Scholarships in the US

[zen16]

Is it possible for me to know whether I will receive a scholarship BEFORE I apply to a college in the USA? I ask this because a lot of second or third-tier US colleges e.g. UCLA, Boston U, U of Washington, while very good, are not worth the ~USD$50K annual fees to me, since I could attend UBC or U of Toronto (which I think is on a similar level to those second-tier US colleges) as a Canadian citizen and only have to pay CAD$5000 a year. I don't want to waste university applications on these US second-tier colleges if I have to pay the full USD$50k in fees, but if I receive a scholarship or significant financial aid it's a whole different story.

I hope you can understand my situation and any help is appreciated!

[Le Flic]

That's a tough situation, I think the IB trains students to expect the highest academic achievements and get recognition for their efforts. While universities around the world are proud to transform students into Phi Beta Cappas, Rhodes scholars and the like they don't know how much these standards can confuse and hurt people and make them feel inadequate. The reality is that you can pay only what you can pay, I feel for you, I could have attended Brown but was unable to pay and instead enrolled at U of T, never learning that noone would wave a magic wand to make me graduate with honours and become a chemistry researcher.

If you are promised a scholarship consider yourself lucky, but remember you are a customer and though university may seem like the answer to your deepest questions in life you must make compromises.

As an aside, check out Warren Wilson College, I have visited it and it is very special, though somewhat hippie they do however offer partial tuition payment through the mandatory "Triad" of Academics, Work and Service. www.warren-wilson.edu (EDIT- website url)

Edited July 6, 2010 by Le Flic