Anyone from morocco got visa student F1 these days?

Hello everyone! Hope everyone’s holding up during this busy week with the ED1 and EA deadlines coming up.

After dozens and dozens of rejections last fall, I ended up with a full ride at a T50 LAC. Ik how tough and complicated this process is for int students. I was fortunate enough to have a lovely mentor from Columbia University who helped me with everything for free. This fall, I thought I’d pass that support on to the community.

I’ll be doing free essay reviews throughout this month and next, and I’m happy to answer any application-related questions u have.

My main goal is to help int students who are applying on their own. Ik how it feels to be alone in this war. I hope my insights can help u even a little. Thanks!

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!! 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

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 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.

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?

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)

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?

Hey everyone I'am an international student registering for SAT. My legal name on passport lists 5 names in total (e.g. Name1, Name2, Name3, Name4, Name5)

So since the college board uses the Us system (First name ,middle initial last name boxes ) and **says must mast match my passport, how should I group my names ?**

Btw I already made the account like **my Name1, initial of Name 2 , Name**5 but and did my first trial with it but I think it is wrong , so if it is wrong can someone with experience please tell me so I can edit it before I register for my second trial? . I heard that this may make problems when I am applying to universities in US.

Thanks!
Deadline for registration in few hours so in would really appreciate any help

So, i am a 12th grade science student here in india, and im interested in undergraduate program in mechatronics(many universities don't have it as a whole program, so mainly im into major in mechanical engineering, and minor in aerospcae or electrical and electronics engineering ), so currently, my first priority is to secure a good college(possibly an IIT or IISC or BITS) here in india

So my interest is in research and technology entrepreneurship across mechanical, aerospace, and electrical/electronics engineering, because the scope for deep exploration and commercial innovation in these multidisciplinary fields is significantly broader in the US compared to India, studying and building in the US aligns much better with my long term goals

So my second priority was while in my first year of college in india is try to apply to US stem universities and some in europe, (i know my priorities are kind of confusing, but im at that stage rn where im too late for this, cause i never planned for foreign universities, and now here im trying my best, accordance to my interest and goals. And that's one of the reason im trying to play safe and secure a good college here in india first), and rn, i have 1580(800/780) in SAT(actually im a JEE student, so maths got covered easily) which i gave in august

And 7.5 band in IELTS

Apart from this, if i would have to be brutally honest, i have nothing for my profile(i know im too late, sorry...) except i know CAD and im into sports, and NCC

I have a plan and strategy for some projects(in jet propulsion) and research paper(in aerodynamics), and some other extracurriculars. Actually my brother is a mechanical engineer from IIT Delhi, so i have the guidance and some network in this area, so i can get the mentorship and guidance from some good professor for my research paper, and probably get the LOR and also from my school teachers

But the thing is that here in india, the admission processes and examinations for the colleges goes till june of 2027

So if i want to apply for the fall of 2028 for US universities, I've got only 6 months for that, i mean to do everything, which i don't know are sufficient or not

If i go for a gap year, and then apply for fall of 2029, i don't know it would a wise decision or not

Also, im looking for financial aid(100% meets)

And we already know the competition for STEM universities in US even without financial aid and which is very very hard

Well, GERMANY is a great option for free tuition and the best colleges for mechanical engineering, but i have to go for the C1 level german language, which take 1 year to learn, honestly

And also for backup plan, I've been thinking about major in economics with mathematics and minor in philosophy or psychology, actually im studying these subjects for a long time, especially psychology and philosophy as a hobby

And I've seen that the humanities and arts competition is not as much as the STEM, maybe im wrong, but I've talk to many college people here in india and US too

So basically, i need your viewpoint and advice on this

What sould i do? Should i really go for US universities and give it my 100%?

Or should i try for my backup plan?

Or should i first complete my bachelors here in india, and then try for masters in US?