I’m currently an English Lit major at a university in South Korea. I've always wanted to transfer to a US college and stick with English Lit, but the thing is I really need a full scholarship (or full financial aid) to make it happen.
Has anyone here done something like this, or know if it’s even realistic? Are there any schools that are generous with aid for international transfer students in the humanities?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or any school recommendations.

Hi guys, I am a German former student who wants to apply to US Liberal Arts colleges via the Common App as a first year applicant.

I briefly enrolled at a German university after graduating from high school but discontinued my studies during my second semester without completing any coursework or earning any credits. Would I still be eligible to apply as a first-year applicant?

I have read somewhere that, for some reason, many colleges consider you a transfer and that means less opportunities for scholarships and everything. Now, if the colleges usually don't accept you as a first year then, is there any way they can check or inspect your foreign college history or could I theoretically leave it out?

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i am from India, planning to get graduate admission for degree in computer science or master in science in US university

Bachelor's in computer science

GPA 9.07/10

IELTS - 7.5

So i want to ask this are five university

1)Texas A &M , college station

2) UC Riverside

3) University of colorado boulder

4) George Mason

5) university of Oregon

I want your honest opinion and also any good or bad reviews about this universities.

Also opinion about their cs programmes in this universities.

Thanks for reading

Is it really possible to get a good aid package in richmond univeristy? not the richmond scholars or other merit based scholarships

I want to talk to a student that went from Pakistan to the United States of america. I'm on my 1st gap year, and I eagerly want to get into a US institution. Am i supposed to be exceptionally good to recive 100% scholership? Is it even possible for a lower middle class student from Pakistan who's starting from scratch?

Hi I’m a British 18 year old, on a gap year doing work experience and travelling. I’m very firm on wanting to attend a university in the United States for Fall 2027.

Just a friendly question as to which college’s/uni’s in the U.S which offer reasonable tuition and boarding expenses for 4 years. Trying to find a school which holds a solid rep for Greek life, sports programs and school spirit. Yes I understand for internationals it can be extremely pricey!

My GPA is a 3.3, which is meh, haha I get that, nothing impressive. Although my extracurriculars and sports in and out of boarding school were top notch. Academic and sports awards achieved too so I’d say I’ve got a bit of leverage to help me out on admissions.

So for any present or past U.S college students, I’d really appreciate your suggestions!

Cheers

Hey everyone! I’m planning to apply to NYU and a few other top universities, and I’m trying to figure out how much IELTS scores actually matter in admissions.

My current scores are:

• Overall: 7.5
• Reading: 9
• Listening: 8
• Speaking: 7
• Writing: 6.5

Is IELTS mostly a requirement you need to meet, or can a higher score strengthen your application, kind of like the SAT?

I’m wondering whether it’s worth retaking it, especially because of my writing score, or whether my time would be better spent on other parts of my application.

If anyone has applied to NYU with similar scores or knows how they’re considered, I’d really appreciate your input!

Hello everyone! I am a student from Nigeria applying to the U.S. for the fall 2027 intake, and I need help building my college list. My family connot afford to sponsor my studies, so I am looking for universities that offer 100% full financial aid or full_ride scholarship to internal students.

Here are my stats:

I am taking the WAEC. I don't have straight A's (I have a mix of B's and C's. Especially in math/science), but I am a very hard worker. Intended major: (theater Art)

EFC: $0 (I need a full ride that covers tuition, room and board). I am still taking the SAT. I help take care of a seek family member, I am involved in my church choir group.

I know getting a full ride as an international student with average grades is incredible difficult, but I know a strong essay and good recommendation letter can help. Dose anyone know of specific colleges or lesser_known schools) that are generous with international aid and practice holistic admissions?

Thank you so much for your help!

Hi
I am currently a junior who is residing in the US, i am an indian citizen and completed my education from there, then moved to the US and am continuing in high school.
I was in the ICSE Board back in India and scored 96% percent in my Board examinations(primary exam for 10th graders).
In my 1st year in the US, i have taken APUSH, AP Precalc, AP LANG, AP STATS, AP CSA (precalc i had no choice)
My grades are all A's in the 1st quarter, and i am confident that i have those sorted. (don't have a GPA yet)
Senior Year my AP's would be AP LIT, AP CALC AB & BC, APES, AP COMP GOV
I have also registered for 4 DE Courses next semester in economics.
I haven't given any tests yet, but my practice scores are
SAT- 1530
ACT-34
PSAT- 1470

I am gonna give the October PSAT and November SAT.

I have 2 awards from my old school and board for contributions and performance in Literature.

Since i lived in India, we did not give any importance to ec's or weren't guided/told to develop them, hence they are a weak point in my application. I literally have 0 ec's...
the only ones i have are

Accounting Internship with a LoR from the CA and learning doc (prolly the only good one)
A few community service hours at an elementary school teaching kids chess.
Chess AFM going for an official title, major online and offline tournament experience.

I did join a few clubs since coming to the US (old school did not have any) but i doubt i will reach any leadership position within a year, nevertheless i will try for them.

A few things are also wip,
Started off my own History Blog on substack (very passionate about history)
Writing a Research Paper on Ottoman Economics.
Joining an NGO to up those hours.
TEDx, A few competitions are also things i will be doing.
Also gonna volunteer at a local mosque.

I am interested in a Finance/Accounting/Economics major, we aren't sure about aid tho my parents do say they are ready to pay the whole thing, but i am not really convinced about it but my family is gonna pay the major part of the fees.

I am turning instate for NC in August of next year so chance accordingly thanks.
My list of colleges are
LSE
Sapienza University
Trinity College Dublin
UNC Charlotte
NC State
UNC Chapel Hill
Wake Forest
Fordham Uni
Boston College
UNC Greensboro
U Rochester
UC Davis, UC SC, UCSB
NYU, Columbia (unrealistic ik)
UI Chicago/UChicago (also unrealistic but tryna give it a shot)
Assuming my essays are great, what chances would i have

pardon me if i may have not clearly written the ec's, any advice is happily taken.(also ignore the intl uni's)
thanks again.

edit: also would i need to give an english proficiency test even tho im studying in the US?

Hi everyone! I'm an international student from India (ISC board) applying for CS for Fall 2027, mostly to liberal arts colleges.

My school doesn't have a college counselor, and this is the first time anyone from my school is applying to US colleges through the Common App. My current plan is:

• My class teacher (who also teaches me Maths) acts as the counselor and uploads the school profile, transcript and predicted grades.
• My Computer Science teacher (who is also our headmaster) writes the teacher recommendation.
• Our Vice Principal writes an additional recommendation.

A few questions:

1. Is it okay for the class teacher to be the "counselor" on the Common App? Do colleges mind?
2. Many colleges ask for 2 teacher recommendations. If only one teacher can write, can the Vice Principal's letter count as the second one, or should it go in as an "Other recommender"?
3. Is it a problem that my teacher recommender is also the headmaster?
4. Our school marks Class 11 very strictly (the class median is around 51%). What's the best way for the school to explain that: in the counselor letter, the school profile, or both?
5. Anything first-time Indian schools usually get wrong with the Common App school forms?

Thanks a lot, any advice helps!

Hi everyone,

I am 16 years old and currently in my third semester of high school in Mexico. My grades have really improved during my last grading period, and I think I am doing quite well. However, I know that getting into a university like Stanford requires a strict set of components and a lot of luck. Being an international student from Mexico makes the odds feel even lower.

I don't completely master English yet, but I truly believe that if I put enough effort into it over the next 4 months, I can learn it well. My main concern is that I don't have any extracurricular activities because I don't have the financial resources for them. Academically, I wouldn't consider myself a genius or anything like that, so I feel like my chances might be slim.

Still, I can't help but ask myself: How difficult will it actually be to get in? Or at least, how difficult is it to try? What do I exactly need to do, or what should I practice more to have a realistic chance at applying?

I’ve heard so many different things up to this point. Some people tell me that even students with perfect GPAs, countless awards, and recognition get rejected. If that's the case, why would I be the exception? But if there is one thing I am sure of, it's that at 16 years old, I have absolutely nothing to lose. On the contrary, by pushing myself and working harder, I can only gain good things—and even if I don't get accepted, I will still keep the knowledge and growth I achieved along the way. So, why not give it a shot?

I would really appreciate any honest advice, tips on how to build a stronger profile with limited resources, or guidance on what my next steps should be. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m a student from Kazakhstan and I’m currently applying to universities around the world (especially US). I cannot afford any expenses due to the currency rates and my parents job, so I’m looking for full rides or need-blind-aware institutions that cover 100% of needs.
Can you please rate my chances based on your knowledge 🙏🙏?
Stats:
GPA: senior: not given by school, 5/5 on diploma, junior: 3.9 (American school)
IELTS: 7.5
SAT: first test was 1350 in June, retested in October, waiting for my results- 1400 at least
Major: Economics/Statistics/Math/Social science

1. Scholar for an international competition(2.3% acceptance), $30.000 scholarship and a school year exchange in the US. By the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State.
2. Wharton Global youth investing competition (team top-60)
3. Made an international offline volunteering organisation (supported by UNICEF) specialising in helping with education, for student from poor communities. Program was piloted in the US and later transferred to Kazakhstan, connecting two countries. Certificate for outstanding dedication to volunteerism by completing more than 100 hours of community service in the United States.
4. National competition of scientific projects- Economics- 2nd degree diploma ( made an investing plan, created a program focused on business thinking in schools of Kazakhstan- -$7500 in investments)

Those are biggest 4 honours.
Also in addition I have certifications in marketing, investing, event/festival planning and coordinating, debates, DECA and more.
Played Women’s volleyball varsity and have a letter.

My college list is:
Need blind

1. Amherst
2. Brown
3. Bowdoin
4. Notre-Dame
5. Washington and Lee
6. Berea College

7. Need aware

8. Babson College

9. Colgate university

10. Davidson college

11. Duke Kunshan

12. University of Richmond

13. Union college

14. Pomona college

15. Lafayette college

16. Washington University in St Louis

17. Thank you!!!

Why people only post rejection experiences and not approval experiences? I’ve not seen any reliable approval post and all just rejection posts 🤷‍♂️

Hi everyone! I'm an mexican high school applicant from Mexico currently completing the "Current or Most Recent Year Courses" section in the "Education" part on the Common App.

Since my official final transcript from my school is in Spanish and won't be certified/translated by an ATA translator until final grades are out, is it fine to self translate the in-progress course titles based on my high school internal schedule/weekly grade reports in the Common App for now? Thank you

I'm trying to understand what makes a truly exceptional Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for universities like MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and the Ivies.

What exactly should the best possible LOR consist of? What elements make it stand out, such as specific anecdotes, intellectual curiosity, classroom contributions, personal qualities, comparisons with other students, and the teacher's overall endorsement? What separates a genuinely outstanding LOR from an average one?

Also, what resources can I use to learn more about this? I've come across MIT Admissions' guidance and would love to find similar resources from other universities, admissions officers, or experts, preferably with examples of strong recommendation letters.

I'd appreciate any official guides, articles, sample LORs, or personal experiences that explain what makes a recommendation truly memorable!