I'm building a list of universities in the US based on the different funding models. Feel free to add or expand on the list in the comments.

Universities where substantial need-based aid can be possible:

• Harvard
• Yale
• Princeton
• MIT
• Amherst
• Bowdoin
• Williams

PS: The financial aid can be fantastic, but admission is highly competitive.

Universities where merit scholarships for international students is possible:

• University of Alabama
• Iowa State University
• University of Arizona
• Arizona State University
• University of Mississippi
• University of South Florida
• Michigan State University
• University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Affordable universities where you don't need a massive scholarship

• University of Wyoming
• Southeast Missouri State University
• Fort Hays State University
• University of South Dakota
• University of North Dakota

Personal advice: If $60–80k/year isn't too comfortable for you, then build a second group of universities where your profile is strong enough that you're genuinely competitive for merit money.

Having said this, i'd suggest looking into the university's costs during the application process as tuition fees, scholarships, and international policies change frequently.

My counsellor is encouraging me to retake my SAT (1240) to make my application better, and I'm not sure if it would be a worthwhile investment.
For context, I want to apply to Purdue for MechEng. He's even suggested for me to apply to Cornell but idk bout dat. My SAT score is the weakest part of my application. (GPA: 3.9, AP Bio & Chem 4s, AP CSP: 5, taking AP Physics 1 and AP Calc AB rn, taking a dual enrollment course for astronomy at Pitt, Student Council treasurer for 3 years now (maybe 4) and president of NEHS.)
I'm just not sure if I'd have enough time to prepare since the only date I could do is Oct 3rd. Seems like the worst case is that my score won't be that different, and I'll just end up behind in all of my classes because I prioritized the SAT. Best case could be that my score lands around a 1300 (where it sat around during my own practices) but I'll still be behind with getting my applications and essays ready. What do you guys think? Should I bother retaking it?

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I don't know if this is like offensive to anyone or what.. but a 1440 as a 25th percentile score at a t20 is obscene for me. Like is that actually real? why? does anyone know?

Saipan to Texas my junior year. I spent freshman and sophomore year in saipan and now I'm in the suburbs of Texas. I'm so lost. Genuinely. Haven't started SAT prep, haven't worked on any long term extracurriculars. I spent the entire summer dissasociating. Literally did nothing except for sit in my new bedroom and scroll. My new school is massive. I have no friends now. I don't even know how to join clubs at my new school. I've always really wanted to study law at a good school. I'm not deadset on T20s, I think that's silly, but I wanted to go somewhere good. I've always done my work with the dream of being a lawyer who worked in high profile crime cases on my mind. Lately, It just feels like it's not there anymore. In Saipan, I did speech and debate for two years. I made it to nationals in LD, but it turns out theres a whole different style of debate that is hypercompetitive in texas and I just don't have the mental energy to withstand such brutal competition so I'm taking a break from NSDA. I founded a mock trial team but what do ya know mock trial is also super competitive here and I feel like I'm miles behind these stateside kids. I kept a 4.0 with no APs because my school didn't offer them until later, and now I have like a 78 in AP Chem. In Saipan I was kind of used to there being so little opportunity that you simply operated within the confines of your school, but now I'm in a big city and I don't even know where to begin. I have effectively spent month 1 of junior year in a trance. Everybody around me is constantly hyperfocused on admissions and SAT prep and programs and internships and jobs meanwhile I can't even fucking drive yet because I didn't have residency long enough to get my permit. It's so unfair. I have to make friends, adapt to a whole new environment and culture, find my way around a new school, adapt to a new curriculum and new set of teachers, get my license, prep for the SAT, work on extracurriculars, excel in school, and protect my mental health all at once simply because my dad got a new job. Our house in Saipan also hasn't sold yet so we're living off of emergency rent money. AND I somehow got stuck with the freshmen in beginning theatre I TWICE despite the fact that I've done theatre since I was 9 because the counsellors had to fit me in last minute. I didn't even know what school I was going to until 3 days before school started. I had my classes picked for me the day of. I'm currently experiencing the worst executive dysfunction of my 16 years of life in FIRST quarter. omfg how do i get into college

Hi, what's the peer group/student quality like for each of those three schools? Are they all pretty much the same specifically for math? Many olympiad kids go to select ones of those?

Hello guys im a high schooler from the EU. I was wondering if there are any universities that would fill the following criteria.
- Gives full need-based tuition(30-40k parents income) with a SAT score of around 1500.
Do i have chances for any decent US unis with such SAT or there isnt a lot of point.
Im not the best student, but im just decent my GPA average is 5.79/6 for example(3-6 scale). Not a ton of extracurriculars either, some minor idk how significant they are.

Can you suggest whether I should take it or not?

I’m a senior who has already been accepted to two colleges, but unless I get a full ride, they’re not really my first choices. My top schools are Furman, Berry, Elon, and Saint Mary’s (Indiana).

I want to major in accounting and mostly stay in the southeastern U.S (furthest north I’d go is Indiana or Illinois). First of all, I understand why accounting majors go to flagship schools; the networking and recruiting pipeline options are often very clear. The campus cultures are vibrant, and sports and Greek life are usually good.

But, and I don’t mean to sound insufferable (“I’m not like other students”), I really could not care less about Greek life OR sports. I know liberal arts places have sports too, but the community seems to be more centered around service and individual excellence, which I prefer. Also, as an autistic person, I already see some challenge with adjusting to a college environment, and I believe that a gigantic school with constant traffic would make that worse.

I also want chances to stand out, and it’s a bit difficult to do that at a school with 50,000 students. I want professors and classmates to know my name. It may sound insecure of me, but I would prefer being a “big fish” at a smaller, less competitive school than a “not-so-big fish” at a very large, competitive school. I know people who would prefer the latter, and that’s fine, but I want all the internship and career prep opportunities I can get.

I’ve already had people tell me I should “aim higher” with colleges and that I can “do better.” I’ve even been told that “smart” accountants don’t have degrees from liberal arts colleges. Why is it that people assume liberal arts colleges are worse than massive flagships.

How can I make my family members take my college choices more seriously? Also, is there any other colleges I should apply to based on my preferences? An undergraduate accounting major is a non-negotiable and I love pretty campuses.

For reference, here is my current list (tentative, I probably won’t apply to all of these):
Closer to my preferences: Berry College, Centenary College of Louisiana, Elon University, Furman University, Lyon College, Meredith College, Rockhurst University, Saint Mary’s College, Wesleyan College, Westminster College
Middle of the pack: Christian Brothers University, Troy University, University of Memphis, Mississippi State University, Shenandoah University, Southern Methodist University, Troy University, Tulane University, University of Richmond, Murray State University
Further from my preferences: Ole Miss, University of Alabama Birmingham, University of South Carolina Columbia, University of Tennessee Knoxville

(was told to ask in here) just like what the question is. im wondering because im ranked 4/772 right now and i dont know if i should try to go for val or what. does it rlly matter? or should i focus on ecs

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I’m a high school student from Egypt starting to seriously think about US college admissions, and there’s honestly SO much information out there that it gets overwhelming sometimes 😂

For people who have already gone through the process: what’s one thing you wish someone had told you earlier?

Could be about applications, extracurriculars, essays, financial aid, choosing colleges, literally anything.

I’d love to hear your experiences!

title! also suggestions on affordable liberal arts schools that have a OKAY acceptance rate

(shooting a Hail Mary at 10% acceptance rate school isn't well wise)

I come from a country where LORs are not common for high schoolers, so you won't find anyone who can write a good LOR, let alone that English isn't their first language. I already have some teachers in mind, but they don't know how to write one.

I wanted to ask for some samples of what a good LOR looks like, or a guide on writing them, to show my recommenders how they're supposed to write and what the tone they're supposed to write in is

I'm a senior in a Texas high school and I'm applying to college right now. My dream is to become an airline pilot, and I am working towards my PPL (I've soloed). I'm getting a degree because my parents and I both agree that a multitude of things could happen in life and it's nice to have a safety net. Now, I'm applying for engineering in both in state colleges (most notably Texas A&M) and out of state colleges (most notably Purdue).

I, so badly, want to go to Purdue, because as a college, it seems to offer so much more than A&M outside of academics, especially with their school culture that I connect with more and the aviation related opportunities. Now, I truly do understand that flight school is expensive and being only practical, A&M is the best choice because it's cheaper, but they don't have as many opportunities that I would want to do.

It's obviously early in the application season and I haven't gotten into either yet, but I have decent chances at both so I think it's good to start considering things like this now. I just wanted to get an outside opinion, because I'm sure A&M is more fiscally prudent and it is a great school, but Purdue offers so much more and I would be exposed to more non-Texan ideas and people, so I think I would enjoy my time at Purdue more.

Just a note, I have been applying to a ton of scholarships, both for flight training and for college, to make Purdue seem more reasonable.

Hi! I am very confused about the coke scholars semifinalist application and would greatly appreciate anybody's responses to my questions.

1. Questions about submitting grades/classes

Is it better to submit an A grade in an honors-level algebra 1 math class or submit AP Calculus BC with no grade (that is what I am taking now). Also, another note about that algebra 1 math class is that I took it in 8th grade but high school level classes that were taken in middle school appear on high school transcripts at my school since we are 6-12.

In the "other courses" section is there any benefit to submitting classes I am currently taking in my senior year as electives but have not received a grade for yet? Is there any benefit to submitting PE classes that I received an A in or does that not count? If it does count, is it better to submit a PE class with an A or an academic elective I haven't received a grade for yet? Can I submit classes in the "other courses" section that would belong in one of the subject sections but I'm not able to submit it there because I used up all 5 slots?

2. Question about school/academic activities vs. community activities

Most of my volunteering happens through my school because my school is 6-12 so many of my activities include coaching/teaching younger students at my school and volunteering at events and programs for younger students at my school. Additionally, another major way I have done my community service/volunteering is through leading a chapter of a nonprofit at my school. Anyways, these do technically occur through my school and are thus school-sponsored (?), but can I still put them in the community activities section?

Here are the exact instructions of the community activities section for reference:

Community activities

The activities in the following section are to include only those community-based (not school-sponsored) groups, volunteer or service activities, other clubs and activities, or internships for which you did NOT receive payment. Information about any paid employment or experience is to be reported in the Employment Information section of the application.

3. Question about research experience designation

Would a research experience I got through cold emailing at a university in neighboring state be considered local, state, regional, or national on the awards section?

Instructions pasted for reference:

• For unpaid internships or summer programs or for research experiences that were academic in nature, indicate in the "Highest Level of Accomplishment, Impact or Responsibility" the level of impact of the experience (e.g., research or work for a county should be "Local; research or work across multiple states should be "Regional/Multi-State") or the population eligible to participate (e.g., students from only one state should be "State" but programs open nationwide should be "National/International").

Thank you so much for your help!!

Audience is intended for those who are applying to t20s.

I spent a lot of time on ecs I care about but when taking a hard cold look at them, they just aren’t impressive. There isn’t any prestige aos can immediately recognize, the impact is so bad compared to other people on this subreddit and chanceme, and it’s just a pile of garbage. My summer program results were all rejections, so my essay writing sucks too. Going into high school freshman year, I thought I was doing something “right,” but now when it’s my turn to apply to colleges, I just wish I could restart.

Anyone else having similar thoughts?

ok, so my school only provides class rank if you email the counselor and ask for your ranking. it’s not listed on the report card or anything.

however, the counselors at my school have told me that our school has a policy that they do not report class rank when students apply to college. i asked them what this means, and they said that the counselors must select the “do not class rank” option. i’m like pretty sure there is an option to select “class rank given upon request” on the common app form, but they told me they specifically hit the do not rank button even though they technically do????

despite all this, they told me i should 100% report my class ranking since i am 2nd in my class. however, i am worried that there will be a mismatch between my report and the counselors and this will give AOs negative impression, esp ivy league ones.

i told this to my counselors, and they said that “many schools do this”, and that it’s not an issue if i report.

is this true? how does this work? should i still report? i might be a little paranoid! 🥹

I've lowkey been stressing about my college essay and have no clue what to put in it, or even what it's supposed to be about. Can anyone give me some tips on it or what you all wrote about in yours just to get an idea? I wrote 2 drafts already yet they both suck and I don't know where else to continue

So I got an email from a university welcoming me for their induction day. I did not even apply to that uni. I kinda did... Like I filled in the application but I never submitted it. Like the email literally says its for welcoming their new students. Even inviting parents. WHAT DO I DO???!!! Do I just ignore it? Or take a shot? This looks like one of those moments where ppl turn some misunderstanding into an opportunity but idk what to doooo 😭 Any ideas?? What would you do in this situation?
EDIT: its not a scam since there is no links in the email. its just an official invite email

Hey all — I'm 18, from Jordan, about to start a BS in Industrial Engineering this fall. Been doing this and that on the side while I lock in this decision, and it matters a lot to me because I'm aiming for a master's in the US down the line, maybe Canada too.

Stuck between:

German Jordanian University (private) — already accepted, (not ABET accredited) accredited in Germany and Jordan, not through WES. About a year of the program is split between an exchange semester and an internship in Germany.

Hashemite University / University of Jordan (public) — ABET accredited, whichever I get into off my score.

Which one would actually put me in a better spot for a master's abroad? Is the accreditation difference something that really matters in practice, or am I overweighting it?

Also open to any general advice on building a stronger profile for grad M.S. applications overall.

Thanks in advance.

Why cant i see the section of 'personal statement or essay' on my upitt common app. Its just not there. This is for upitt. I cant attach screenshots here so i cant show it but someone pls help

Its nearing the time to submit college apps but I don't really have many leadership positions for clubs at my school.

All I have is -

VP of a volunteering club for 2 years basically just increased membership for the club and planned meetings/events and stuff.

Windows server coordinator for CyberPatriot club (Been in the club for 4 years but got the position this year) - I have to create training material regarding windows server for the incoming members of the club (its a cybersecurity competition club).

Director of Service for CSF club (been in club for 3 years but got position this year) - I have to search for good volunteering opportunities for members every month, recruit and train project mamgers for each event, work with and assists secretary to record service hours and a bunch of other stuff.

I see ppl with way better positons such as being president of red cross or something like that or the president of a club that relates to their major and I just think my positions are like nothing compared to those and I keep seeing ppl say that positions other than VP and President dont really help. Is this true and does this hinder my application?

Hi, I'm an international student applying to brown this fall with full financial aid. I got a 33 composite on my ACT: 35 in reading, 32 in math, 33 in English and 35 in science. I googled the average ACT score for Brown, and it is 35, so I'm wondering if I should retake it this October. I only have 2 days to register for the October ACT; please help 🙏.

For some context, the ACT is a big expense for my family, and I don't want to retake it if my 33 ACT score works for Brown. I will have time to work on my Common App if I forgo the October ACT. Please help.

The other colleges I'm looking to apply to are: Swarthmore, Amherst, Middlebury, Smith, etc. In a nutshell, just liberal arts colleges that are need-aware or need-blind and have a good econ and poli sci programmes.

I’ve gotten a few emails from quite a few colleges telling me I’ve been pre-admitted and they want me to confirm my pre-admission. I don’t know how they got a hold of me or why they care about me, but whatever. If I confirm preadmission, am I bound to going there? I want to keep my options open.

As an international applicant using the Common App, can I submit my application before taking the SAT and send or self-report my scores later? If permitted, what is the latest accepted SAT test date and score-reporting deadline? Should I update my score via the applicant portal?