income family so I definitely need financial aids and scholarships otherwise my family would not be able to afford. I have also searched for it and i looked for:
harvard university
stanford university
cornell university
UC Davis

Can anyone help me out?
Oh and generally to how many universities should students apply?
Thank you

2

First, there are only 6 universities that will guarantee to ‘meet need’ for international students. There are more who may, but you have to pick the right ones and apply to see. It takes a lot of reading and learning to figure out where to apply. Plus you have to cross check with your major interests. Please look at the main forum menu and pick the International students forum for more discussion on that.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/

Now with that said. UC Davis is out for you because they do not give aid to international students (excepting very small amounts infrequently.) None of the California public schools do.

Harvard will meet need for all internationals but it is extremely difficult to get in. They will take a very limited amount of applicants from each country, usually the very top applicants. Same with Stanford they don’t guarantee the aid for internationals but they likely will, but less than 5 pct admission chance and only top students.

Cornell may or may not cover your expenses. Still hard to get in, but not as hard as Harvard.

So did you take the SAT or ACT yet?

3

For most top univerities you’ll need a TOEFL of 100+.
Also, while admission is need-based for intl students in most places, that normally means that if they admit you, they will cover the amount you need. Stanford, Harvard and Cornell would probably give you a lot of aid, but only Harvard is need-blind. I’d suggest applying to more universities, since admissions are a lottery either way, and your odds are slimmer than most.

4

thank you for the comments.
I havent taken SAT yet, but am on the process of learning.

5

You will get little to no FA from UC Davis. Expect to pay close to $55K/year, so I would cross that school off your list. All the California UC’s will be similar in FA and Price, so I would consider other schools.

6

The TOEFL doesn’t matter much, what matters is that you get really high SAT or ACT scores (top 2% is best) + Sat subject scores + amazing ECs.
Apply to schools (research universities, national LACs) that rank up to 125. When there’s an honors college, apply there. Once you know your SAT or ACT score (you’ll likely need to take it twice) you’ll see if you qualify for merit scholarships (competitive or automatic).
For an international who needs financial aid, it’s important to apply to many universities (12+) since odds are VERY VERY low. If your annual income is below roughly 40K/year for a family of 4, your guidance counselor/adviser can check the “fee waiver” box for you on the commonapp.