Hi, I am an international student. I graduated from HS in 2021. My UW gpa is 86% and my leaving exams (Bac) gpa is 94% I didn’t take the SAT nor ACT. I have so far 4 gap years, I know it’s too much but I couldn’t go to college in my home town due to financial difficulties. I am the founder of an organisation for programmers in my city and have a good CV in programming as I spent the last 4 years studying programming and networks, working with multinational companies in AI and software development fields plus doing plenty of voluntary community work. My DET score is 110. I am really interested in Lafayette college and it’s my dream college -I want to major in CS- so I applied ED2 -couldn’t apply ED1 cz I was super busy with my FT job; I had an interview with an alumni which went well. And yes, I need a big financial aid. My PS was about my diverse community and how it shaped me, and my supplemental essay was about Lafayette’s CS program, clubs and profeesor I want to work with there. Are my chances to get accepted high or low? And how much will my 4 gap years/financial aid needs effect my application? I also heard once students who apply ed and need a huge financial aid probably get deferred or waitlisted, is that right?
International students who need a lot of financial aid have low acceptance rates (lower single digits) at meet full need colleges like Lafayette. Lafayette is need aware for international students in the admissions process, which means that they consider an applicant’s need when choosing whom to admit. A school like Lafayette does choose to invest in some high need international students each year, so maybe that will be you. All you can do is wait at this point.
Do you have at least one affordable college option in your home country or outside the US?
There is an article about Lafayette rejecting a minority, low income, first gen student purely based on they need too much.
They need to spend carefully.
Or as they note on their international aid website -
Financial need does impact admissions decisions. Financial Aid is awarded on an extremely competitive basis.
I am well aware of the financial need-aware, but are my stats and ECs good for Lafayette?
Lafayette is a big reach for any international needing aid but much will depend on things we cannot and should not see on a public forum such as your essay, LOR, what you have accomplished over the last few years, etc. Nobody here can predict. You will find out soon enough.