Free College Counseling: International Students

Dear Neethu,

To study in the United States as a foreign student, you must take the TOEFL exam. That is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. From there it all depends on which college or university you plan to attend.

They could very well require you to take the SAT I, II, and possibly the ACT. These are the standardized tests that most colleges use to compare students for potential acceptance.

Some also require personal statements and entrance essays. For this situation, you would be given a question, most likely a behavioral or situational question? they may ask you to give an example of when you were put in a tough situation and became the leader to get the results you wanted, for instance.

In this case you would want to read and proofread your work. You would definitely want to eliminate the slang that you used in your e-mail. Words such as ?wanna,? ?hav,? ?wat,? and ?plz,? would not be appreciated.

Good Luck,

Julia Y.
The College Prowler Counselor

Dear Juan,

First, congratulations on your acceptance to Elon University. Don?t get discouraged about Chapel Hill just yet, you might be surprised.

But, if things don?t work out with UNC, you should still be very excited about Elon. It is a highly respected university, and if you have always dreamed about studying in the United States, don?t give up hope because you?re nervous.

College is all about new experiences, and opening yourself to a whole new world. You have to keep a positive outlook about things, or your attitude and outlook could get in the way of your experience.

Half of the students who are going to be freshman at Elon are probably just as nervous as you are about meeting new people and making friends, being accepted for who they are, and concerned about what other people think of them.

You mentioned that you?re very open minded, which is great. This means that you can be willing and eager to meeting new people, and that?s going to get you far, not only in your college career, but in life as well.

Although Elon University?s minority and diversity rate is averaging around 10%, you should still be proud that you can be a part of the University. There are plenty of multicultural clubs on campus and within the student run organizations.

I would suggest getting involved in one of those? that way you?ll understand that there are other people who feel just like you, who are in your position.

I don?t think there has been one freshman entering college that hasn?t been the least bit nervous; don?t think you?re an outsider. Just keep a positive attitude, and everything will come together.

Good Luck?
Joey Rahimi
The College Prowler Counselor

Mejor,

Here is a very useful website for students who live in Nepal and wish to study in the U.S.:http://www.fulbrightnepal.org.np/educationusa.html. It includes FAQs and a link to scholarships that may be available to you. Other institutions you may look to for scholarship money to study abroad may be rotary clubs and churches (particularly if you belong to one).

In terms of affecting how much scholarship money you will receive, I don?t believe your major will matter. Some good colleges at which you m ay begin your study of medicine include University of Maryland College Park, University of Notre Dame, Michigan State University, and Northwestern University. These universities all offer both need and non-need based academic- and minority-related scholarships. Therefore, keep up the hard work in school and look into these promising schools here in America.

Allison G.
College Prowler Conselor

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Ravale,

First of all, you should not be penalized for requesting aid on your application. Most college admissions processes are need-blind, meaning that they choose to accept or reject students based upon merit, not financial standings. Afterward, the student?s financial situation is assessed by the financial aid office, and an aid package is assembled from there.

As for your ethnicity, I believe that being a foreign student actually gives you an advantage! Most colleges and universities strive to create diverse student populations. Your background and life experiences can only serve to enhance those of students here in America, and many admissions officers will probably be happy to have you if you are an equally studious applicant as your American counterparts.

In order to get into the colleges you listed, you will need an SAT score of about 1230-1450. Your G.P.A. will also need to be high, ideally high enough to keep you in the top 10% of your class (3.7 or so).

Finally, College Prowler is not a school. It is a company that publishes a series of unofficial college guides?unofficial because each is written purely from the standpoint of the students who attend that college. Every school that you mentioned (NYU, Cornell, U. of Virginia, Boston U.) is included in the series. Check them out.

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor

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Daniel,

If school finishes for you at grade 11, then you should treat it as your senior year, despite the fact that Americans? senior year is grade 12. Take your SAT at the end of 10th grade or the beginning of 11th (if, as I assume, you are about to be in 11th grade). There is actually no ?set? time when the SAT should be taken; I took mine in 11th grade, and then I did not have to worry about taking it all during my senior year! The only reason 12th grade is usually advised is because it is assumed that students will know more vocabulary, have better mathematical skills, and will have more time to prepare for the test. However, since 11th grade is your final year of school, you should already have all the academic knowledge you need. Just study ahead of time and take the test as soon as possible so you can begin applying to colleges with those scores in hand.

As for applying to college, if you want to go to college right out of high school, then you should begin looking for and applying to schools as soon as possible. Usually, application deadlines are in early January of the same year you intend to enroll in that school. Therefore, if you want to go to college the fall after you graduate from high school, you need to have your college applications in by January of that calendar year.

Read some of the questions other students have asked on this website to get an idea of what sorts of questions you may want to ask yourself before you begin looking at colleges. Many factors will influence your ultimate choice, but you need to make some basic decisions to get started: what do you want to study? Where? With whom?

Good luck and get started!

Allison G.
College Prowler Counselor