To combine these interests, particularly if you are oriented toward practical applications, consider a major in public policy.
Regarding the study of economics, this site may offer you ideas for colleges to consider for your greater list:
As further ideas, look into the financial aid policies for international students at schools like Bates, Macalester, Gettysburg, Trinity (CT) and Dickinson.
I do have those on my common app already. But I am a bit worried because those schools are need-aware and as someone who will ask for a fully funded and very substantial funding, those schools might not consider me.
Wile Bowdoin will not consider your financial need, note that for every 79 international students who apply there, it accepts 1. Considering this ratio, your chance of acceptance at some need-aware schools may be greater than at Bowdoin.
That will be duly noted. I have about 22 other schools in mind and 4 of them are safeties, Incase I don’t get into my targets.
Because their social /institutional goals focus on the domestic US population, not on internationals who are in the US on temporary student visas and expected to return to their home countries after completing their degrees.
Yes, if I was in the OP’s position, I would look for colleges where 25%+ of the Internationals were getting aid, and the average award was at least pretty close to the full cost of attendance. You can ascertain these figures using boxes B2 and H6 of the Common Data Set.
As an example, at Wesleyan, 91/310 (29.4%) Internationals were getting aid, and the average award was $96,349. Overall their International acceptance rate was still only 4.9%, and it is going to be considerably lower than that for high need Internationals (the percentage of Internationals getting aid would be much higher otherwise, and that of course is what it means to be need aware). But still, the implied acceptance rate for high need Internationals might be at least comparable to Bowdoin’s, and possibly a bit higher, or at least maybe for someone Wesleyan saw as a great fit.
Haverford is another example, 55/153 (35.9%) getting aid, $92,126 average award, 3.8% International acceptance rate. Again, the general implied acceptance rate for high need Internationals is not necessarily much higher, or at all, but maybe Haverford could be at least a bit better bet for someone who was a great fit for Haverford.
I note the more you do this, the more it becomes apparent that there is really nowhere in the US which: (a) has any full rides for Internationals at all; and (b) where the acceptance rate for those high need Internationals is not very likely to be extremely low. But for a given individual, if they are a really good fit for some specific colleges, maybe those will at least be among their better bets.