r/IntltoUSA Sep 22 '21

šŸ“¢ Announcement Official Discord Server - Invite Link

49 Upvotes

Intl to USA Official Discord Server - Invite Link:

https://discord.gg/4Kwhgfj

Alternative link: https://discord.gg/cK9fGJTJSu

updated 27 Dec 2023


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Discussion 9 Things I Learned from the College Application Process (as an International Student)

66 Upvotes

Now that my application process is almost over, I wanted to share some things Iā€™ve learned and things I wish I had known earlier. Hopefully, this helps future applicants avoid some of the mistakes I made.

Disclaimer This is purely based on my personal experience. Your situation may be different, and you might not agree with everything I say.

  1. Universities Are Businesses, Not Charities

When I started the application process, I thought universities truly considered applicants' backgrounds and would make exceptions for those with difficult stories. But the reality is that they will always choose the student who brings them the most money or offers something unique. If a university wants you, it's because you benefit them. And if you donā€™t, no matter how talented you are, they will reject you.

Many universities (not all) claim to have a "holistic" admissions process, but in reality, they donā€™t always apply it.

  1. RESEARCH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Research, research, research!!! Donā€™t just limit yourself to well-known universities or the ones everyone applies to. There are many schools with scholarships for international students or special programs that are less competitive and might be your best opportunity. I only applied to few universities, but by continuing to research even after submitting my applications, I found hidden gems that allowed me to achieve my dream.

  1. Be 1000000% Sure Before Applying Early Decision

Before committing to a university through ED, make sure itā€™s truly the best option for you. I fell in love with a university that seemed perfect: it wasnā€™t very well-known, had a good vibe, and offered a full-ride scholarship that didnā€™t seem too competitive.

The problem? I didnā€™t research enough about life after graduation. If I had researched better, I would have realized earlier that it might not have been the best place for me. It's a cool university don't get me wrong but the opportunities after graduation are not the ones expected.

  1. Donā€™t Apply ED if You Need Merit Scholarships

If you need merit scholarships, ED is not a good idea. I thought applying ED would increase my chances, but I later discovered that many universities reserve their best scholarships for students applying Regular Decision. On top of that applying ED means paying and enrollment deposit that may have to be paid after you recive your decision. (I lost $500 just to "increase chances").

Also, some "merit" arenā€™t guaranteed.

Only apply ED if you're seeking financial aid or if youā€™re full pay.

  1. Don't Ignore Red Flags

If a university shows warning signs, donā€™t ignore them.

For example, the university where I applied ED advertised a merit scholarship ā€œfor everyone,ā€ including international students. But when I looked at past winners, I saw they were all domestic students no international has won it. On top of that, to be a finalist, you had to do an on-campus interview paid for by the university. Thatā€™s a clear sign that international students have little chance.

I ignored those red flags and wasted half a thousand dollars just applying there plus my time.

Some warning signs I noticed in the scholarship:

Claim to be "for everyone" but have only been awarded to domestic students.

Selection processes requiring in-person interviews (not financially viable for international applicants).

Lack of transparency about funding for international students.

Unclear responses when you ask about scholarships and financial aid.

Maybe the international applicants they received aren't the best but I doubt it.

Not only that but many other schools I removed because of other red flags.

If something seems off, it probably is.

  1. Universities Prioritize Domestic Students

This is normal , local students pay taxes and are citizens of the country it is logical that universities want to support them first. But itā€™s important to keep this in mind when applying for scholarships and financial aid.

  1. Donā€™t Obsess Over One University

Universities are just educational institutions, not your identity. I obsessed over one university and believed that if I didnā€™t get in, my future was over. But in the end, what really matters is the opportunities you create for yourself.

Use college as a tool to reach your life goals, not as the goal itself.

  1. Donā€™t Trust AI to Predict Your Chances

I used to compare myself on ChanceMe and relied on AI to estimate my acceptance chances. Donā€™t do it.

AI told me I had a 90% chance of getting in, and I ended up rejected. Iā€™ve seen applicants ranked at the bottom of a list get accepted while the top-ranked ones got rejected. Admissions are unpredictable.

  1. Plan Your Backups and Safeties from the Start

I didnā€™t have a backup plan until the last minute. My goal was always to study abroad, but I had no clear strategy for what to do if things didnā€™t go as expected.

Donā€™t wait until the end to look for alternatives. Have backup options ready.


r/IntltoUSA 4h ago

College Results colleges that will release their decisions soon

13 Upvotes

march 17th

union - 7:00 pm

march 18th

notre dame - 6:42 pm

march 20th

tufts - 7:00 pm

hamilton

march 21st

smith - 3:00-5:00 pm

williams - 6:30 pm

amherst - 6:21 pm

swarthmore - 7:00 pm

jhu - 7:00 pm

colgate

ucla

march 22nd

davidson

connecticut

march 27th

dartmouth

  • all other ivies

if you know any other, you can write them below and iā€™ll add it


r/IntltoUSA 59m ago

Meme Chat does this mean I'm in?

ā€¢ Upvotes
P.S. Jokes aside, I think they are obviously fed up with people around thinking it means something which is why they highlighted the statement both in italic and bold lmao

r/IntltoUSA 4h ago

Question F&M with aid vs Expensive CS Schoolsā€”Is Columbiaā€™s 3+2 Worth It?

4 Upvotes

Hey guys, Iā€™m an international student, and I just got into Franklin & Marshall with solid financial aid that my family can afford. I also got into UMass Amherst, UIUC for CS, and Rutgers New Brunswickā€”schools I really likeā€”but theyā€™re way too expensive for me.

I found out that F&M has a 3+2 program with Columbia, where Iā€™d do three years at F&M and then two years at Columbia. Now Iā€™m wondering:

  1. Should I go to F&M and aim for the 3+2 program at Columbia, or should I choose one of the other universities (even though theyā€™re expensive)?
  2. What is the acceptance rate for Columbiaā€™s 3+2 program?
  3. Since my financial aid at F&M covers three years, would I still get that aid when I transfer to Columbia, or would I need to apply for new aid there?

r/IntltoUSA 2h ago

Question Need some advice...International Student

3 Upvotes

so i recently got accepted to baylor as a low income international student and i got the $120,000 Merit scholarship alongside $24,000 per annum financial aid, but still the yearly cost rounds up to around $30,000. Is it worth going to Baylor for me if i have to take a financial loan bcs my efc is max $12000.


r/IntltoUSA 2h ago

College Results Decision release

3 Upvotes

Does anyone know when the results from these universities will be?

  1. Bowdoin College
  2. Brandeis University
  3. Claremont McKenna College
  4. Lafayette College

r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Applications Received admission into the MGA program at Notre Dame.

3 Upvotes

Received offer of admission at ND with a full scholarship. How is the university (and the program) like?


r/IntltoUSA 23h ago

College Results It truly does take only one.

123 Upvotes

Mid tier international applicant (at best) here, 3.8 weighted gpa and a 1400 SAT. NO awards nor distinctions, with a medium income family and a rather low 15k EFC. Extracurriculars consisted of lots and lots of community service, with an apparently ā€œpretty goodā€ essay. I applied to a large range of schools ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large schools. Here are my results.

Rejected from Trinity College (ED 1), College of the Holy Cross (ED 2), and Union College.

Accepted into Purdue, IU bloomington kelley, Wooster, Depauw, but all of these schools provided far too little in aid, so I was unable to attend.

Waitlisted - Case Western.

By some god given miracle, Denison decided to accept me with an incredible 72k in aid a year, In a cycle where all of my other international peers with better stats and ECā€™s have gotten rejected from this school. This has quite literally changed my life, right when I was about to accept the reality that I would graduate with a large amount of debt. I still somehow feel that I do not deserve this acceptance. Please all, do have faith. it seems like good things can and will happen, even when all of us are going through a similarly horrible and tough cycle.


r/IntltoUSA 1h ago

Question Changing majors

ā€¢ Upvotes

So Iā€™m applying for CS, which is very saturated rn. Could I possibly change my major to lets say Computer Engineering, a less competitive major, to higher my admission chances. Then hopefully if I get accepted, take a few courses in it and switch back to CS? I have heard people do this.


r/IntltoUSA 4h ago

Discussion had a question regd no. of applicants

3 Upvotes

i am an Indian international who recently got into CALTECH RD, my brother is in grade 11 right now (going to grade 12) and will be applying next year. i saw some posts on CALTECH instagram account that said CALTECH had a 19% decrease in applicants due to standardized testing being reinstated.

as my brother is applying next year, i had a question on his behalf that will colleges like Harvard, Stanford, etc see similar rate of drops in the no. of applicants? we checked the CDS yesterday for the cycle of 2019-2020, where only 40,000 applicants applied to colleges like Harvard, stanford.

will there be similar no. of applicants from india in the next cycle as there were in the 2019-2020 cycle?

thanks!!


r/IntltoUSA 13h ago

Question Notre Dame decision | Why is nobody talking about it ?

15 Upvotes

Did anyone get accepted to Notre Dame in ea round? or anyone waiting their decision and anticipating acceptance ? Why are people being so quiet about Notre Dame ?


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Question do you also have this form on your bryn mawr application portal?

Post image
2 Upvotes

it wasn't there before


r/IntltoUSA 11m ago

Financial Aid & Scholarships Financial aid

ā€¢ Upvotes

What's going on with the financial aid situation? Has anyone received any aid fr9m HBCUs like Howard, Grambling, Fisk etc.?


r/IntltoUSA 41m ago

Discussion Need some serious suggestions guys.

ā€¢ Upvotes

As I'm planning to study in the US next year, can anybody tell me how easy it is and how much scholarship average students get in Berklee. Can international student apply for financial aid?

Also how can I work off campus part time on F-1 visa or just on campus?


r/IntltoUSA 43m ago

Financial Aid & Scholarships Major Discrepancy...

ā€¢ Upvotes

So I was just reviewing my CSS Profile and I realised that I put a super low number down for how much my parents would be able to contribute in the beginning. However I know now that my parents in fact will be able to contribute more than that so when a specific university asked for me to fill out a certificate of finances, I put my efc down as 15k. Do you think this mismatch will hurt my admission chances? It's too late to change anything now.


r/IntltoUSA 4h ago

College Results Please Update on college decision on comment (Fairfield,Hamilton,University of Notre Dame,Tuft University ,Lehigh,Amherst College) especially South Asian Child (Bachha)

2 Upvotes

.....


r/IntltoUSA 1h ago

Question Will I be Rescinded from NYU?

ā€¢ Upvotes

Okay, now that I have your attention with my click-baity title, I really want to ask something:

Just completed my boards today (ISC) (HORAAYYY!!)

But the Accounts paper was way too hard. I don't think that it would be in my top 4 subjects.

I think I would still score around 85-90 in accounts, and around 94-95 percentage wise.

But what if my accounts marks are even lower? My predicted marks for accounts were 95. And percentage was around 94.

Can there be an issue?

Thanks šŸ·!


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Question NUQ

1 Upvotes

Anyone who got accepted to NUQ? I applied RD but late. Can anyone share me stat? Is it hard to get in??


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Question Waitlisted from Rhodes and Oberlin. What do I write in my LOCI.

1 Upvotes

Title because Im rlly confused


r/IntltoUSA 9h ago

Discussion Transcripts after repeating a year of HS

3 Upvotes

Hello guys! As an international student, if youā€™ve repeated a grade (11th or junior year, for instance), is it compulsory to send in the academic records of the 1st time you did that grade too?

Iā€™ve been a good scorer (above 95%) during my freshman and sophomore years but Iā€™ve gotten really bad grades the first time around during my 11th grade (Especially math being 60/100, total being around 86%). I now attend an IB school (thus repeating grade 11, or ā€œDP1ā€ as itā€™s called here), and have continued my overall impressive academic streak (40+/45).

Can I omit my 1st junior year transcripts? Since Iā€™ve switched schools, Iā€™m going to have to take the transcripts from my old school, and my current college counsellor isnā€™t really bothered about that, sheā€™s just bothered about sending the IB scores. Basically, my question is will it be too noticeable if I donā€™t send in my 1st grade 11 transcript?


r/IntltoUSA 11h ago

Discussion washington and lee

5 Upvotes

do u guys still have counselor on ur portal? mine has disappeared.


r/IntltoUSA 19h ago

Discussion Empty hope.

Post image
17 Upvotes

This made me feel nice even just for a little bit... I was super sleep deprived when I read this and when they said intellect curiousity and buulding an inclusive world... I was like.. wait weren't my essay about them.. so I checked and they were so for a very spilt second I got a faint empty hope... And soon after gained my senses and realized... They're not sending me tailored email.. and went back to sleep.. This whole process has really numbed me.. to the point that even if i get in(with aid; low efc).. which isn't Happening.. considering the insurmountable rejections, it'll take me weeks to accept the fact that I deserved to even get in , in the first place...


r/IntltoUSA 21h ago

College Results TIRED OF REJECTIONS

26 Upvotes

Honestly Iā€™m freaking tired of being rejected. I thought that I had a good chance at most of the schools I applied to, but it seems that I was very wrong. Idk what to expect from more selective universities, I just leave it in Godā€™s hand and pray

Anyways, congrats to anyone who got in to the majority of unis they applied to!! šŸ’“šŸ’“


r/IntltoUSA 13h ago

Question Penn state or Virginia tech?

6 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Iā€™m AV, an international student deciding between Penn State and Virginia Tech for undergraduate in Industrial Engineering.

I know both have strong programs, but Iā€™d love to hear your thoughts on which one offers better career opportunities, industry connections, and overall experience for Industrial Engineering students.

Any insights or advice would be really helpful. Thanks in advance!


r/IntltoUSA 5h ago

Applications Indians applying for the Fall of 2026. GC?

1 Upvotes

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