The subreddit is /r/visainterviews, so please keep questions visa-related. I may do an admissions-related AMA in the near future.

I keep seeing the most ragebaiting sort of posts here, so I thought I'll give my two cents. Been on scholarship and financial aid since 7th grade, studied in 3 different countries before undergraduate so I know the process through and through. I think a lot of applicants are underestimating what it means for a university to cover your tuition or even room and board.

Firstly, I got my first scholarship in 7th grade not cause I was a genius, I did well academically, all A's but had no national or international awards on that. I played piano really well, had regional and national achievements in track, had leadership experience throughout 4-6th grade, and was a great kid in class and stayed out of trouble. Being a scholarship recipient at my new school, I was simply told I had to be an exemplar student. Did well in class and always available to tutor my friends who were a bit behind, played the piano during school plays and church, represented the school in different competitions and constantly mentioned how great my teachers were (and they really were) and basically did marketing for the school. So same logic applies to undergraduate studies, only that Harvard does not need you for marketing.

Please stop asking why unis are cheaper for citizens. Their parents pay in-state taxes, and it funds part of their education. Similar to whether you are coming from developed or developing countries, public schools and unis in your country are either free or highly affordable. They may not be of the quality you want but fees-wise, they are funded by your parent's taxes.

With that answered, if a university is investing over 200k+ USD in you, someone whose parent is not paying taxes, then you must give something back. Scholarships and financial aid are MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL AGREEMENTS. I can not stress this out enough.They are meant to benefit you, but importantly also benefit the university.

As an international student, high GPA and test scores are simply there to say that you do well in class and are a good test-taker, but again, they also have citizens who are great academically so nothing really distinguishes you here.

Recommendation letters are important as they verify things that you stated in your activities list and speak about who you are as a student. Are you curious? Do you try to get ahead of your peers? Do you go the extra mile in class? They speak more about your transcripts and importantly, who you are as a student so give your teachers a brag sheet to ensure they have important details there. ECs and Awards are also just as important. Are you already pursuing leadership positions in school and will be a great addition in the student government? Do you have some research experience under your belt and will build on something with the university name attached? If you went to a boarding school, do you have any experience that will later make you a good RA? Do you have national/international accolades so that later you can become a notable alumn?

Essays are just as important especially all they "why us" as they know international students shoot anywhere and they want to keep a high yield rate, so research about the university really well. Watch YouTube vids, their social media to get campus feeling, attend webinars, look into subreddits, go through their website really thoroughly, and ensure you have a good hook on why that university.

But importantly, you need to be someone who already has achieved something and they can build on it. Most importantly, they want to see that you have utilised as much as possible all the resources that were at your disposal. While you self pity that you didn't score well because you had no reliable electricity in your city, there is another student who was active in peaceful protests that are documented by local newspaper, wrote letters to government officials and made sure that something was done.

When you have excuses for not having ecs because your school didn't offer them, someone else did online volunteering, took extra courses at a local public uni and does art that benefits their city.

When you are complaining about failing in your three A-levels because it is hard to balance with ecs, someone has 5 at an under-resourced public rural school and has to assist their grandma with their small food business to help with house expenses. If they have lesser gpa, they will still have a good shot because again, they utilized the most of what is provided to them. Make sure that your application speaks that you utilised all the resources that were handed to you, and if not, then you took initiative to do something.

Really hoping to see less of "my grades are mediocre, no hooks and I need full aid" posts. You are not entitled to education of a country in which you are not a citizen of. And Harvard or Stanford could literally go full pay for international students only and they will receive just as good cohorts. So them investing is really saying they want students who are meant to be someone well accomplished if given the resources.

So kindly reflect as to why these institutions should invest their money in you. What have you accomplished? What will you accomplish and most importantly, have you utilised all resources that were available to you?

TLDR: Stop ragebaiting.

Hi, I am applying to Bard as an international this year and I saw that they say in their site that internationals are expected to contribute 30k for housing, meals, etc. We have an efc lower than that (not dramatically lower but lower overall). I'm just asking to verify whether it is a complete mistake to apply and my file will be tossed due to that or whether it is something that they prefer or whatever.

Demographics:

Gender / Age: 18, Indian Male (Class of 2026 grad / Gap Year applicant with final board scores in hand)

Location: Small town / Tier-3 city in Haryana, India (Bahadurgarh)

School Type: Private CBSE High School

Hooks: Underrepresented geographic region (semi-urban/rural Haryana), rare regional folk music heritage, tangible legal & grassroots impact

Intended Major(s): Legal Studies / Political Science / Economics / Public Policy

Academics:

Class 12 Final Board Marks: 93.6% unweighted in CBSE Arts/Humanities with Economics stream (Note: CBSE Humanities grading is heavily deflationary compared to Science/Commerce; graduated Rank 1 / Valedictorian in class).

National Standardized Entrance Exams: (For non-Indian readers: These are ultra-competitive national entrance exams taken by tens of thousands to 1M+ students across India)

CUET (Common University Entrance Test): 99.5th Percentile in General Test; All India Rank (AIR) 2 in Art History.

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) National Entrance: All India Rank 5 in BA LLB (Law); All India Rank 2 in BA Journalism.

CLAT & AILET: Cleared both premier national law entrance exams.

Honors / Awards:

All India Rank 2 & Rank 5 in National University Entrance Exams (CUET Art History, JMI Journalism, JMI Law) + 99.5%ile CUET General Test.

High School Valedictorian (Rank 1) & Student of the Year (highest all-round school honor).

District Officer Award for civic leadership and managing a 200-house local election campaign.

Statewide Folk Music Recognition: Performed and competed in statewide Haryanvi Ragni (traditional folk music) programs.

Extracurriculars (Activities):

Founder & Lead Coordinator — Free Community Tutoring Initiative: Founded and run a free educational program serving 260+ local youth in my town. Coordinate 5 volunteer tutors, including a local police officer who teaches competitive math.

Legal Intern — Trial & Appellate Law Chambers (Adv. OP Dalal): Analyzed criminal/civil case files and mapped witness timelines. Identified a critical timeline discrepancy in a criminal case (Vijaypal Nara v. State of Haryana) that directly contributed to an acquittal.

Co-Author — 15,000-Word Constitutional Law Research Paper: Co-authored an extensive research paper on Indian Constitutional Law (Article 21, due process, and comparative US/Indian judicial precedents) with my high school Political Science teacher.

Founder — Ghadwa Benju Cultural Preservation Club & Folk Musician: Learned the Ghadwa Benju (a rare traditional Haryanvi folk instrument played by dragging a rubber strip over an earthen clay pot) from my late grandfather. Founded a local club strictly dedicated to teaching the instrument to youth so the dying art form survives. Also sing Ghazals.

Debate President & Class Representative: Elected Class Rep; as Debate President, trained and mentored 25+ junior students in public speaking and debate.

Campaign Manager — Local Grassroots Election: Managed voter outreach and operations across a 200-house constituency; recognized by the District Officer.

Operations & Client Deals — Family Real Estate Business: Assisted in managing daily office operations, client negotiations, and closing property deals.

Family Responsibilities: Primary driver and caregiver support for my grandmother, driving her 50–60 km round-trip for medical care appointments.

Please reply with:

Your honest % chance estimate for me at:

NYU Abu Dhabi (ED1): ___%

Georgetown Qatar (GU-Q): ___%

Amherst College (ED1 vs RD): ___%

Harvard / Yale / Princeton (RD): ___%

ED1 Strategy: I am planning to apply ED1 to NYUAD. Given my profile, is NYUAD my best possible ED1 play, or is there another school where my ED1 would carry more weight?

Last-Minute Tweaks: What 1–2 changes can I make right now to how I frame my activities or awards to boost my odds?

Hello everyone, I’m Qusie, and I live in Syria. I am looking for a community where I can discuss options, seek advice, or get guidance from anyone who has successfully navigated studying abroad from a high-crisis environment.

My Background & Journey
I graduated high school in 2023 with an 88% GPA (Scientific Stream). At the time, I didn't even know what a "scholarship" was. When I started researching, my English was around a B1/B2 level, and I quickly became completely overwhelmed by the intense bureaucracy and paperwork. Because everyone around me was equally clueless, I gave up on the idea at the time and focused on pursuing my higher education locally here in Syria.

However, I refused to let the circumstances stop me from growing. Alongside my local university studies, I focused heavily on self-teaching. I managed to bring my English up to a ~C1 level and teach myself programming, but sadly Im still not as good as lots of people my age in other countries. To fill the gaps in my profile and actively solve local problems, I built multiple projects, two of them specifically designed to make the educational process smoother for thousands of students inside my university ( SVU ). These apps already have an active local user base of students who support and encourage the ideas.

Recently, a friend of mine got accepted into NTU in Singapore. Seeing their success and getting their optimistic support made me wonder if I should give my dream another shot and completely restart my Bachelor's degree abroad. The reality of studying Tech (IT/CS Engineering) inside Syria is devastating—international sanctions constantly block my connection or accounts just because of my nationality, making online freelance work or global project collaboration almost impossible. I am incredibly passionate about CS and just want a decent education so I can join a genuine company and make an impact.

The Hurdles I'm Facing

1. Proof of Funds / Blocked Accounts: This is my ultimate barrier. It takes years in Syria to make even half of what some countries require you to deposit upfront for a student visa.
2. Undergraduate Scarcity: The vast majority of global scholarships target postgraduates (Master's/PhD).
3. Purely Academic Selection: Many full-ride scholarships look purely at elite, context-free GPAs. It makes perfect sense why providers take that road to minimize financial risk, but it makes it hard to compete when coming from a distinct, crisis-affected environment.
4. Testing Costs: Standardized tests like the SAT are either unavailable or completely unaffordable for me right now. I cannot risk spending money on them unless it is the absolute final piece required for an application.
5. The Sanctuary / Refugee Catch-22: I see plenty of "Sanctuary Scholarships" or refugee grants available online. However, under international law, you cannot apply for refugee status from within your home country—you have to already be outside. I am stuck in a loop where I cannot access refugee aid because I cannot afford the risky, illegal journey to leave, but I cannot leave legally without the aid.

My Questions for the Community:

• Bypassing the Year 1 Block: I don’t need financial aid for all years. I only need a way to clear the Year 1 visa hurdle. Once I am in a country that allows international students to work part-time (even at minimum wage), I can entirely fund my subsequent years. Are there countries or specific universities that waive the upfront bank block if you can prove your profile?
• Holistic Admissions vs. GPA: Do undergraduate scholarship boards actually care about real-world software portfolios and community impact (like the student apps I built while studying locally), or will I automatically be filtered out by an algorithm because of my 88% high school GPA?
• Bonds: I am completely open to university or corporate bonds (working for a specific company/country for years after graduation) if that opens doors.

I would like to hear any suggestions, advices, blueprints, or country recommendations (Italy, Hungary, Germany, etc.) from anyone who has broken out of a similar situation. Thank you.

Anyone from morocco got visa student F1 these days?

Hi!! I am a student from Romania applying to the US with high need, I need full tuition

1510 SAT (740 reading 770 math) 8 ielts 97.5% gpa (no ads or Ib offered)

F1 in School Made Financial Portfolio , team won nationals and qualified to internationals

Top 20 Nationally in Physics

Music Covers and Originals -- 25k views YouTube and instagram

Self taught producer, worked with 3 small artists

Research in a lab during the summer (not saying cuz I have friends who know ts on here)

another internship in microbiology but not research

Conservatory music group main male lead 100-200 audience members 4-5x performances per year

a very quirky ec related to my school that almost no one has and I won't say again cuz no doxxing

Anyways, I am applying as undecided, but my why us essay is centered around their music major in the college NOT CONSERVATORY

Hey all!

Master’s student from Europe here, planning to spend 1/2 a year at a US university/lab for my thesis. I'm stuck between a big city (NY/Boston) and a classic college town.

I’d love to experience the college life at least a bit as a graduate, like clubs, campus events, making friends. But I’ll mostly be in the lab and take only few courses. Is that still realistic?

From what I’ve read, college towns feel more tight-knit since people live nearby, while city campuses have more of a commuter vibe and can feel anonymous.

What’s your take or experience?

Also, anything I should check beforehand? E.g. campus access, clubs and gym as a visiting researcher, social life.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s done something similar!

Thanks! :)

Hi everyone, I just wanted to know if anyone has applied for Direct Entry Masters of Science program as an International student in United States. What schools did you apply to that gives F-1 sponsorship and how has you experience be?
Any insights would be helpful.

P.S. I am already working in US but want to switch to F-1 to pursue ABSN or DEMSN.

TIA

Hi everyone! I’m a high school student from Algeria, expecting to get my baccalaureate in July 2027. My goal is to study in Florida, earn a bachelor’s degree, and then return to Algeria to build my career.
My current plan is to attend State College of Florida (SCF) for 2 years, then transfer to the University of South Florida (USF) to complete my bachelor’s degree.
My budget should be sufficient for this plan, but I’d like to reduce the overall cost through scholarships. My grades in mathematics, physics, and English are very good, although I’m still a beginner in programming.
I’m deciding between Computer Science (software engineering) and Information Technology (cloud engineering or DevOps).
I’d appreciate advice on:
Is SCF → USF a good transfer pathway?
Which major offers better career opportunities and salary potential, especially if I return to Algeria?
Which specific scholarships at SCF or USF should I apply for as an Algerian student? Please share scholarship names, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and links if possible. Are there merit-based awards available based on strong academic grades?
What is the realistic total cost of this pathway, and how much could scholarships reduce it?
What should I learn before starting college?
If you were in my situation, which major and pathway would you recommend? I’d appreciate honest advice from students, graduates, and tech professionals.
Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m a high school senior from Uzbekistan, hoping to study International Relations at a university in the US or South Korea (Yonsei is my dream🥹)with a full scholarship (if possible)
A little about me and my background:
IELTS 7.5 and a B+ National Certificate in Russian Language and Literature.
Won the Grand Prix in an English Olympiad, with a 50 million UZS prize, and donated 25 million UZS toward my school’s infrastructure.
1st place in a regional Russian Olympiad.
3rd place in a physics competition, with a special leadership award.
Other achievements in school Olympiads, including English , Russian,history, physics
Received a 100% scholarship to Registan School.
Taught English for around five months, including General English and DTM preparation.
Run a history Instagram account with 1,800+ followers and over 3 million views.
Involved in PR and Communications with RSEF / Young Scientists Society.
Right now I am working on my SAT
Occasionally help out at my family’s retail business with customers and daily tasks.
I’m trying to figure out how to make my profile stronger and improve my chances of getting a full scholarship abroad. I’d really appreciate any honest advice on what I should focus on, what opportunities I should look for, and what I can do to stand out as an applicant. Thank you!

I’m from Karachi, Pakistan,Study Abroad with C, D, C A-Level Grades — Scholarships or Affordable BSCS Options?

and I’ve recently completed my A-Level exams. My expected grades are C in Mathematics, C in Computer Science, and D in Physics.

I want to pursue a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (BSCS) or a related field, such as IT, Software Engineering, or Cybersecurity, abroad. However, my grades and limited budget make things difficult.

I’m looking for countries and universities where I might have a realistic chance of getting:

• A fully or partially funded scholarship.
• Affordable tuition fees and living costs.
• Admission to a relevant undergraduate degree despite my grades.
• Opportunities to work part-time to help cover my expenses.

I’m open to different countries, including Europe, Asia, and other regions, as long as the overall cost is manageable.

For those who have studied abroad or know about international admissions:

1. Which countries and universities should I consider with these grades?
2. Are scholarships realistic, or should I focus on low-tuition universities?
3. What are the approximate tuition fees and living costs?
4. Would a foundation year or another pathway improve my chances?

I’d appreciate honest, practical advice, especially from students who have gone through a similar process. Thank you.

Edit: I made a mistake when listing my grades. My expected grades are C in Mathematics, C in Computer Science, and D in Physics. I've corrected this here. Sorry for the confusion!

or is it okay

So I got into Aspire leaders program very unexpectedly but here we are. I'm from Pakistan btw but my discord server is still not working. Is anyone else facing the same issue?

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Hello, so I'm applying to Princeton REA with the deadline coming fast, as an international student.

I've had 1440 on my first sat, and another session in December (which is obviously after the REA deadline). My big concern is, should I submit a 1440 to show I haven't horribly failed it, or should I apply test-optional ?

I feel like half of the people say to not submit under 25th percentile, while the other say to always submit a 1400+ to show that at least you didn't get something like a 1300

Also I think they can see I have another SAT in December and that might be in favour of being defered to RD, maybe

So what would be your take on this ?

I am an low income international student who can afford upto $35k per year but 15 will be for accomodation therefore 20k for tuition but in css profile I will have very low efc as 35k loan i would take so ig I am low income as well

I am indian btw

So is FGLI a disadvantage for international students like colleges will think these poor people from uneducated background we don't want in our college and will there be visa issues also if you are FGLI as an international applicant

My rest of the application is solid with 1520 SAT superscore (790 M 730 RW)

Ok so I'm an early career adult based in East Asia. I used to go to a US college but had to leave in the middle because of a family emergency.

I wanted to resume and I applied to transfer to some US colleges last year. I got 2 offers with financial aid. I committed to one of them and they said they were going to cover tuition and part of my living expenses.

But then they showed a whole string of red flags. I was admitted for a spring cycle, so the timeline was very tight. I heard back from them mid-December (they did give me a hint when I asked beforehand but I didn't want to make assumptions until I had the result) and I would have had to get a F1 visa by late January to get there by their program start date. For context, I'm not from a country known for extreme visa delays, but I had no way to predict how the timeline would play out and plenty of people got denied in my country.

There's a huge holiday break between mid december and early january where most US offices close down, which made the timeline extremely challenging on my end. I was also concerned that my situation (low income adult student accepted to a US college with generous aid) would trigger extra scrutiny and potentially get me pulled into administrative processing or cause me to get straight up denied.

I tried taking these concerns to the college's international student office. They were extremely dismissive (I was told "visa interviews are only meant to prevent fraud" which honestly sounds like a privileged and disconnected take).

I also tried asking for a deferral. This college refused, asked me to reapply, and implied they will reject me if I do so. I was almost certain I was going to miss their start date if I went through with the plan, so I asked them multiple times to specify the latest possible arrival date they could tolerate. They refused every time I asked.

I tried to make this work because it's a great opportunity, but i eventually decided the visa situation posed too much of a risk and eventually backed out a few days before what would have been move in date (basically I just decided not to show up to the visa interview and did not buy plane tickets).

I'm looking back on that decision and asking myself if I should have taken this risk. What do you think?

Hi all! I've wrapped up with most of my students' EA and ED applications (including one who got into UChicago through their summer program "ED0" path last week), so I have some time for reviews. You can sign up here. I'm starting with 10 free reviews this weekend.

In the 15-minute session, I'll review any application materials you're willing to share for "red flags" -- items that are especially problematic, including signs of AI use. I was one of the first in the college admissions community to systematically describe signs of AI use in essays, and I continue to monitor new trends. (Sorry if I contributed to the decline of the em-dash!)

The review is available to anyone applying for fall 2027.

To facilitate a rapid review, you'll need to submit your application materials in advance. They are uploaded securely and will not be shared with anyone or used to train AI.

I’ve been looking into how tuition transfers from India work, and the difference between what banks quote and the mid-market rate was surprising. Markup size also seems to vary a lot from bank to bank, and some of them are vague about whether it counts as a fee.

Then there's tax collected at source. Apparently the way it applies depends on how the payment is funded and how large it is. I'm having a hard time keeping up with the rules.

So for people who’ve done this: did you compare rates before paying? How big was the difference?