No financial aid needed

IGCSE: 7A* 1A

AS: 6A (Phy, chem, math, further math, English, history)

A Level predicteds: A*A*AAB (B in history). Had a near-death experience of a grandparent, listed in additional info.

UW GPA: 3.87 (4.0 in 10 and 11, mess ups in freshman year)

SAT: 1540 (740 eng, 800 math)

Activities:

Research: Replicated ElCs w/ photonic components, developed a PIC; theorized photonic logic gate model; challenges & work-arounds; guided by fellow at Intel

Research: Used EPR Spectroscopy to identify unknown solid-state species, especially to verify DPPH & MnCl; future improvements; guided by Prof.[X]

Robotics: ML trained AI-camera integrated with a line-following robotic surveillance vehicle to deter harmful birds and aid farmers in crop protection; Won the CREST Gold Award, UK

Paid work: AI-integrated python software for face-verification; all (10) specific customization criteria fulfilled; handled ~500k client records; Rs.50k stipend

Internship: Worked on smart meters: 10+ residence installations, data logs, troubleshooting; submitted report on smart meter improvements; Appreciated by CEO

President, Math club: Led 30 students; conducted math relays, comedies & quizzes; prepared members for Olympiads; Rs.7k profit in Carnival; starting school tutoring service

Robotics: 3D printed & programmed a robotic spider (CAD/Arduino IDE); Bluetooth pairing, controllable via a phone app- 360° maneuverability, fight & greet modes

Founder, Non-profit: Leading a team of 7; 700+ insta followers; Mentored 300+ underprivileged kids in interdisciplinary STEM via 40+ experiential learning drives; health checks, food & sports drives; raised Rs. 25k

Member of a large climate change organisation: Project REFORESTATION: Planting a million trees; Contributed to 20+ webinars & climate action outreach programs; Letter of Appreciation from Convenor (~400hrs accumulated over 4yrs)

Member, Red Cross Society: Organized 8 disease-awareness camps, collaborated with Red Cross; donated 500 blankets & medicated mosquito nets to ~300 workers using internship 50K stipend

Honors:

CEMC Hypatia Distinction

Certificate; American Council on Education (ACE) -recommended 10 college credits; completed Deep Learning Specialization, Coursera

Distinction in Grade 8 (max level) piano from Trinity College London

International English Olympiad Medal of Distinction (Zonal Rank 15; International Rank 17)

International Mathematics Olympiad, School topper (School Rank 1)

Cornell (ED), Purdue, UIUC, Georgia Tech, UMich, USC, UCB, UCLA, UCSD, Rose-Hulman, Wisconsin-Madison, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Northeastern, Northwestern

Hi everyone! I’m currently working as a cybersecurity engineer at an Indian MNC and have received admits from three universities in the U.S. for an MS in Cybersecurity this spring. I’d really appreciate any insights you have on factors like location (industry connections, city life), part-time job options, accommodation, and career prospects post-graduation.

The universities I’m considering (all 12-18 months, ~$30,000 tuition) are:

1. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield
2. Katz School, Yeshiva University, New York
3. Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City

Any input on these programs or campuses would be a huge help—thanks in advance!

Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone has a list of or knows schools that provide application fee waivers/no application fee for intl students. If you know any please share.

Furthermore, i come from a low income background and i am looking for schools that provide major financial aid(atleast 90%) or provide complete demonstrated needs. Also the standardized tests are expensive in my country too so i am looking for test-optional schools. But i have been in a English Medium School from 6 grade to 12 grade so I don't think English proficiency could arrise a problem (or can it?)

Thank you

I want to ask if it is possible to withdraw an ED application before the decisions come out. Some EA decisions come out earlier than ED, so if I get into the EA can I instantly withdraw ED, since I 'haven't been accepted'? Just on whether this is possible, I know its not ethical and will be downvoted so using a new acc here. Thank you so much for any advice!

Hi guys. I just submitted my css profile and right after submitting i noticed a mistake (i know its my fault for being a dumbass) on my efc. I saw on the college board website that there is a one-time correction button that can be used to add like additional info after the css profile is submitted. However, the correction button is not showing up on my dashboard. Will it take some time to appear, or does it not work for some people like internationals?

I wrote a mail to their customer service explaining my issue but it said it could take 3-5 days to respond. If i really cant make any correction on my css profile, should I contact each school I submitted and tell them that my efc on my css profile is different (lower)??? What do u guys think, please help.

My name is Ben Stern. I am American and grew up in Philadelphia and New Jersey, and I went to Columbia Engineering (SEAS) and then Yale Law School. I practiced law for a few years in New York and Silicon Valley, but then went into admissions consulting. I got funding for my startup, and I traveled to India for five weeks in 2016, where I met with families and students in seven cities. I've been working with students around the world since then, at least half from India every year. I also enjoy road trips, and I once visited all eight Ivy League colleges in one day. (And I'll never forget my road trip from Lucknow to Jaipur!)

I originally started out with a business model focusing on high-volume essay reviews and editing, but I've transitioned into more one-on-one work. I also have a passion for data analysis (from my engineering days), and I've tried to compile data relevant to international students. I'd like to be able to help other counselors (high school, non-profit, and independent) make more informed choices. I published a compilation in 2019 and have updated it for my own use, but never got around to publishing a new one... until now.

I finally finished compiling and formatting my new database, and my students are done with their early applications, so I have some time today. I'll be doing an AMA from 6am to 9am EST US time / 10am-1pm GMT / 3:30pm-6:30pm India Standard Time / 6pm-9pm China time

Ask me about:

• Profile building

• Academic strategy

• Applications

• Essays

• How to use ChatGPT

• School selection

• LORs

• Financial aid

• English proficiencyauesri

• Visa matters

• Personal stuff

• My international admissions and scholarship database

• Anything else on your mind

Questions from students, parents, other counselors, and recommenders are all welcome. I'm not going to do "chance-mes," but I'm happy to do some "reverse chance-mes" and help you identify appropriate schools to apply to.

Before you post a question, you might want to check out some of these posts:

The biggest mistakes international students make in their applications

How to build an intellectual profile.

Should you apply now or wait? Considering a gap year.

F-1 visa interview tips (This is one of the top Google results for F-1 visa interview tips, and I get inquiries about visas every day.)

Why your country matters for your F-1 visa interview

I look forward to your questions!

I got a shitty score on ACT because i didn't prepare. Should i apply ED/EA AS TO? or i should apply Rd after the retake. I need 100%need aid.

It's a Gmail account and they are the director of a department I interned at. easily googleable. For some reason, I can't get them to submit from their domain email. is this okay?
I don't want the LOR to use credibility.

I am from Afghanistan living in Pakistan on my student visa, I have applied for a community college in US and got conditional offer. I then paid the admission fee and prepared my bank statement based in Afghanistan. I talked with my college, they said that they will most probably send me final acceptance letter, i20. Will the US embassy in Pakistan let me schedule the interview and the possibility of US visa any tips and advices could greatly help me.

Regards

Hey everyone,

I’m really struggling with the TSI, especially the Reading section, even though there’s no time limit. I’ve taken the test multiple times and keep falling just short of the 940 score I need. I’ve managed to score around 935 with a 4 on the diagnostic, but I need at least 950 overall and a 1.5 on the diagnostic to pass.

Even without a time constraint, I find it hard to understand some of the passages and questions, which really slows me down. It’s starting to feel overwhelming since this is my third attempt, and I’m hoping to finally pass before mid-November.

If anyone has advice on how to tackle these types of reading passages or resources that might help, I would be super grateful! Thanks so much for any tips you can share.

For Lafayette, do we need to submit bank statements before or after being accepted?

Hello, Im writing this post from outside the US.

First of all, I apologize for asking this question, as I know it has been asked many times before.

This year, I'm considering applying for a master's program in the U.S., but my GPA is quite low—around 65. I’m not sure how this translates into the American GPA scale. I graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering and am interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science.

My question is: can I increase my chances of acceptance with factors like the GRE, GMAT, or additional certifications? My goal isn’t to get a fully funded offer from MIT, but rather to attend an average-quality university that will meet my needs. A very low-ranked university wouldn’t work, as I know the U.S. Embassy may not issue visas for such institutions.

Additionally, my goal after completing the master’s program is to start a career in the U.S., and I realize that it may be difficult to find a job with a degree from a less reputable university. If Computer Science is not possible, would it be feasible for me to pursue a master’s in my own field, Industrial Engineering?

Thank you, and have a great day.

I just sent in my application for Duke and only sent in my SAT score right after. Is that okay? Will that affect my application? I did not realise it will take so long for sat scores to send. It does say that they will accept self reported scores, but that seems like very old information from like 6 years ago, not sure if anything changed.

For RD sake, when should i send my scores to schools? Planning to retake the december SAT test

Hi guys, I am posting this on behalf of a friend. My friend came in fall 2021 for a stem masters. Her visa is valid till 2026 June. She had to clear the Comprehensive exam at the end to get her degree but after 3 attempts she failed. Meanwhile she had applied for opt work permit which has been approved and she also had her card with her rn. So technically her degree is not complete, while she has work permit claiming the degree. Whats the best way to extend her stay in US? Is there a way she can apply for new universities and get a new I20 keeping her visa validity in mind. Please guide. It will be really helpful.

Thanks

After many months of work (and just in time for ED and EA deadlines), The 2025 BGZ Consulting International Admissions and Scholarship Database is here! I am releasing (for free) institutional information, financial aid and merit scholarship data, and admissions information for 361 colleges that offer EA and/or ED. Hopefully, this will be useful for you last-minute applicants! The public link (no sign-up required) includes:

• College information such as location, institutional characteristics such as size and undergraduate presence
• The new BGZ "Religion Index" with information about college religious culture and requirements.
• Costs (tuition, fees, room, and board)
• Types of aid available for international students
• Number of international students awarded financial aid and the percentage who receive aid for 320 out of 361 schools
• Average aid awarded per student and total aid
• Average cost of attendance after average aid award
• Whether a college offers full demonstrated need
• The amount of the largest available merit scholarship
• Overall admission rate

I've also included the following data for all eight Ivy League colleges:

• ED, REA, and RD-specific acceptance rates along with calculations about how much of an advantage ED and EA provide over RD.

• International admissions rate

• Detailed international admissions data (applications received, students admitted, and yield rate)

• The number of countries represented among admitted students for 7 of the 8 schools

• The proportion of the first-year class filled by ED and REA admissions.

• Current, verified application, document, and financial aid deadlines

• Standardized testing policies (required/recommended/optional/limited/none)

  • Percent of admitted students who submitted ACT and SAT
  • SAT and ACT score percentiles for all sections, where available

• International graduation rates (4, 5, and 6 years)

• National and worldwide rankings

• Subject-specific rankings in:

  • Computer science (including AI)
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Engineering (including mechanical, electrical, computer, biomedical, and chemical)

• Climate data including monthly low/average/high temperatures and rainfall.

• Political and legal information:

  • Voting results from the 2020 Presidential election
  • Status of state abortion laws by college

• Safety information:

  • Gun deaths per capita in the college's county
  • On-campus crime statistics including sexual assaults and other violent crimes

I'm still finalizing the main database, but I hope this is useful for now.

Hi everyone! just got my scores back overall - 155 with speaking and writing - 160

this is a huge improvement from last year's 135😄 i did some prep but was still pleasantly surprised with my score.

im a nonnative english speaker, although it's my third year living abroad america/england

ask me anything!

https://preview.redd.it/lht1ap90n3yd1.png?width=602&format=png&auto=webp&s=02aaf682c3d5926c6ec4ba7731e9ab3ea97db67c

Does this mean I cannot use a college specific fee waiver code if Im adding it after submitting the CSS?
That doesnt really make sense, am I supposed to ask for all codes now even for those colleges Im applying Regular Decision?

In the country where I live, students study for the college entrance test in the 12th grade, so my school makes the 12th grade exams very easy to make them not worry about school and focus more on the test. In fact, they make them so easy that my end-of-year GPA will be close to 99/100 if not 100/100.

9th grade GPA: 94.98

10th grade GPA: 95.69

11th grade GPA: 95.23

12th grade GPA: 100

This doesn't look natural at all... And there is practically nothing I can do. Am I overthinking about this or should I really be worried? I believe most schools do this in Turkey. Even the private ones.

Thave a college asking for my first term grades of senior year in the portal and they state that they'll verify it with the transcript.

The one I submitted through CommonApp only had my grades up until junior year. I just got my new transcript with my senior grades this morning.

If I have my counselor upload the new transcript into CommonApp, will that send it to the college again even though l've already submitted my CommonApp? Or will I have to email them? If so, does my counselor have to be the one to send the emai?

Basically the title.

How should I deal with this? I only took 3. My counselor did mention that I couldn’t take 4 due to “schedule conflicts” or something like that in his letter I don’t remember what he said. Is this okay? School profile clearly mentions that everyone can take 4 (as long as they pay the additional fee).

should I also explain in the additional info section?

Hi everyone! I’m an international student from Bangladesh, applying for Fall 2025, and deciding on the best ED1 choice among Wabash, Kalamazoo, Illinois Wesleyan, Howard, Connecticut College, and Bucknell.

Here’s a quick profile overview: Academics : top 3% in school. NCTB curriculum : SSC & HSC : A+ SAT : Optional ..

Extracurriculars: Founder of Science Club, Regional Physics Olympiad Champion, active in community service and top honors in Bangladesh scouting, Intern as Branch manager in an insurance company.

Financial Need: Full-need financial aid is essential.

Values: I’m big on empathy, connection, and growth, and prefer schools with diverse, supportive communities.

Given these options, which would be the best ED1 choice for academics, community, and aid? Thanks in advance for your insights!.

If you have other College suggestions, please let me know.

I’m in need of some advice about my academic situation. I was previously enrolled in an electrical engineering program at the University of Leeds in the UK, but due to health struggles, my GPA ended up low, which led to my withdrawal. I have medical records to document this, but now I’m in a tricky spot. My academic record before Leeds was much stronger:

• My first college GPA was 4.3/5.
• I completed an International Foundation Year in Engineering with an 81% overall (including 78% in math) which was what got me admitted into the university of Leeds.
• My IELTS score is 8.

My goal is to study electrical engineering at a well-ranked university in the U.S., especially since my sponsor has requirements about applying to highly ranked schools. But with the low GPA from Leeds, most universities seem discouraged, and I’m not meeting their high GPA requirements for transfer admissions. I’d be happy to start as a first-year to get a clean slate, but it’s my understanding that U.S. schools require full disclosure of all prior university work, including Leeds.

So, here are my main questions:

1. Should I still apply to U.S. universities as a transfer with my Leeds GPA, or is there any way to apply as a first-year student for a clean slate?
2. What are my chances of getting into a decent-ranked U.S. university, given my situation?
3. Has anyone been in a similar spot and found a way to succeed?

I’d appreciate any advice or alternative paths to make my engineering career happen. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Hello, redditors,

I'm 28, from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Eastern Europe), and I have always dreamed of moving to the USA to work and live there. I hold a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from my home country. For the past 2.5 years, I’ve worked as a project manager outside of engineering due to limited opportunities in my field in Bosnia. Given the challenging situation in my country regarding work, pay, safety, and overall life satisfaction, I want to pursue my dream of moving to the USA.

I have saved $10k and can borrow an additional $20k from my family, so I would have around $30k to start.

Some options that I'm considering:

• F1 Visa (Master’s in the USA): My GPA is 3.5, so I’m confident I could get into a U.S. master’s program. My plan would be to finish the degree, work under OPT, and aim for H1B sponsorship. Civil engineering is currently in demand, though finances might be tight.

• J1 Visa (Internship/Trainee): I could get a J1 visa via a local agency for about $15k, though I’d need to be enrolled in a master’s program in my home country. This route would allow me to work right away and potentially seek sponsorship.

• H2B Visa: I could apply for seasonal construction work and possibly extend it for up to 3 years while pursuing an EB-3. This option has lower costs and allows me to start working right away.

• EB-3 Visa: Some agencies offer this option directly, though it involves lower pay and challenging work. The upside is a more direct path to a green card, but it’s costly (around $20k) and requires a waiting period.

Some things to take into account :

• EB2 and EB3 waiting times are relatively short for my country.

• I'm also participating in the visa lottery every year.

• I don’t want to go to Europe or other countries. I've been there, and there are many reasons why I don't want to go back (i.e., language barriers, limited opportunities, cultural differences, etc.). Canada would be my last resort, but my first goal is to try my best for the USA.

• I have no intention of doing anything illegal, especially regarding immigration. Some people I've asked for advice told me I'm overcomplicating things and suggested I simply come to the U.S. and “figure it out from there.” Others have even suggested overstaying a tourist visa, seeking asylum, or crossing the border from Mexico, claiming, "that's just how it works" and "you'll get papers fastest that way" (???). Anyway, I'm not comfortable with any similar options.

• The same goes for marriage. If I meet someone I see myself with in the long term and it happens out of love, great. However, I don’t want to date solely for my immigration status, and I’m not planning to use marriage as a way to achieve it, so I don't want to rely on this option.

My question : In your opinion, what would be my best option for getting a foot in the door and possibly staying and immigrating? Are there any other options that might come to mind that I’m not considering?

I started there in year 7 but should I put the year I started year 10 (grade 9)

One of my friends had a good question about financial aid. He doesn't need any aid so he doesn't want to fill out CSS. I believe that US citizen still have to submit FAFSA even if they aren't applying for aid. Does that mean internationals also have to submit CSS even if you aren't applying?

Hi there, initially, this is a quite general question.

I'm an international student who's looking for full ride.

To what extent my application is meaningful without a good SAT score?

I have... Perfect GPA. 4.0/4.0 Decent ECs. Decent essays. Brilliant rec letters. I really love my teachers 🥹 after reading their rec letters I found out how appreciative they are. 7 IELTS.

Tbh, I am very confident in everything I have, except for my SAT score. I scored 780 in the Math section, while the highest score I could achieve in the English section was 630. Unfortunately, my English is good, but not enough to get me to 700 or higher.

I've read many posts about relatively low SAT scores for intls, and basically, it seems that without 1500+ you would be cooked. I’m very frustrated because I feel helpless about my score in the English section. Tbh, nothing within my grasp anymore ):

Tell me what to do...

Thanks in advance 🙏 ☺️

Hey guys i wanna ask where to check your financial aid (asu) since they didn't send email or in fact checked on the portal too but nothing there it has been 2 weeks since i have been accepted tho . Any thought? Thanks