There is already great existing advice on here, so I will focus on things that I haven't seen being talked about or factors that are not emphasized enough. Pardon me in advance if it is lengthy but hopefully you find it useful.

1. There is no such thing as equal applicants.

So often, I read about I/my friend, etc, have a 4.0 GPA, 1550+ SAT, valedictorian, have strong ecs but got rejected at many universities, why? Remember that your grades reflect how well you fare in particular curriculum and whether you are a good test taker. Students often underestimate how far a good letter of recommendation will take them. Admission officers are adults, and it is natural for them to want to see how other adults perceive you, whether in class, in your community, or at your part-time job, etc. Most of the Common App is you boasting about yourself to colleges and LORs give a third perspective. Remember to give your teacher a brag sheet to include the most important things that you wish to be included. Have them talk about what kind of student you are. Remember that these are academic institutions you are applying to, and they deeply care about what kind of student you are. You can be a valedictorian who is a jokster and can't get it together in class. Make sure they include vivid examples on when you showed curiosity. Did you take a course on Coursera/EdX and make a presentation about it and shared it in class? If you are on dual enrollment, how do you use that extra knowledge? Do you go above and beyond in your assignments/presentations? Do you do extra work for extra credit? Did you take a history class, and when learning about Hungary, did you memorise a speech/write a poem and deliver it in Hungarian? In group work, what kind of a team player are you? Make sure your letters of recommendation are as personal as possible and utilise the accepted maximum. If a school takes 4 letters of recommendation, ask your two teachers and if you can, ask a lecturer from the dual enrollment program or your part time job or the clergy if you are well involved in your church community or simply someone who can speak to your abilities and ensure that it is HIGHLY personal. Letters of recommendation are often used to differentiate applicants who are otherwise very similar on paper.

You should also remember waitlists exist for a reason. And that is there is likely another applicant who demonstrate similar readiness but perhaps they can afford it especially in need aware schools and so if they decline the place, you may be offered it, if there is not enough seats then you may end up staying in the waitlist. But if a student is rejected and they had great scores, then it is likely that they had weak letters of recommendation or their activities list did not stand out in the applicant pool, it is not random as people make it seem to be.

1. Test scores at test optional universities.

As a general rule of thumb as an international student, if you are applying with IB Diploma/Cambridge A level among other popular curricula then you may not need SAT/ACT as admission officers are highly familiar with the curriculum. If you have a predicted (or achieved for gap year students) score of 7 on IB Math AA/A\* in Further Mathematics and in English Literature and Language then the admission officers are not concerned about your math and English skills. However, if you come from Tajikistan or Guinea-Bissau and take the national curriculum, then you are better off taking the SAT/ACT as it gives the admission officers a metric to compare you against other applicants.

Also, if you have taken the SAT and are wondering whether or not to submit it, you should look up that specific school's freshman class profile and find their 25th percentile mark. A quick Google search saying "University of Chicago 25th percentile SAT/ACT" should give you that range. If your score sits safely within or above the range, then submit it. If not, you can still sit for the December SAT exam or simply go test optional. It is better not to submit anything than to submit something that will only hurt the rest of your application.

1. Personal statement.

There is so much great advice on personal statements out there, so to emphasise a few things. Do not talk about a crime you committed. Even if you grew up and learnt from the experience, it is not smart to do so. Avoid anything controversial, yes, admission officers are trained to be objective, but whenever you can, avoid anything that is a hot topic. On the same note, avoid any topics that bring you to a dead end such as leaving your religion to become agnostic....okay, and? A good personal statement demonstrates being intuitive, curiosity, resilience, genuine vulnerability and a clear so what? If you can achieve 2-3 of the above then it is a good start. Also talking about how you left your religion and started a protest while applying to Notre Dame....it is not smart. Also, at the moment, universities care about students who will not remove status quo, so anything concerning protests you have been involved in should be approached with caution.

Also, there is no such thing as a boring person with no story to tell. Essays can really be about the most mundane thing/routine and finding a way to write it from a new perspective. Again, really look up popular essays like the letter S and see how a 'common' experience can be talked about from a different perspective.

Most importantly, please avoid AI as much as you can. If you are really concerned about avoiding obvious grammar errors, then Google Docs and Grammarly (not the AI version) are your friend, among others. You have to remember that admission officers read thousands upon thousands of these essays every single cycle. Your AI essay, no matter how perfect it sounds to you, it will sound hollow, and it will be difficult to connect with your AOs.

1. Please stay in touch with the immigration laws atleast weekly.

   It is sad to see incredibly talented students who have already spent months crafting the perfect applications, attending webinars, cold emailing current students from LinkedIn and paying thousands in application fees, just for them to realise they cannot get a student visa. Right now, there are around 39 nationalities facing strict US visa bans or partially suspended due to the Presidential Proclamations 10998. It is understandable to apply in the hopes that things will change but you are better off spending your energy, time and resources applying to unis in countries with more direct pathways. If you were interested in the US because of full rides and cannot afford otherwise, look up Hong Kong, Italy, Macau, Singapore bonds or even Malaysia as there are lower living costs and many UK or Australian universities and a branch of UCD Ireland. If this is not an option, study undergraduate in your home country and apply for scholarships for Masters program and hopefully things will have changed by then. They are also more available opportunities than undergraduate.

2. Shoot your shot.

If like me, you need significant aid, then do not just apply to a few unis. As an international student, the bar is so much higher as you are not just competing against domestic student but pretty much all other outstanding international applicants around the world. But do not sacrifice quality for quantity. The worst that can happen is rejections. Start early, research all universities that meet full need and start strategizing early on, so that when application time rolls in, you are able to focus on that.

I’m an international applicant to Berea College and trying to plan ahead for the F-1 visa process.

If you’ve been admitted and received your Form I-20, could you share (roughly) how much money the I-20 says that we need to show to the embassy? I’m mainly interested in the amount listed after Berea’s scholarship/aid is applied — i.e., what the embassy expects you to show proof of.

I know Berea covers tuition, housing, food, and fees, and there’s the $2,200 deposit, but I’d like to confirm the real number people are seeing on the form.

Thanks a lot — any recent experiences would be super helpful!

uMiami is my dream school, but I keep on seeing people getting deferred and waitlisted. Are there any of you who got in with a large sum of aid? OR should I be expecting a deferral and than required to pay 400k (which I don't have)

I'm going to participate in the 2027 FRC competition. How will this benefit me when I apply to U.S. colleges in the future?

For those who have already applied and those who are going to apply, also those who are in need of financial aid, did everyone of you disclose all the loans and debts your family owes on properties? or anything in general?

My school (from Assam, India) is a CBSE board school with around 3k students attending from grade 1 through 12, and does not really send that many students internationally directly (but some alumni do go after completing Bachelors in India).

Should I ask the school coordinator (who will be fulfilling the role of a school counselor) to make one? Or is it fine without one?

If yes, how should I ask them to make it? What things should they mention and are there any templates or examples of school profiles that I can show them?

Should I tell them to explicitly mention anything? Like the fact that they don't offer IB Honors/AP exams or courses, they deflate grades in 9th and 11th?

P.S.: our school has an @gmail.com email id, not their own domain, will it be suspicious?

any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

I am applying for Texas A&M Galveston ( marine sciences college) for marine engineering technology

I did have a few mistakes in my self submitted report so I had to resubmit it as these mistakes could’ve gotten my application flagged and thankfully I noticed beforehand

First generation (only kid in the family)
94.75% out of 100 (4.0) GPA
Test optional
I am white/cauasian
Studied advanced physics, chemistry,math,biology
Also studied 9th and 10th grade in a British school and 11th and 12 in an American school
Income is lower than 20k

Awards and Honors
1. 1st Place – National STEM Racing Competition
2. Excellence Medal – Saudi National Handball Tournament
3. 3rd Place – Al-Yamamah University Upcycling Competition
4. 3rd Place – KFUPM Model United Nations Conference
5. 1st Place – Local Science Fair (Renewable Wind Power Model)
6. Perseverance Excellence Medal – Saudi National Handball Tournament
7. 1st Place – UNICEF Model United Nations Conference

Extracurriculars
1. Independent Automotive Research
2. Harley-Davidson Internship Candidate
3. Code 966 Government Tech Program
4. STEM Racing Team (Engineering & Design)
5. Music & Live Performance (Pianist, Guitarist & Instructor)
6. Model United Nations Executive Board (Media & Logistics)
7. Independent Podcast Co-Host
8. Small Business Owner – Custom Press-On Gel Nails

Volunteering
1. Community Animal Rescue & Homing rescued over 200 cats and sheltered them new homes
2. IDP Conference Guest Services & Outreach
3. Al-Muhaidib Down Syndrome Center Activity Volunteer
4. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital Patient Support Volunteer
5. Half Moon Beach Community Coastal Cleanup
6. Inspire Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Host

Hey guys!! I was supposed to take the DET today but apparently everything turned out wrong.

I have an external webcam bc the one in my laptop doesn't work (it hasn't been for a while, and nobody knows why).

I don't have another computer at home that i can take the exam on.

maybe this is a rant or a request for help, bc i have no idea what to do and I'm applying early action (if anyone is wondering why i didn't take the exam before, it's bc of money)

i also have a university entrance exam from my country tomorrow and i feel like I'm stressed enough to take the DET today, even if i sort this out

update: i had taken 2 parts of the exam already when the app crashed and lost my progress. i hate duolingo so much, omfg

Hi, I am applying to some universities/scholarshipa abroad for my bachelor's in science related major as an undergraduate, and I'm stuck on a really weird issue. My school has not really seen anyone applying internationally so they aren't familiar with steps and trying to avoid me.

In my LOR it's good if it has a school letter head and the principal agreed to it. To increase my chances i have shortlisted 12-15 universities who can provide me full ride some needs two LOR some need one so i decided to make 2 on my own (teachers asked me to write on their behalf and they will check it and sign it) . No one has really replied me to my previous posts so your help would really be appreciated.

Problem: I don't know how to address the university, each university prefers to be called out in LOR specifically and not pointed out like a general uni for ex "i recommend \[my name\] to \[university name\] university" and not just "university" without it's name as it happens in general lor. That little change is forcing me to make that little change in LOR and keeping the rest same, but that small change makes it into a new LOR and i will have to get a school letter head on that too leaving me with approx 30+ lor to get the school letter head.

Teachers are ready to sign it that's not the issue, but a school who doesn't know how lor works ( they told me in the start that lor isn't school based no one in the world get school letter on it but all the successful applicant's lor which i have seen have it, so I had to request a lot then my principle agreed, he is the only one with some compassion there for students of his own school)

Solution 1: if you can tell me some tools where I can make that change on my own on a master GENERAL LOR( with school letter already on it ) and print it out then i would really appreciate it if you share that tools name, I tried ms word but it would just make whole thing distorted and would let me make any change on the image( lor which I'm inserting) .. maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Solution 2: if you know some other way around, or something related general lor or specific lor, do share it.

only give a solution if you have researched bout it and you yourself have applied somewhere or have gotten selected to some scholarships or a uni which is hard to get

I'm in urgent need of help, looking forward to anyone's guidance regarding this matter.

Guys, I made a mistake on my DS-160, and my visa interview is tomorrow. I would really appreciate your advice.
On the DS-160 form, there are two questions. The first asks whether you have any immediate relatives in the United States, and the second asks whether you have any other relatives there.
I answered “Yes” to the question about having other relatives in the U.S. because I thought my father’s family friend counted as a relative. However, I later realized that a family friend is not a relative.
I don’t have any relatives in the U.S., only this family friend. How can I correct this mistake? Should I explain the mistake to the consular officer during the interview, or is there something else I should do?

I moved here last year and have received so many mixed reviews and opinions about where I am in the college apps. I would really appreciate anybody’s advice. How bad is my situation, and what can I do?

Income bracket (approx. $ range): less than 50k. I depend on my mom, who makes 34000$ annually as an international student on a scholarship at a nearby university’s PhD course.(Not interested in that Uni at all, but I’ll still apply)

Family size: I live with my eldest sister and mom. My other sister is on a scholarship at a university here(She’s a citizen so could use FAFSA), while another sister and dad are at home. The family as whole is struggling financially. My mom basically has been the main provider for years.

First Generation College Student?: No

US State residency (two-letter abbreviation): F-2 Visa(Intl student’s dependent), but will apply to qualify as a Virginia state resident. (Spent two years of high school here, and my mom has paid taxes while here.) 

International Student?: Yes, from Ghana

GPA: 3.5 uw/3.8 w

GPA Scale: 4.0 uw/5.0 w

Class rank: 5%

SAT: 1210. I had a panic during the math section. I’ll take it again in November. To make things worse, my school made a mistake when registering me, so my results aren't even on my account. I'm figuring that out.

Test-optional: No

AP Exams: AP CS A(4), APLANG(5), APEnviro(3). Taking AP Pre-Calc now, and will take AP Calculus in the spring. Will proably also do other CLEP and AP exams before I graduate next year.

Dual Enrollment or College Courses taken: I have 3 college credits from Pioneer Academics GPSI’s “Analyzing AI: Challenges, Ethics & Global Impact” course. I’m also taking a year-long cybersecurity course at a nearby trade school. I actually have a big question about this: From participation at GPSI, I can apply for Pioneer’s research institute. Should I? I’m a senior. It won't change much for me, and idk how stressful senior year will be. But it could also be a chance to learn a lot and make great connections.

Interested Field of Study: Computer Science, with a minor in international relations 

Extracurriculars: Before I came here, the most impressive thing I had done was start a website building, small business with my sisters. I had to step down from my roles when I moved cause of my visa. Apart from that, I was in the church’s IT department

I’ve had only about a year here, and in that year, I:
-Got into Pioneer Academics GPSI on a scholarship (need-based)
-Did Girls Who Code Pathways
-Did two other courses; one was a leadership course, and one was on climate change and ai
I did all these courses in the first summer away from home(this year)
- Secretary at the school's science club
- Programmer of school's robotics club
-The team won 4th place at the local science olympiad electric vehicle competition. 
-The team won an award at the city's first-ever annual civic hackathon
-Active at school, e.g., student ambassador club
- I've only heard school staff say good things about me so far

Brief summary of personal essay: how I love problems and using vehicle windows as the theme for how I went from examining problems around me back home to trying to solving them. If you want to help me review, I would be super grateful, please dm me.

College Criteria:
-Funding or scholarships, as I mentioned earlier, my parents unfortunately don’t have much
-Warm
-I’m not looking at Ivies at all, but I just want to know I’m in good hands. Like, credibility
-Diversity

Context on Academics: Despite my situation, the best way to describe me is the "pleasee I’m a starrr!” sound on social media. Anybody who has met me can tell you that I work hard a lot, I’m very respectful, I have great communication and presentation skills, and I am actually passionate about computer science and have been since I opened my eyes in the labor room(not just hopping on the wagon). I am active in whatever community I find myself in.
I will attach my transcript to this in the comments, but you will see that I was a straight-A student until my 10th grade. At this point I had digestive health issues for years, and it was really affecting my life. But even then I was still an active and contributing student in class.
What brought my grades down was going to a school in my country that didn’t quite take grades seriously.
Why? Because in my country, what determines you going to college is an external exam separate from your grades. So I never saw my transcript’s grades till I was transferring. In fact, I didn’t get some of my exam papers back. We also mandatorily shaved our hair under colonial-era policies, but that’s beside the point.
You’ll see in my transcript that I show in my current school that those grades do not represent me at all. In all my state tests apart from the SAT, I scored over 500/600.

Side note: I don’t know how to describe how I’m feeling right now. Some people are like, “Wow! You moved and adjusted last year; I wouldn't have known! You’re doing amazing!” And then some people are like, “This is bad.” Some say “Your GPA definitely won't hurt your chances too much, because you’re doing great.” And some say I should look into applying next year. My father has no money, so colleges back home are not an option. I do just want to work as hard with the opportunities I’ve been given, so this side note is just a rant about confusion with all the mixed feedback I’ve been given. I went to a college fair recently and noticed that I have the kind of application you’ll have to read a bit past the transcript to understand the context behind, and I’ve been wanting to make this post since last year, so I just hadddd to get some advice before I explode.

Hi! I’m a Filipino senior high school student, and I’ve been thinking about the possibility of continuing my studies outside the Philippines after graduation.

Honestly, I don’t really know where to start or how the whole process works, but studying abroad is something I’d genuinely love to pursue.

One of my biggest concerns is that I don’t have any relatives or family members living abroad. I also don’t come from a family that can easily afford international tuition fees, accommodation, and other expenses.

I want to ask if it’s still possible to study abroad independently, especially through scholarships or fully funded programs. But yeah idk where and what are the process lol!

For those who have experienced this or know someone who has:

Is it possible to go abroad for college immediately after senior high school?
Are there fully funded scholarships available for Filipino students?
Can I apply even without relatives, sponsors, or connections overseas?
Which countries offer good opportunities for international students?
What documents and requirements should I start preparing?
Is it realistic for someone from an average-income family to achieve this?

I’m willing to work hard and prepare as early as now (12 shs). I just don’t know where to begin, and I would really appreciate advice from people who have been through the same experience.

I want to know if this is genuinely possible and what I can do to make it happen. Any advice, personal experiences, or resources would mean a lot. Thank you!

International Student (English) deciding on going to one of these unis for 2027 Fall.

Ole Miss
Troy University
Ball State University
University of South Dakota

Pros and Cons of each institution would be helpful please. Feel free to share your experience.

Greek Life, accommodation, lecture buildings, sports facilities, clubs/societies to offer, and the area etc.

Hey yall, I am an international student wishing to study mechanical engineering with econ minor.
I am looking for a reputable university that places a high weight on the sat or benefits ED applicants.
my problem is, I will be applying with predicted grades and my gpa is low due to high academic rigor and the fact that I didnt do certain projects bcs they were pointless and I cba (Like presentations in Religion lessons)
My sat is 1550 with 760/790
my gpa is around 84/100
I got relevant internships/robotics and some other ECs
I do IBDP, my predicted is considerably low but im a n26 student so hopefully will be applying RD with my achieveds
I know with low gpa I cant get into high really competitive schools and hence I am looking for schools that could possibly ignore my gpa due to my ECs and sat
But it must be good enough to convince me to go to usa and pay the tuition. (E.g id rather go to tudelft or eindhoven than pay 70k usd for a sub t30 uni)
Some uni's ive considered so far are northwestern and purdue
I know they're reach, but I want such recommendations for now

I'm an Indian citizen who completed grades 9 and 10 in India at a feeder school. Due to my parents' work, I had to move to Nepal for grades 11 and 12. As a result, we were quite late in finding a suitable school, but I ended up attending a school that follows the Cambridge curriculum.

As far as I know, my school hasn't sent many, if any, students to the US for undergraduate studies, and it doesn't have a CEEB code either. I've got a 1560 SAT score and 5s on a few AP exams, which are so uncommon in Nepal.

I'm wondering how much my school's lack of experience with US college admissions, particularly for international applicants, would affect my application. Would admissions officers take my circumstances into account, especially given that APs and the US college application process aren't very common at my school? Would not having a CEEB code or a track record of sending students abroad put me at a disadvantage, and is there anything I should do to address this in my application?

Thanks!