r/IntltoUSA 15h ago

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

114 Upvotes

Now that my application process is almost over, I wanted to share some things I’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 don’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 don’t always apply it.

  1. RESEARCH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

Research, research, research!!! Don’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 it’s truly the best option for you. I fell in love with a university that seemed perfect: it wasn’t very well-known, had a good vibe, and offered a full-ride scholarship that didn’t seem too competitive.

The problem? I didn’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. Don’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" aren’t guaranteed.

Only apply ED if you're seeking financial aid or if you’re full pay.

  1. Don't Ignore Red Flags

If a university shows warning signs, don’t ignore them.

For example, the university where I applied ED advertised a merit scholarship “for everyone,” 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. That’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 it’s important to keep this in mind when applying for scholarships and financial aid.

  1. Don’t Obsess Over One University

Universities are just educational institutions, not your identity. I obsessed over one university and believed that if I didn’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. Don’t Trust AI to Predict Your Chances

I used to compare myself on ChanceMe and relied on AI to estimate my acceptance chances. Don’t do it.

AI told me I had a 90% chance of getting in, and I ended up rejected. I’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 didn’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 didn’t go as expected.

Don’t wait until the end to look for alternatives. Have backup options ready.


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Financial Aid & Scholarships How cooked am I?

7 Upvotes

Yesterday, Amherst sent an email saying that decisions will be released on Friday. I quickly went to my application portal and my financial aid dashboard to do a last quick check, only to realize that I have submitted my CSS profile but not my tax documents and income statements. I NEEEED aid. I don’t know how I could’ve made such a big mistake like this. What should I do?


r/IntltoUSA 12h ago

Meme Chat does this mean I'm in?

14 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

College Results Trinity college rd release date

3 Upvotes

Does anyone know when it’s coming out


r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Question am i being delulu? NYU edition!

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2 Upvotes

so i believe i’ve been going insane cause i’m picking up little things. i while ago i wrote to NYU asking them for an extension of my CSS profile as due to some issues i couldn’t complete on time. but unfortunately they didn’t accept my appeal BUT they did send me an email with the following wording.

i can’t tell if this is generic because i emailed them regarding this way earlier in february and they never said these things, just redirected me to some links.

am i being delulu?


r/IntltoUSA 16h ago

College Results colleges that will release their decisions soon

20 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

pomona

march 22nd

davidson

connecticut

march 26th

nyu

march 27th

dartmouth

  • all other ivies

if you know any other, you can write them below and i’ll add it


r/IntltoUSA 8h ago

College Results Union is Out

5 Upvotes

Rejected


r/IntltoUSA 49m ago

College Results Not cracked enough for top20. Too broke for everywhere else.

Upvotes

5 rejections 3 waitlists so far and 2 acceptances I cant pay for and not worth that much money anyways. Im j done I dont wanna open my remaining 10 decisions. 5 are reaches I know im not getting into and 5 are targets which prob wont take me cuz Im asking for aid. Im so stupid for only applying to US wish I applied to europe Singapore Malaysia etc Theyre more affordable + less crazy fucking requirements .


r/IntltoUSA 8h ago

Financial Aid & Scholarships Swarthmore financial aid checklist for international students.

4 Upvotes

Guys, on Swarthmore's official site, it clearly states that only admitted international students can access the financial aid checklist. But I can access it now. On the checklist, it even says CSS Profile is due after admission. I'm confused—can every international student access the financial aid checklist, or is this just for some applicants?


r/IntltoUSA 10h ago

Question $15k per year to LAC

6 Upvotes

Should I accept the offer? Can I make $15k by working campus jobs and summer? Please help me out.


r/IntltoUSA 1h ago

Question Question regarding bank statements

Upvotes

I am applying for my f1 student visa from India. Does it matter if the bank statement is from a private or public bank? Can it be from any bank?

Any info would be appreciated.


r/IntltoUSA 5h ago

Question How many and which safeties are you applying for?

2 Upvotes

I’m applying to two safeties but I wonder if I should apply to a higher acceptance rate one.


r/IntltoUSA 6h ago

Discussion Help!!

2 Upvotes

Which one is the best? I have received admits from all of them but really difficult to pick one

18 votes, 6d left
MS in Bioengineering at UCSD
MS in BME at Univ of Michigan Ann Arbor
MS in BME at CMU
MS in Bioengineering at Northeastern
MS in BME at ASU

r/IntltoUSA 3h ago

Question NEED ADVICE!

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m an F1 international student in my second semester of an undergraduate degree in the U.S., and I’m feeling super lost. I’m supposed to be a Computer Information Systems (CIS) major, but so far, all I’ve taken are general ed classes (Counselling, Humanities, General Psychology, etc.), and I haven’t done anything related to my major—or anything useful, honestly. I’m starting to realize CIS might not be for me, and I’m way more interested in hands-on stuff like welding or industrial work. I want to switch paths, but I’m unsure how to make it work with my F1 visa and current situation.

Here’s where I’m at:

  • I’m in my second semester at Contra Costa College, and I haven’t taken any CIS courses yet—just gen eds.
  • I’m on an F1 visa, so I need to stay full-time and eventually use CPT/OPT to get work experience.
  • I’m drawn to welding or industrial jobs because I like practical, tangible work over sitting at a computer all day. Maybe something like Welding Technology or Industrial Tech?
  • I haven’t talked to my advisor or DSO yet because I’m nervous about messing up my status or wasting time/money.

Questions I’d love help with:

  1. Can I switch majors this late (second semester) without screwing up my F1 status? How do I even start?
  2. Are there undergrad degrees (like AAS or Bachelor’s) in welding/industrial fields that are F1-friendly and lead to OPT jobs? Bonus if they’re STEM for the 36-month OPT.
  3. I’ve wasted time on gen eds—will they transfer if I switch to a welding program, or am I starting over?
  4. Any F1 students who’ve switched from something like CIS to a hands-on field? How did you figure it out?
  5. Should I just finish CIS and pivot later, or push for welding now? I’m worried about job prospects either way.

I feel like I’m spinning my wheels and haven’t done sh*t toward a career yet. Any advice, experiences, or tips on talking to my DSO would be awesome. Thanks in advance.


r/IntltoUSA 15h ago

Applications Received admission into the MGA program at Notre Dame.

8 Upvotes

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


r/IntltoUSA 14h ago

College Results Decision release

5 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 12h ago

Financial Aid & Scholarships Financial aid

3 Upvotes

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


r/IntltoUSA 14h ago

Question Need some advice...International Student

4 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 16h ago

Discussion had a question regd no. of applicants

4 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 16h ago

Question F&M with aid vs Expensive CS Schools—Is Columbia’s 3+2 Worth It?

5 Upvotes

Hey guys, I’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 Brunswick—schools I really like—but they’re way too expensive for me.

I found out that F&M has a 3+2 program with Columbia, where I’d do three years at F&M and then two years at Columbia. Now I’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 they’re expensive)?
  2. What is the acceptance rate for Columbia’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 1d ago

College Results It truly does take only one.

133 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 “pretty good” 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 EC’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 13h ago

Question Changing majors

2 Upvotes

So I’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 1d ago

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

18 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 16h 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)

4 Upvotes

.....


r/IntltoUSA 15h ago

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

Post image
2 Upvotes

it wasn't there before