Need Blind Admissions for International Applicants
By Jeremy at University Language
Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Category: Applying to College, Paying for College
In the US, only eight colleges and universities extend need-blind admission to international applicants. That’s less than 1% of America’s higher education institutions, but these eight are also among America’s most elite:
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- Dartmouth College
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Amherst College
- Middlebury College
- Williams College
The correlation is not accidental.
Need-blind admission is possible only when an institution is well-funded enough to support it. But what is need-blind admissions? And why is it so rarely offered to students from other countries?
What is Need-Blind Admission?
If a college has a need-blind admissions policy, then applicants’ financial resources have no impact on their acceptance or rejection. It’s commonly assumed that schools favor students who can afford college tuition without recourse to financial aid. Need-blind admission was instituted (at least in part) to refute that belief.
But why is need-blind admission rarely offered to international students? Part of the reason is simple math: the majority of applicants are US citizens, so they’re typically the prime beneficiaries of college funding.
More complicated factors – endowments, operating budgets, tax regulations – restrict the number and kinds of students eligible for need-blind review.
Some schools offer need-sensitive admission for international students. This means that applicants are accepted blindly until the school meets its budget, at which time remaining applicants are evaluated with financial aid in mind. Examples of institutions practicing need-sensitive admission include:
- Bucknell University
- Brandeis University
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University (As of July 2009, Cornell University states they are need blind for international students. Thanks, Katherine, for pointing this out!)
- Northwestern University
- Stanford University
- Wellesley College
If your college or university doesn’t offer need-blind admission, and you require financial assistance, don’t worry. Most schools still base admission on grades, transcripts, essays and letters of recommendation.
In addition, be sure to search for organizations and foundations that offer scholarships specifically for international students. The international student services office at the school where you are applying may even be able to provide you with a directory of such sources.
June 14th, 2009 at 4:34 am
Grinnell College also offers Need-Sensitive admission to international students, as well as a commitment to meet 85% of demonstrated financial need. For domestic students, it has a Need-Blind admissions policy and a commitment to meet full demonstrated financial need. We (a group of students) are working to change Grinnell’s policies to extend this policy to all students, not just domestic students, such that international students would also benefit from Need-Blind admission and a commitment to meet all demonstrated financial need.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 am
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
I am called Bahati Satir Omar an African aged 24 and i come from a country called Rwanda in East Africa. i am just inquiring to know whether Africans can also benefit from the Need-blind adnissions in colleges and univesities you considered. and if possible you can direct me the procedures to follow.
thanks.
BAHATI Satir Omar
KIGALI RWANDA
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:50 am
If a school offers need-blind admission to international students, then you would be eligible, too.
I suggest looking into the schools listed in the post as well as colleges that offer need-sensitive admission (such as Grinnell). The school will be able to tell you the exact procedures to follow.
If anyone knows of any others, please share!
January 1st, 2010 at 8:43 am
i wanted to find a list of us colleges that give need based aids for international students.I have searched diffrent websites but i couldnt seem to find it. If anybody knows it could could you please share it
Thanks
January 4th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Trinity College and University of Michigan are a few US colleges that I’ve found that give financial aid for international students.
January 15th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
There are many other colleges that give financial aid to international students, but getting scholarship is obviously more difficult for us than for native students.
Some colleges that I am applying to for aid are:
1. Princeton U
2. MIT
3. U of Pennsylvania
4. Trinity C
5. Grinnell C
6. Wesleyan
7. Lafayette
8. CUNY
January 15th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
# Pramod Kandel Says:
January 15th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
There are many other colleges that give financial aid to international students, but getting scholarship is obviously more difficult for us than for native students.
Some colleges that I am applying to for aid are:
1. Princeton U
2. MIT
3. U of Pennsylvania
4. Trinity C
5. Grinnell C
6. Wesleyan
7. Lafayette
8. CUNY
pramod, are these colleges need blind and provide full tuition for international students as well?
January 15th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
in what college or university can I study communication, advertising or journalism receiving full financial aid as an international student?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Natalia, that depends on your grades and the school. Many schools have the programs that you’re interested. US Federal Aid is not usually provided to international students, but certain schools have scholarships available that would cover at least part of your tuition. First, narrow down where in the country you’d like to study. Then, check with the respective schools. Good luck!
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:07 am
i want international full undergraduate scholarship.i need colleges that can offer me such.am a nigerian with high school grade
January 25th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Oladipupo:
Here is a list of some colleges that provide financial aid for international students:
Princeton U
2. MIT
3. U of Pennsylvania
4. Trinity C
5. Grinnell C
6. Wesleyan
7. Lafayette
8. CUNY
March 15th, 2010 at 3:41 am
I am a ugandan aged 19 years and I have good academic grades.
I wanted to pursue a degree in Law at Harvard University.
what are the procedures of applying for Need-Blind admission?
Thank you.
March 15th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Ritah,
You have to apply to Harvard directly. Here’s a website with application information for international students:
http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/faq.html.
Admission to Harvard is need-blind, by which we mean that a lack of financial resources and need for financial aid are not impediments to admission. Applying for financial aid does not jeopardize a student’s chances for admission, and foreign students have the same access to financial aid funding as do U.S. citizens.
June 25th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
my name is John Andrew West a Liberian refugee student residing in Ghana and a friend of mine told me about the need-blind admission. I will like to know how to apply for the aid to study abroad and also the requirements that is documents required and whether there is an age limit.
I am 22 year old and completed high school 2007 on the refugee camp in Ghana and write the waec exam which is an exam that almost all west african countries write in 2009. so please let me know more about the application proccess, thanks.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Hello, I am 18. I want to apply for the universities that can meet “full-need” of international students.
And my scores from tha SAT and TOEFL, how much they will relate to determine for the fin. aid.
July 6th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
John,
In order to apply for need-blind admissions, you have to go directly through the school and follow their requirements. Each school has its own set of rules.
I don’t believe that there is an age limit for need-blind admissions. Good luck!
July 6th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Aitbek,
You must apply to each school individually. Take a look at the list of the schools that offer need-blind admissions above, as well as those that offer need-sensitive admissions.
Find out each school’s requirements and then apply to them directly. Both your SAT and TOEFL (as well as other factors such as your GPA) will likely play a large part in determining your admission.
Good luck!
July 12th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
https://www.finaid.cornell.edu/finaid/upload/Financial-Aid-for-Undergraduate-International-Students.pdf
I just went on to Cornell University website and found the document on need-blind policies for international students (updated in July of 2009). It clearly says Cornell has a need-blind admissions for international students. But, I think Cornell has different budgets for financial aid for US applicants and for international students… and, if I remember correctly from Cornell University website, it has a smaller budget for international applicants that the degree of financial aid available for international students is far smaller than that available for US students. However, I don’t think Cornell is need-sensitive to international applicants as it is explicitly mentioned in the document above.
July 16th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Nice job here! I’ve been looking for months and this information is so valuable! I didn’t know about this. I want to apply to Stanford but in the web page it says that it offers LIMITED financial aid to internationals… How about that?
July 30th, 2010 at 5:08 am
I have appeared my A Levels this June and hope to get good grades. I want to apply to a good university in USA for the next fall. And I want to study electrical engineering.
in which college or university can I study my subject receiving full financial aid as an international student from Nepal?
August 2nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Binod,
Take a look at the list of colleges provided in the blog post and research each school to find out which of these schools has the best program for electrical engineering. When you’ve narrowed down the schools, apply to those as need-blind and need-sensitive.
Also, do some research on scholarships for international students — there are many out there!
Good luck!
August 2nd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Can anyone suggest which colleges I should apply for Engineering studies. My GPA is 4 and SAT is 1320. I am from Nepal and want to go to US for studies. Mail me at smanjulbhusal@yahoo.com
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Manjul,
There are many colleges with great engineering programs. If you’re looking for need-blind or need-sensitive colleges, research the list of schools provided in this blog post to see which have good engineering programs — most of them probably do!
August 9th, 2010 at 6:19 am
just a slight correction, middlebury no longer offers need-blind admission for internationals
August 9th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Ama,
Thanks! We’re writing a blog post with updated information that will be published soon.
September 13th, 2010 at 2:04 am
i hav completed my pcl nursing(3 years course after school) and recently working.i hav taken ielts and sat.i have heard that usa has not taken international nurses since 2005.is that true?
i want to apply in psychology for undergraduate.is that possible for me? do i need to take NCLEX exam?
now i want to take this course in good university which provides full financial support.how do i choose the university?
October 18th, 2010 at 3:22 am
Oh common guys you are talking about impossible things yes Harvard, Princeton Yale have a generous support for international students, but there is another question to get into them. SAT 1600 Critical, math is not enough!!!!!
So do not think that you can hope for admission!!! if you are not brillian thinkers of course!!
December 21st, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hope I will make it with your advice.
January 26th, 2011 at 9:24 am
[...] ty, kdo by chtěli ušetřit za studium na předražených českých univerzitách, připojuji seznam amerických univerzit, které uplatňují tzv. need-blind admission i pro zahraniční uchazeče. [...]
February 20th, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Hey guys,
Im looking for some college that offer ”fully meet”. The thing is I scored a 71 on the TOEFL but got a 3.2 – 3.5 in school!… does anyone any college I could apply to?
thanks
February 22nd, 2011 at 11:19 am
Nino,
You have to research the requirements for each individual school to find out whether you are eligible. Information should be available on individual school websites. Good luck!
February 27th, 2011 at 10:31 am
I write to ask if it’s possible to study on full scholarship which includes tuition, books, transportation, housing and feeding? And if such schools are available in the U.S how many are they and what is the in-take level of international students? Thanks
February 28th, 2011 at 11:09 am
Shadrack,
Check out this post about the Community College Summit Initiative Program, which offers opportunities to qualified students to come study in community colleges in the US for free: http://www.universitylanguage.com/blog/21/free-tuition-for-college/
March 2nd, 2011 at 8:49 am
i appreciate your reply, thanks a lot. it’s good to draw to your attention that i am much interested in a 4 year college than a community college so if you could tell me much about universities and a four year college. thanks
July 4th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
My scores from high school were great I applied in my country to do a BSc in Chemical and Process Eng and unfortunately only graduated with Lower Second Class Honours. I am thinking of applying to a university in the US to pursue another undergraduate degree. Would the grade of my previous bachelor influence admitting university’s decision or would only my SATs matter?
July 8th, 2011 at 11:37 am
Hi Kerri,
Your grades from your previous degree might be a factor, but certainly not the only one. There are a lot of things that go into determining college admissions. SAT scores and high school grades are two of them, but other factors such as essays, extracurricular activities, honors/awards, and expressed interest in the school will be considered as well. Best of luck!