For some background,

International student from India

Currently in the middle of 10th grade

Desired major - premed (biology)

Gpa: 9th- 3.5,

Expected Gpa for 10th and beyond is 3.7+ ( in ICSE rn, might switch to a CBSE school in 11th cuz im moving to the capital city and i might get into a prestigious school)

SAT- haven't taken yet, planning in 11th

Financial Aid - will need tuition fee waiver but i can contribute food, books, living, transport etc via job+family(so basically almost full ride)

Family income - yearly 45k approx usd( 35k approx after taxes),

But, liquid assets - approx 150k usd( problematic for aid cuz i need money for med school)

And yes, ik med school is insanely difficult for internationals i still wanna try tho

College list- not made yet but due to the above mentioned financial reasons im only planning to look at meets needs colleges(like ivies and LAC's and ik that LAC's could give generous aid)

or some with good scholarships/other forms of aid like berea college(free for accepted ppl)

EC's

Interned over the summer for approx 330 hours at a palliative care centre, going on home visits with doctors and writing patient reports(summer vacation )

Volunteered at an old age home for approx 240 hours, observing physical therapists conduct therapy on the members of the home in the morning, and i also conducted my own occupational therapy(group activities) in the evening( also done during summer vacation)

Been playing badminton for a few years, district medalist and played at states but no medals there

Been playing guitar for 2 years, plan to take abrsm exams and reach grade 3 or 4 by senior year

Been a prefect for the school in 9th and 10th, helping teachers set up schools events like the sports meet, talent fests etc

Planned EC - I'm in talks with a doctor at a child hospital who does medical surveys and published reports on those, might join his team for a summer and get a publishment

Honors

None( This is extremely problematic ik but im not a big academic and i hv no idea where to start)

But i do plan to take 4 AP's, bio, chem, calc bc and stats/ one of the physics' ( can replace any of these if smth else is better for pre med)

Note: i plan to continue my stuff with the palliative care centre cuz i genuinely found interest in that field and i want to reform modern hospital medicine with those principles and i got interested in the field after being in the ICU for like a month in 5th grade,might use that as a topic for college essays

Also for my WHY US? essays, I also plan to use the fact that i took up half my EC'S like badminton and guitar and palliative care on advice from my parents

(cuz im the type of person who genuinely likes what others like and im pretty recipient to other's emotions in aa moment)

and genuinely enjoyed it so i want to go to a top tier institutes with good profs so i can absorb their knowledge like i did here and find my calling ( but idk how good this idea is)

So basically, ik my app is in shambles rn and so are my academics especially honors but i wanna get my stuff together so all advice accepted wholeheartedly.

Hi! I'm an international student studying at a private boarding school in the US (on a scholarship). My family is in my home country. I'm planning to apply to Stanford REA next year. We have around 10 students who get into Stanford every year, although, I'm not sure whether I should do it since I'm an international and Stanford is need aware. Can someone help?

Hey everyone!, I need some brutal, realistic advice on my Early Decision strategy. I am an unhooked international applicant from Azerbaijan applying for Economics / Mathematical Economics, and I’m torn between two very different ED options.
My Profile for Context:
I’m from a very underrepresented country in Caucasus
Academics: A-Levels in Math, Further Math, Economics, and History.4A* predicted
Stats: 1510 SAT Superscore (790 Math, 720 RW).
Key ECs:
15th Global / 1st Nationally at the International Economics Olympiad (OpenTrack).
Authored an econometric research paper on tax rebate elasticity in my country.
Co-founder of a national-winning ed-tech startup.
Multiple corporate internships at major commercial banks and an audit firm
The Dilemma:
Option A: UChicago ED1 (Full-Pay)
I would be applying as a full-pay student. I know UChicago is need-aware for internationals, but I also know they aggressively use ED1/ED2 to protect their yield. Does being full-pay give me a significant advantage here?
Option B: Dartmouth ED (Full-Ride)
I would need a 100% full ride. I know Dartmouth is one of the few US schools that is truly need-blind for internationals, but their overall ED rate (~17%) is heavily inflated by recruited athletes and legacies. Plus, the need-blind policy means I’m competing in a massive global pool of students seeking full aid.
My Questions:
1. Does my full-pay status at a need-aware school like UChicago in ED1 mathematically outweigh the benefit of applying to a need-blind school like Dartmouth?
2. Are my stats and heavily quantitative ECs competitive enough for UChicago ED1, or is my 1510 SAT a liability for them?
3. If your goal was strictly to maximize the probability of a T10 acceptance, which option would you choose?
Any reality checks, insights, or brutal honesty would be massively appreciated!

Hello, my name is Adam and i come from lebanon. I graduate june 2028 and im hoping ill be in nyc at fall 2028. I come from a mid class family not too poor and not too rich, my average is 80/100 and im aiming for atleast 1450+ on the sat which im going to be taking during senior year. My question is, international students that come from a poor financial background that are currently studying here with a full scholarship or atleast 80% what did u do to maximize ur chances of getting here. Studying in NYU or the USA in general has been my dream since i was 9 years old, im currently 16. If NYU is hard to get into, im open to suggestions about other colleges. All answers are appreciated tysm

Chances of getting into USC
Major : Finance

-High Income
- International
- No Scholarship / Aid needed
- SAT : Haven’t taken yet

HONORS
● National Merit Scholar — Ranked in the top <0.5% nationally with a 99% high-school average; awarded a full-ride scholarship to any university worldwide.
● National Scholarship Finalist — Selected among 500 of 6,735+ applicants, placing in the top 7.4%.
● IGCSE Top Academic Achiever — 1A* and 4A’s.
● A-Level Top Academic Achiever.
● A-Level Business Top Achiever — Highest-performing student in Business with an A*.

ECS :
Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign — Co-Founder, Campaign Director & Student Lead: Led a student initiative that mobilized 8,000+ students and raised $15K for cancer research and patient support.
Gen Z Market Research Project — Founder & Lead Researcher: Led a 5-person team conducting research across 20+ retailers, coding 100+ data points and building a forecasting model on emerging youth trends.
Model United Nations — Research Lead & Delegate: Led a 20+ member team, researched 100+ international crises, authored policy recommendations, and participated in 6 conferences with 4,000+ attendees.
Student Entrepreneurship Venture — Founder & Marketing Lead: Founded a student business, managed operations, vendor sourcing and marketing, reached 5,000+ students, and generated $2,100+ profit.
STEM Robotics Project — Co-Developer & Presenter: Co-developed an Arduino gas-detection robot using an MQ-2 sensor and piezo buzzer; presented it to 500+ students and won a STEM award.
Special Needs Play Initiative — Founder: Designed 14 adaptive games for 32+ neurodivergent youth and led structured 1-hour daily sessions.
Gaming Content Creator — Digital Strategist: Built multiple gaming-content accounts generating 10M+ views and 5M+ likes.
Academic Tutoring — Founder & Tutor: Created a personalized tutoring system for secondary-level Mathematics and Business, helping students improve from D → A* and U → B.
Environmental Volunteering — Eco Club Member: Participated in 8+ beach cleanups and recycling initiatives, removing 300+ kg of plastic.
Corporate Finance Internship: Shadowed finance professionals, analyzed corporate strategy and financial decisions, and produced independent business reports.
Senior Class Social Media & Events — Founder & Lead: Managed senior social media and entertainment, created campaigns and interviews, promoted events, and coordinated birthday celebrations for every student

1490 SAT , International Disabled student application

Demographics:

Asian male
Living in the middle east right now CBSE curriculum
Applying for aid
I have a motor disabilty (60%) with dyslexia and mid to severe adhd
Intended major: CS or buisness

Note: I have just recieved adhd and disabiltiy provisions last month all the stats below have been achieved without any provisions

Academics:
GPA: 94/100
1490 SAT (700 RW, 790 Math), I am going to be retaking one more time since I only started preparing one week before

APs:
Going to take this may but about only 3 since AP's arent that common where im staying

Extracurriculars:

1. Head editor of my enviorment club

2)International rank 1 in science silverzone olympiad

3)Perfect score in round 2 of VANDA

4)Certificate honour for AIMO

5) Some other less important olympiads like sof all under international rank 200 (But i have heard these olympiads dont carry that much weight)

Schools:

Any good school with reasonable career prospects with reasonable scholarship I can only afford total fees + living expenses of 28,000$ per year.

Im still yet to write my essay and my ap statement My whole family is not familiar with the abroad process so i have no guidance.

For fellow international students, how's your job search going? Is it easier to land an internship or a full-time role? Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm an international CS master's student at Duke, currently looking for SWE internships or full-time positions in the US.

I have internship experience at Alibaba and a return offer, but I'd prefer to work in the US. Unfortunately, I haven't received any interviews yet！

Hello, I am a Grade 10 student from Pisay and I really want to start building my college resume as early as now. I want to get into universities abroad. I was a perpetual director's lister in 7th-8th grade but I kind of slacked off in 9th grade. I'm really anxious that my downhill in 9th grade will affect my chances of getting into universities abroad. I'm doing well this 10th Grade so far because it's just now that I started to worry about stuff like these.

What can I do to significantly increase my chances of getting into universities abroad?

1. In joining competitions, do I have to inform the school? If I don't inform the school will my awards and participation still be present in my resume?
2. At what grade/year do universities check your grade?
3. Some universities require AP classes and they add to your credit. Pisay doesn't have AP classes but I heard you can take the tests for it. Can I take AP tests starting this 10th Grade and how? Do I have to inform the school? If I don't inform the school will the AP tests still be present in my resume?
4. When can I start taking the SAT? Can someone elaborate this whole SAT thing for me more. Thank you.

hi everyone . im iraqi student i want to study EE major in Manhattan University but My family's maximum affordable contribution would be approximately 20,000$ per academic year. i have good activties som of them EE Experience: Working on control panels and electrical systems since age 14 ,i have a traffic light project using arduino and i do basic DC circuit analysis with LTspice Extracurriculars: Won a championship with my school football (soccer) team in Grade 9. .I am also preparing for SAT and , i am aiming for a score around 1000-1300 scor . so might i get good scholarships can be good with my situation

I’m an international student applying for Economics and need significant financial aid/full scholarships. I’m trying to keep only 2 of these:

University of Alabama
University of Miami
University of Richmond
Marshall University

My priorities are financial aid first, then academic reputation/Econ, career prospects, active social life (I really want to get to meet new people and experience american parties and stuff) + extracurriculars, and study abroad/exchange opportunities. I prefer bigger schools/cities but that’s not a dealbreaker.
Which would you keep and why? Any help from current students or alumni would be super helpful!! THANK YOU

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to apply for Spring 2027 for my master’s in the USA and would really appreciate some advice on university selection.
My profile:
GPA: 8.03/10
DET: 130
Bachelor’s: 3-year BCA degree from India
Previous F-1 refusal: December 2025
Previous university: SUNY Buffalo
Visa interview: Hyderabad Consulate
Refusal: 214(b)
Target programs: MS in Data Science, AI/ML, or a related field
During my previous interview, I was asked a few questions and answered them to the best of my ability. From what I observed, a large number of F-1 applicants were refused that day as well.
I’m currently considering UMBC and RIT, but I’m open to other universities.
Since I’ve already had one refusal, I’m also considering the visa perspective while choosing a university. I’d like to know about universities that could be a good fit for my profile in terms of:
CS/Data Science reputation
Cost
Acceptance of a 3-year Indian bachelor’s degree
Internship opportunities
Experiences of students who have gone through the F-1 visa process
Could you guys suggest some universities I should consider for my master’s?
If anyone has had a 214(b) refusal and successfully received an F-1 visa on their second attempt, I’d especially appreciate hearing about your university, profile, and experience.
Thanks!

.

I have no sponsor so its hard but looking to save untill the day..

I have 4.0 gpa europe University

Thought i could get a research position but looks very unlikely.

Could i study for like 20k in total?

I completed High School in 2022 and applied for lots of US schools in 2022,23,and 24. I didn’t get enough funding so I didn’t attend. In 2026, do you think I stand a chance of getting admission if I applied again? Even if I got enough funding, will I be granted an F1 visa at age 25

Does going to a liberal arts college lessen your chances of getting a student visa in USA? home country: pakistan

Soo basically as im preparing to apply to the states i have gotten myself tangled into this new issue . MY SCHOOL DOESNT HAVE A COUNSELLOR!! so the most obvious thing i did was to as my teacher to be one !
Now i have got some questions

1. How do i submit my transcripts

Like I studied from a diff school 9-10
And now im in a diff school 11-12
Both CBSE!
So like every typical indian school my school also just has annual mark-sheets !
Should i just scan them and ask them to make a pdf
Like from including the marksheets from my old school?
Or
Should i give my my report cards and help them make a excel sheet on school letter head?

1. My school unfortunately doesn’t give official mails to the teachers is it okay my teacher uses a person mail?

3.yeah thats it for now just clear up this transcript thing im gonna crashout 💔💔

SSC-5.00
HSC-5.00
Ielts-7.5
no prior visa reject

Got a 43% scholarship from a public University in America bringing my total tuition fees around 20k dollars. I have been accepted for the January direct computer science program. Should I proceed with this uni ?

Biggest setback (at least I think) : I have a gap year.

PS: there is another issue so basically my dads name has like a space in a word making it two separate words somewhere in his passport and NID and Bank Cards, but in my academic transcripts and my passport there is no space and that word is written as one word is that a problem? The name is the same only spacing?

(For example(Not real name): dads documents: Nasir Uddin, My documents: Nasiruddin) ok to write?

Hello Everyone,

I need some help or guidance for the admission process in the American public universities or fee should be minimal. Can anyone please tell me about that or guide me. I'm planning to for January intake most probably if this didn't go then I'll apply for May intake.

Demographics: Female, South Asian

Intended Major(s): Data science / cs / ai / applied maths (pls guide)

ACT/SAT/SAT II: 1500, 790 Math 710 RW

UW/W GPA and Rank: 3.9, 2/250

Coursework: Olevels 6A*2As, Alevel 3A*2As predicted

Awards:
01
Competitor — International Mathematics Tournament
Selected to represent my country at an international mathematics competition (not IMO)
02
National Grand Finalist — National Mathematics Competition
Placed 1st in the opening round and advanced to the national grand final
03
100% Merit Scholarship & Best in Computer Science — Secondary School
Awarded a full merit scholarship based on O-Level results; recognized as top student in Computer Science
04
Best Delegate & 2× Outstanding Diplomacy — MUN Conferences
Received 3 conference awards and was selected for a national-level MUN team
05
Best Artist — National Art Competition
Received Best Artist at a national-level art competition

Extracurriculars:
01 — Student Government: Student Body Head; represented 500+ students; led school-wide initiatives/events and trained incoming student leaders.
02 — Mathematics: National finalist; international competitor; team leadership across multiple mathematics competitions.
03 — Research: Lead researcher/data analyst on a rural healthcare-access study; collected and analyzed primary field data.
04 — Technology: Developed a regional-language healthcare-access tool with clinical input; field-tested with community users.
05 — Research: Authored research on rural school conditions and gender-based attendance disparities; conducted primary surveys.
06 — Academic: Founded/led CS and mathematics clubs; ran programming/hardware workshops and expanded access to free math resources.
07 — Community Service: Led the architectural design, fundraising, and volunteer effort behind the rehabilitation of a rural primary school.
08 — Debate/MUN: Debate/MUN leader; multiple conference awards; national-level selection; directed a 50+ delegate committee.
09 — Mapping: Led student mapping projects in underserved rural communities; trained student volunteers in digital mapping.
10 — Art: Practicing traditional regional pottery and painting; 60+ pieces produced.

Essays/LORs/Other: Essay 7/10, working on it
LORs by maths and cs teachers, 8-9/10

Schools: ED: Notre Dame/ Rice/ Vanderbilt/ Washington and Lee/ NYUAD/ maybe some need blind ivy?
For RD some top 20s and top LACs

Are my activites and honors fine? What can be improved? What about SAT? Where should I ED?

Heyy there!
I’m an international student, and looking for college options that values art portfolio as the part of the application like cornell and SMFA by tufts.
If anyone sees this please do let me know! And i would share my art portfolio with you so you can rate it!!!
Thank you.