Hi guys! I am a student who is about to complete matriculation in Pakistan for fbise. I want to apply to US especially the ivies and t20s or even the t50. I wanted some advice on what I can do in a country that is more grade focused than EC focused. Just to be clear I have 2 years.
For myself I had 92% in SSC-I (9th) which is 4.7 GPA out of 5 according to grade system
For 10th grade they have not come out
I was part of my school squash team for 2 tournaments. In one we got to the semi finals (I was on the bench)
I was part of a Math project exhibition in which my project won 2nd position in the entire region encompassing 9 or more schools
I am a debater and have participated in several MUNs (5). I have won in all 5 having 2 SMs, 2HMs, and 1BD to myself. I plan to do this more till 3rd Year of high school. I also have participated in other speech competitions and have won 1st place in many.
I have been in top 3 of my class for 6 years.
Also part of student council for several years.
I plan on uni summer school and am thinking building an app and spread it nation wide through my connection for MUNs. I probably will go to Engineering or Law side. There are certificates and stuff but this is what I can recall and somewhat relevant. So Any Tips?
JUST TO BE CLEAR I WOULD NEED SOME SORT OF AID TO STUDY (At the minimum 50% but want to work for full ride)
EDIT: Just to be clear the project is an idea not implemented but something that can be done
Different colleges in the US have different practices for admissions, not least Internationals, and one of the potentially critical variables is how much you can actually pau.
So to help us guide you, what is the maximum total per year you could afford in USD, including all off tuition, room & board, health insurance, books and supplies, transportation, and other expenses?
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Currently I cannot say much but I expect that my parents would somehow manage at least 20,000 or at most 30,000. Anything more would be me burdening them.
Colleges determine what you can pay. Not you. What happens if you get in but it’s $100k a year ?
Thats why I am looking for a scholarship or financial aid to get through. (My parents combined make less than 100k a year)
The point being many schools have need aid only. It may be hard for international students but you can use the net price calculators.
But there are schools out there that are buying students in with major merit or state schools that give merit based on SAT and gpa - that might get to your budget.
You could apply only to top schools that have no merit and come in over budget. So you need to investigate up front vs apply blindly.
So a school like U Alabama or Central Michigan might make budget no matter what. Small LACs like Kalamazoo and Susquehanna may (or may not) but there’s a chance.
And yes there are full rides out there but not at schools that do need aid only, unless you qualify for a full ride based on their need calculation. When you have a budget, top 20 or 50 don’t matter. Achieving cost does.
I completely understand but the reason I want to improve my ECs is to get into t50 or t20 with full ride or some amount of aid. In my country the only that matters in grades and not ECs so the fact I am asking to improve my profile is to get into a top uni otherwise it might not be worth it
Full need schools meet full need - so yes there are full rides available for school that do need only.
OP You can check the net price calculator for some of the generous full need schools - Princeton etc. Be aware they are often not accurate for international students, but it’s a starting point to see if what your parents are willing to pay is at all comparable to what schools will expect. International admissions are EXTREMELY competitive, particularly for the full needs school that also meet need for international applicants. Best of luck to you.
Any advice on ECs? In addition to what wrote I am planning on doing a maths olympiad
Find something you love to do and do it. This will allow you to speak authentically about it. It’s really not the what, particularly when you’re talking about a short term activity. Adcoms like to see long term commitment, which obviously you’re too late for - and general interest and passion.
Many schools here don’t track ECs either. Even well reputed like Penn State.
@Darcy123 i’m aware. My point was you never know what a school will give you. You can’t just assume you’ll qualify for x $$. The NPCs are a smart idea.
There may be colleges within budget regardless. Does OP want to go to a school that they don’t think has hefty- I can’t answer. But there are many non top 50 US News schools that are substitutional in name and recognition.
Good luck to OP.
You might rewrite your post to reflect this as it states that schools that do need aid only do not give full rides. Posters may not be aware of your point as what you wrote is completely inaccurate.
what about going to a smaller uni if dont get into t20 and apply again and take credit there?
And one last question could u rate my ECs and profile as of rn?
So there are a few US colleges where you might be able to get under $30K with largely just academic qualifications. They would not be on the specific lists you mentioned, however. We can help you with exploring those if you are interested.
At the end of the day all I want is to go prestige college. Ivies and t20s seem to fit the bill
Could also rate my profile rn and possible improvement?
If I aim high I might fall below and will at a high point If you get what I mean
So given that definition of “prestige”, you should be aware there are many more highly qualified Internationals looking for such an offer than such offers available. I would also suggest top academics and impressive ECs are not enough, what is missing from that list is really showing that you understand and personally embrace the values of these colleges, both academically and non-academically. Again let us know if you are interested in guidance along those lines, but fair warning: it won’t be as simple as a list of ECs you can try to check off.
Otherwise, personally I’m not familiar enough with your grading system to assess your academic qualifications. I can tell you qualitatively, being one of the top few students in your school is a good start, but they may also look closely at your curriculum and standardized test scores.
i clarified for you. Thanks