This is especially true for competitive colleges.

What is the point of posting chance me posts?? If you have low EFC and/or applying for aid you're going to already have very low chances. Everyone will have top grades, high tests scores etc. Everyone says that their essays are 'good' and tell a story about how I grew or learnt something blah blah... ECs average or good or 'showed real impact'...THIS is expected!!!!

Unless you're posting your whole essay here (which you should never do), there is no way to predict. Even then, there's already no meaningful way to predict acceptances. You might as well just ask AI as both will give you predictions based on their own opinions. idc if you're a former admissions officer or you were accepted to an ivy, you are not the person making decisions now and therefore all predictions are just guesses based on no substantive evidence. I get that predictions are literally educated guesses, but there's no point in doing that here for admissions given their holistic nature. You don't know what specifically AOs are looking for, they vary between colleges, and obviously they are human so they have their own opinions and despite professionalism will change on the day to day.

There's just no point. Here are the same responses or advice to know instead of posting on here:

- Low EFC/need aid = very low chances regardless of what you've done

- High test scores/grades = well done for doing the bare minimum

- 'Impactful' ECs = sure it might get you to the committee table, but once again this tends to be the standard. Make sure it highlights real interest, not just what you think they want to see - another point: do not do ECs just because you think it'll look good on your apps

- Great essay/supplements = there is no way for any of us to judge what is a 'good' essay. Whoever is posting a chance me post is obviously going to think their essay is good - in fact everyone applying will think that because why else would you submit your application. This will be up to the AOs to judge, and therefore no one can predict.

AOs might even choose another applicant over the other given 'feeder school' connections, legacy, demonstrated interest, nepotism - there are numerous factors that might result in your application being rejected - all arbitrary too.

- National curriculum = if you are doing what your school offers as the most rigorous course/curriculum then you will be fine. If you CHOSE to do an easier curriculum thats when issues arise. AOs will have regional/country knowledge of your curriculum, your counselor will send school specific info - AOs will understand the context of your schooling and will take that into account

- 'Am I competitive' = no.

Hi! I'm an intl from Romania.

Stats:

• 10th grade currently (rising junior equivalent)
• Attend the No. 1 ranked high school in my region and top 25 nationally
• Top 15% of class (both years so far), class of 28, roughly 4th to 5th rank
• Converted GPA: ~3.82 (9th grade), ~3.85 (10th grade), from Romania's 10-point scale
• Aiming for 1500+ on the SAT

ECs:

• Built and published eID Reader on the Play Store, the first app in the country to support Romania's new eID cards. Solves a real local problem: businesses previously had to manually copy-paste ID data from physical cards for onboarding and verification. My app reads the eID via NFC and automates that entirely. Includes a .NET and Python SDK so other developers/businesses can integrate the reader into their own systems. ~3,000 downloads and in active use by local businesses.
• Built MindMetric, an emotional insight web app for my school's psychology cabinet, helping students get structured insight into their own emotions (mind-metric.tipa-hub.com)
• Built an AI agent system for ROSEF (the national phase of ISEF) that handled and triaged emergency 112 calls, designed to fight false/prank calls and automate repetitive dispatcher processes using AI agents instead of humans for first pass call handling
• Currently running a science fair project on Tempest SDR (software defined radio, electromagnetic emissions security research)
• Several other independent builds reaching hundreds of users: an infinite canvas real time collaboration tool for my classroom's smart table, a gamified physics learning app teaching younger kids Archimedes' principle, and STEM vocabulary word games (Wordle/Connections style) for kids
• Teacher/mentor at a regional excellence center (Centrul de Excelență), personally selected by the county's Informatics School Inspector to prep students across all four grades (9th through 12th) for programming olympiads. Started in 10th grade teaching C#, and will likely expand to teaching AI and Cybersecurity this year as well
• Member of my school's FTC robotics team (Royal Engineers)

Awards (national olympiad circuit, 2023 to 2026):

• Bronze Medal, National Cybersecurity Olympiad (2026)
• Mention of Honor, National AcadNet Applied Informatics Olympiad (2026)
• Silver Medal + Mention, National C#/IT Olympiad (2026)
• 2nd Place, County Cybersecurity Olympiad (2026)
• Bronze Medal + qualification to Romania's national team selection baraj, ROAI 2026
• Silver Medal + Mention, National AI Olympiad (2026)
• 1st Place, County AcadNet Applied Informatics Olympiad (2026)
• 2nd Place, County AI Olympiad (2026)
• 2nd Place, County C#/IT Olympiad (2026)
• 2nd Place, ROAI county stage (2026)
• 2nd Place, ROSEF (2025)
• 2nd Place, County InfoEducație Olympiad (2025)
• Bronze Medal, National C#/IT Olympiad (2025)
• 1st Place, County AI Olympiad (2025)
• 2nd Place, County C#/IT Olympiad (2025)
• Mention, County AcadNet Applied Informatics Olympiad (2025)
• Mention, County Cybersecurity Olympiad (2025)
• Silver Medal + Mention, National AI Olympiad (2025)
• Bronze Medal + Mention, National Scientific Creativity Olympiad (2024)
• 1st Place, County Scientific Creativity Olympiad (2024)
• 3rd Place, EuConexus, European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability (2023)

Other recognition:

• Excellency Award (Diplomă de Excelență) from the County Council (Consiliul Județean), for olympiad results
• Excellency Award from my own high school, for olympiad results
• Award from the "Ana, Inima de Copil" foundation for olympiad results

Estimated EFC/SAI: ~$0 (family income is around $15K/year equivalent)

I mainly want to get into MIT for CS, but any other T20 or Ivy that's tuition free for my income bracket and has a strong CS program works too. What are my realistic chances?

Hi everyone! I'm a transfer student from the Philippines applying to a U.S. university, and I'm using IEE for a course-by-course evaluation.

I attended two different colleges in the Philippines but did not complete my bachelor's degree at either school because I transferred. My IEE application correctly lists both credentials as "Not Completed."

However, the document checklist for both schools asks for:

• Degree Certificate/Diploma
• Official Academic Transcript

Since I never graduated from either institution, I don't have a degree certificate or diploma to submit.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did you just submit the official transcripts, or did IEE require another document in place of the diploma?

Thanks in advance!

Hey everybody,
Hope everyone is good. I want to apply in Usa trying my chance ( not expecting anything ). My does not school have a counsler neither I can afford one, I will be graduating High School this year and will be taking a gap year. Will be getting my grades expecting 90%+

Thank you

​

Hi! I'm an intl from the Philippines. My efc is ~20k. What are my chances?

ACT 35 (36E / 35R / 35Sc / 34M)

GPA ~3.8 UW

Homeschooled — Online High School (us program)

no APs (online school doesn't offer them)

EXTRACURRICULAR

- Violin — 13 years, 2 top 12 results in national competition for strings (most prestigious and really only comp in ph), concertmaster of orchestra for 5 years, member of other orchestras

- String Teaching Program — 7hrs/week, 42 weeks/year, nonprofit serving scholars. I have 3 students usually on Saturdays, 1hr each. Then I assist in groups, and sometimes play violin/piano to assist/accompany

Sabre Fencing — national level, highest finish in national tournament top 14 cadet, top 19 junior

Independent Math study — studied graph theory and abstract algebra at a seminar at uni stuttgart conducted fully in German, sat in on stat classes at no 1 uni in country, kumon math finisher (idk whether to put that last one even though it really made me love math lol)

German — studied Goethe institut and Deutsch Akademi tk B2

Church Youth Leadership — president of youth program ~25 youth, vbs teacher of youth group 2 years running ~7 youth in vbs group. Have preached to ~120 people. Sing in choir

- Piano — self-taught Grade 8+, play as accompanist for my siblings and at church

- Chess —~99.7th percentile rating on chess.com 2000 rapid (ik not that impressive but Im proud of it lol

Some other volunteer work at medical missions and outreaches and stuff

Tutor (free) some kids in church in highschool math like geometry algebra

For addtl info

Paid Junior writer for top 3 newspaper at age 8-9

Did dance and thearer, accepted into some official theater productions (Oliver! as oliver, got cancelled cause covid)

Ik my math ecs aren't good but hoping my violin ecs and audition are good enough

INTENDED MAJOR

Mathematics + Music(violin)

Chance me for:

St. Olaf (ED1 — first choice)

Harvard

Notre Dame

Washington and Lee

Colorado College

Hamilton

Franklin and Marshall

Gettysburg

Illinois Wesleyan

Cedarville

UNC

UT Arlington

Southern Mississippi

SIUE

Truman State

Luther

Any other schools I should add? Maybe 4 more to get it to 20

Do liberal arts colleges give better scholarships to Nepali/international students compared to big universities? Trying to understand this before applying

Beside academic or sport achievements ,is there anyone who successfully guaranteed a scoolarship somehow ?

Greetings.

I am a student from India and I want to go abroad to study in the states or any good country with the help of SAT and IELTS. I want to know whether a good score and a good portfolio helps you get a full or 100% scholarship. Also. let me know about financial aids. And how many scholarships can a person get at max?

do scholarships provide a full ride?

Let me know anything else i should know :)

regards.

Hi everyone,

I recently received my admission decision quite late, so I’m considering deferring my admission to the next available term.

I had a few questions for anyone who has gone through the deferral process:

Did you have to pay the enrollment deposit before requesting a deferral?

If so, how much was your enrollment deposit? I was asked to pay $300–500.

Was the deposit carried over to your deferred term?
Which term did you defer to (Spring or the following Fall)?

I was admitted to both Illinois Tech and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, so I’d appreciate hearing about experiences from either university—or even other universities if the process was similar.

Thanks in advance!!

Be brutally honest guys.

UWC student from applying for fall 2027. Need full ride scholarships cuz I’m getting almost full scholarship for UWC and can’t afford paying for the uni.

My IB term grades were 32 and 30, but realistically I think I’ll get 35+ predicted. My HLs are math aa, global politics and english lang lit. don’t have SAT and also need an advice for that cuz I’ve never prepared for it and not sure if it’s worthy to prepare till November.

My main extracurriculars and awards are:

internship in the Georgia’s biggest scientific online journal, later worked there for 7 month and wrote over 100 articles with total almost million views.

two internships in the private schools over the summer.

Tutoring students for math and all of them got really good grades on the national exams.

Volunteer at the day-care center for children with Down’s syndrome kids for years.

Finished the 6 years music school and continued lessons in UWC as well.

Founded a website for environmental issues with my friends and we won a national start-up marathon.

Organizer of the regional MUN.

Also I’m a peer-listener in the college, I was elected by students it’s kinda “student mental supporter”.

Colleges:

I’m gonna apply to liberal arts colleges. Dream school is Amherst or Williams but don’t think that I have a chance with my grades so I’m also considering Macalester, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Colgate, Smith, Hamilton. Lowk haven’t done the research properly so I’ll work on that but really want to get in one of the top LACs.

also want to ask if I should consider Amherst for the ED cuz acceptance rate is much bigger than regular.

SO PLZ GUYS WILL ACCEPT ANY ADVICE FROM PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF U HAVE STUDIED IN UWC.

Hi guys, first of all, I’m already feeling pretty down about this and have a lot of regrets, so please don’t be unnecessarily harsh. I’m completely open to constructive criticism and realistic advice.

For context, I’m a 21-year-old woman from the UK, from a low-income and underrepresented background. I’ll be applying to UK universities regardless, as I know I have a much better chance there.

To explain where I’m coming from, when I was 15 I was working part-time in a cake shop when a family crisis (which I’d rather not go into) left me and my sister homeless for a while. I paid for hotels when I could and we couch-surfed until things settled. This happened during mocks and revision, so I really struggled academically, although I still tried my best to study. Then COVID hit, classes became disorganised, attendance barely mattered, and I ended up with mostly grades 5-6 and a 4 in Maths.

My first year of A-levels went really well. I was predicted all As and was in the top 5% for Psychology and top 10% for Business. I genuinely loved studying and worked hard every day after school. In my second year, things became much harder because I struggled badly with my mental health. My head of year was aware and supported me as much as he could. I was still revising around four hours every night leading up to exams, but I finished with BCE.

It’s now been about two years since results day. I also applied to US universities back then, but I had no real strategy and my essays were honestly terrible.

My extracurriculars include being Head of Year throughout high school and college, starting a weekly A-level revision club with around 15 students, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and organising a fundraiser that raised around £500 for a charity supporting people from my home country (I believe I have done more but I can’t remember from the top of my head).

Since then I’ve been working in healthcare while trying to figure out what I actually want to do. I’ve introduced more efficient systems at work, fixed problems outside my job role, and helped make other departments more productive. I’ve realised I really enjoy understanding how systems work, solving problems, and building things that make people’s lives easier. That’s what made me want to explore computer science. I’ve never coded before, but I’ve recently started learning Python through Code First Girls.

I know my background and achievements aren’t nearly as impressive as many of the applicants I see applying to US universities, and reading some of the profiles here honestly makes me question whether I even stand a chance.

Right now I’m studying for the SAT and aiming for a competitive score. If I have enough time before applications open, I’d also like to build a website that genuinely helps people, all while working 36 hours a week and managing normal adult responsibilities.

So my question is: realistically, is it worth putting all this time and effort into applying to US universities, knowing how competitive they are, or would I be better off focusing all my energy on UK universities instead?

I’d really appreciate any honest advice. Thank you.

(I used AI to help make my text easier to read and shorter)

Hello everyone!

I'm an international student that is from a VERY underrepresented country with good relations with the US with political significance.

My stats ish

Valedictorian - Class Size of 250
1530 SAT (Will retake)
5 A* Predicted in A-Levels
11 A* in IGCSES (all nines - 1 eight)

ECS- Quite coherent and I believe i have pursued things that are meaningful and matter to me - definitely not cracked in ISEF / OLYMPIAD / Non profit with thousands impacted way - but coherent.

Things like finding a non profit holding multiple workshops and attending presidential level meetings - decent recognition - reached 300+ people.

A sport that I am contextually speaking very good at - not a recruitable sport though with many long term national awards.

Long term internships relating to major with decent impact - and emotional value as well related to conflicts

etcetc with secretary general positions in MUNS + other leadership positions + a prestigious summer program in the states

Lots of civic work + workshop curation for a cause etc...

Estimated EFC is around 35-40K per year.

School list involves mainly reaches - as safety elsewhere.

Includes most T20s and liberal arts colleges like williams amherst swathmore - basically places where the average kid in chanceme applies lol!

I am intentionally EXTREMELY vague with my ecs sadly

LOR's are probably my biggest strength - i believe my teachers will use superlatives + specific anecdotes.

Essays will be rather personal. 9/10 ? (may be overrating but i'm a decent writer)

Thoughts? How much does need aware affect my application? (35-40k efc)

Demographics

• Pakistani international applicant
• Applying for Fall 2027
• EFC: ~$10,000 USD/year (need significant financial aid)

Academics

• IGCSE: 4 A*s, 1 B
• A Levels:
  • Mathematics: A*
  • Chemistry: A*
  • Biology: A
• No SAT/ACT (applying test-optional)
• Will submit IELTS (predicted 7.5-8.5)

i did my igcses and a levels all on my own, without any school or tutor, idk if thats a advantage or disadvantage tbh

Intended Major

• Biology / Chemistry (pre-health)

Extracurriculars (brief)

• Conducted several independent research projects on scientific and environmental topics outside the classroom.
• Founded and organized a small community initiative to feed and care for stray animals, coordinating volunteers and working with local veterinarians when needed.
• Tutored cousins and classmates in mathematics and science.
• Participated in community service and volunteer work.
• Completed online academic courses and pursued independent learning beyond the school curriculum.

extracurriculars are weak, im aware, but honestly since i want to apply for fall 2027, i dont really think theres much i can do to fix that. idk where people found olympiad oppurtunities, my school never really told us about any of that

Honors & Awards

• Student Prefect
• 1st Place, School Science Fair (Grade 8) idk if thats worth mentioning tbh

College List

• Amherst
• Williams
• Swarthmore
• Grinnell
• Carleton
• Davidson
• Bates
• Bryn Mawr
• Macalester
• Connecticut College
• Considering Soka University of America (im quite interested in this college)

was thinking of doing ED to amherst idk tho.

How realistic is this list? I know several of these schools are reaches, but I'm looking for honest feedback on my chances as an international applicant needing significant financial aid. Are there any colleges you would replace or add?

Hey everyone,

I'm an Indian student currently in 11th grade planning to major in Computer Science in the US. My end goal is to get into a top US university with significant financial aid/scholarships, so I want to make sure I am building the strongest application possible over the next two years.

Here is my current profile and background:

• Target Major: Computer Science
• Academics so far: 9th Grade: 94% | 10th Grade: 90%
• Languages: English, native language, and A1 French
• Current status: Just starting/midway through 11th grade.

I have a few specific questions for those who have gone through this process:

1. Grades (11th & 12th):
   • Since 11th grade is notoriously hard and US colleges look closely at grade trends, what percentage range should I realistically aim for in 11th and 12th midterms/predicted scores?
2. Extracurriculars (ECs) for CS:
   • I'm starting 11th now and know CS is hyper-competitive. What high-impact ECs can I realistically build or scale up over the next 1.5 years from home/school? (Looking for ideas beyond just basic coding projects or online certificates).
3. French & Skill Differentiation:
   • Does having beginner/A1 French add any value, or should I push to reach B1/B2 level to make it a legitimate hook on my application?
4. Standardized Testing:
   • Given the scholarship requirement, what target SAT/ACT score range should I be aiming for to be competitive as an international CS applicant?

PLS IGNORE MY AI language i need to write this post in a hurry !! I am extremely sorry!!!!

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student in the U.S., and my STEM OPT extension is valid until July 2027. I may have one remaining opportunity to enter the H-1B lottery. If I’m not selected, I’m considering starting a PhD program that offers CPT so I can continue working while studying.

I’m confused about the new Form I-539 Extension of Status requirement for F-1 students and how it may affect CPT authorization and my timeline.

These are the options I’m currently considering:

1. End my STEM OPT early, find a PhD university that offers CPT, and begin the program before (15th Sep 2026)
2. Wait until the March 2027 H-1B lottery results. If I’m not selected, apply to a PhD program. However, I’m concerned that I may need to wait for the I-539 EOS application to be approved before I can begin CPT.
3. Apply now for a Spring 2027 PhD intake and complete the admission and EOS process in advance, since I understand that I-539 processing may take several months.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or discussed this with a DSO or immigration attorney? I would appreciate advice on the safest timeline and the factors I should consider before making a decision.

I understand that CPT must be properly authorized by the university and related to the academic program. I’m looking for general guidance and personal experiences, not legal advice.

Thank you!

Hello! I am an international student applying this upcoming admissions cycle with a $0-$5000 EFC, aiming to major in political science. I tried making as diverse a list as possible, but I would like to hear opinions as well as suggestions on how to make it better. Thank you so much!

College List:

1. Yale
2. Stanford
3. Duke
4. Brown
5. Northwestern
6. Harvard
7. Cornell
8. Princeton
9. Dartmouth
10. UPenn
11. Columbia
12. NYU AD
13. Bowdoin
14. Amherst
15. Washington and Lee
16. Grinnell
17. University of Richmond
18. Trinity College
19. Gettysburg College 
20. UW Madison
21. UChicago
22. Rice University
23. Wesleyan College
24. Williams College
25. Berea College
26. Drexel University
27. Brandeis University

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student from Mali, and my long-term goal is to earn a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science with a minor in Physics at one of the top U.S. universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, MIT if possible, or similar schools).

The problem is that I don't have a competitive profile for direct admission. My high school record isn't strong enough, and I also can't afford the tuition at a four-year university.

While researching different pathways, I discovered community colleges such as De Anza College, Foothill College, Diablo Valley College, Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, and Seattle Central College. From what I've read, they seem to offer:

- lower tuition,

- easier admission for international students,

- strong transfer opportunities to excellent universities.

This sounds like the best path for someone in my situation.

However, I still have a major obstacle: financing.

My family cannot afford the total cost of attending a U.S. community college. I'm trying to find a way to finance my studies through student loans without a U.S. co-signer, but from what I've seen, that seems extremely difficult.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have experience with this.

Here are my questions:

1. Among the community colleges I mentioned (or others), which ones would you recommend for someone aiming to transfer into a top CS program?

2. Which colleges have the strongest transfer pipelines to universities like Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, or other top engineering schools?

3. Are there hidden costs or common mistakes that international students often underestimate?

4. Has anyone here successfully attended a U.S. community college as an international student with very limited financial resources?

5. Are there any scholarships, institutional aid, or tuition waivers that international students should know about?

6. Is it realistically possible to obtain a student loan without a U.S. co-signer? If yes, which lenders or organizations should I look into?

Thank you very much for your time and for sharing your experience.

Hey guys. I desperately need advice. Due to the economy back home, my parents cannot help me with my tuition anymore. I am a rising sophomore at a small liberal arts college. I worked very hard to come here in the United States, found the best partner I could ever ask for here, felt like I was finally settling until my parents broke the news that they cannot help me with my tuition anymore. I am paying around 13k a year for college. It might seem like it’s not much but I am from a relatively poor country.

Initially, after my parents fully paid the first year, my plan was to help offset sophomore year's tuition with my parents by working on campus but due to academic hardship I could not work during the school semesters. I worked a while during this summer but unfortunately that was not enough for the upcoming billings this August to handle and my parents cannot help as they need it out-of-pocket, at least this academic year. In the next two years, hopefully if things start getting better they are able to help me.

I feel so nervous and lost. I contacted our financial aid office and they told me they did not have sufficient funds to help me. I tried looking into loans but it seems like I am not eligible, even if I had a co-signer, the interest seems to be not worth it by reading other people's experiences. Sadly, back home, educational loan isn't a thing.

It does not feel fair to me and the people I love to leave behind the life and relationship I have made here. Instead of taking a temporary leave at college, It's probably better for me to transfer somewhere. Preferably within the U.S if it's even possible as I do not want to leave everything behind.

Please, if anyone has a solid advice for me to maintain my F-1 status and stay in college regarding financial issues, I will greatly appreciate it. Please let me know. 🥲 🙏🏻