International Student

[Phyline]

Hey all,

I don't know if anybody here can answer.....but what are my chances of getting in as an international student? I know that the percentages are already pretty low, but hoping that my stats can make up for that. I'm also a nontrad, been working as a research assistant for 2 years since I graduated.

I went to a top 10 undergrad, have a 3.76 GPA (not counting additional prerequisites I've been taking), a 329 GRE, my recommenders are kind of a big deal in their fields.....but I'm not a US Citizen! I'm also not eligible for any kind of federal finaid, and most schools don't give any finaid to international students either, so I'm looking at oodles of money in private loans.

I swear I'm not humblebragging, just really nervous. Some schools make it impossible to get in from out of state, it's even worse if you're "out of the country".

Schools I'm applying to (I'm trying to cover a spread of big cities where my boyfriend can also find a job):
MGH IHP
UC Denver
Regis (I'd love to pick a single Denver school to apply to, but they both seem to be good)
University of St Augustine (Austin)
SDSU
University of Illinois - Chicago
UCSF/SFSU
Northern Arizona University

I also want to put Atlanta on the list, but I'm not sure which one school - Emory? Mercer?

Thanks!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[jblil]

You may not have much luck with state schools since they are required to give preference to residents (US citizens & green card holders) of their state, but private schools will welcome you with open arms since you'll be paying full-fare.

Do think about your financing sources before your commit, though. If you'll pay for the degree mostly with loans, run some numbers first as the repayments can really affect your lifestyle.

 

[Phyline]

If you'll pay for the degree mostly with loans, run some numbers first as the repayments can really affect your lifestyle.

I'm completely clueless as to what you mean by "running numbers". I've been kind of uh..."let's figure this out once I actually get into school."
How do I do whatever it means and where?

 

[jblil]

http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml

 

[Phyline]

Thank you! Bookmarked! So when it's time to get loans, I need to compare interest rates and years and monthly payments to get the best combination, right?

 

[jblil]

Yes, always compare loan rates and read the fine print.

A much more important thing to do is to estimate your budget, post-graduation. If your salary as a PT is $70K/yr and you owe $200K in loans, a significant amount of your pay will be going towards loan repayment.

Browse the threads in here, there is a wealth of info for prospective students:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/frequently-asked-questions.1141753/

 

[DesertPT]

I would contact schools you are interested in and talk to the admissions office about your situation.

I can tell you your chances at NAU are next to none. The same goes for many state schools, but some might give you a shot. Like I said, start contacting schools and finding out which ones you have a legitimate shot at, and what they would like you to do to make sure the admissions process goes smoothly. School's vary widely on their willingness to accept international students.

 

[Phyline]

Noted, I emailed the state schools on my list. For what it's worth, back in the day I was accepted at a couple of UC branches for undergrad, even though California is notoriously biased towards California residents. So I'm not losing hope!

 

[Phyline]

I would contact schools you are interested in and talk to the admissions office about your situation.

I can tell you your chances at NAU are next to none. The same goes for many state schools, but some might give you a shot. Like I said, start contacting schools and finding out which ones you have a legitimate shot at, and what they would like you to do to make sure the admissions process goes smoothly. School's vary widely on their willingness to accept international students.

Funny you mention NAU - they just emailed me back and said they pick interviews based on top 300 GRE and GPA and explicitly said that my being international has nothing to do with the likelihood of being admitted... Yay for hope?

 

[DesertPT]

Well yes there's always hope! I just know they get a ridiculous number of applicants each year and their final class has a very, very small number of international students in it. But if you want to apply, go for it!

 

[Azimuthal]

SDSU, UCSF/SFSU prefers California residents. Your best bet is USA's program.

 

[camiosyz]

For being a state school, CU Denver (the CU system in general) accepts a ton of out-of-staters. In my days at the Boulder campus, I think percentages were as high as ~40%. There were also a ton of international students (more $$ for the school), so I'd say your shot there is pretty good as long as you submit a good application.

 

[ODgirl18]

Hello! I'm an Optometry Graduate from the prestigious (or the best school) for optometry in my country. The optometry course in our country offers a six year degree ( 2 years pre-optometry and 4 years of Optometry Proper). My school recently a certified international affiliate member of the ASCO. I want to know if I have to study optometry in US since I am considered as an international applicant OR it will be a straight way to take State board exam for optometry?? Next month, I will settle down in US with family and also I have some relatives in medical field working and have been settling in US, CAN, AUS AND UK . This decision makes me confuse all the time. Hoping for some reply and information, it would be a great help. Thank you !

 

[Phyline]

Hello! I'm an Optometry Graduate from the prestigious (or the best school) for optometry in my country. The optometry course in our country offers a six year degree ( 2 years pre-optometry and 4 years of Optometry Proper). My school recently a certified international affiliate member of the ASCO. I want to know if I have to study optometry in US since I am considered as an international applicant OR it will be a straight way to take State board exam for optometry?? Next month, I will settle down in US with family and also I have some relatives in medical field working and settled in US, CAN, AUS AND UK . This decision makes me confuse all the time. Hoping for some reply and information, it would be a great help. Thank you !

Try the Optometry forums, this is Physical Therapy!

 

[ODgirl18]

oh sorry! tnx!

 

[ptisfun2]

You may not have much luck with state schools since they are required to give preference to residents (US citizens & green card holders) of their state, but private schools will welcome you with open arms since you'll be paying full-fare.

Do think about your financing sources before your commit, though. If you'll pay for the degree mostly with loans, run some numbers first as the repayments can really affect your lifestyle.

I assume this differs state by state. I work at a state school and we have no requirements about this at all. We chose to give a bit of a 'bonus' to state residents, but pretty small bonus, and no one has required this of us. We did it to be nice to our residents only. We do not look at school graduated from nor citizenship with our application review, so as long as you meet the minimums, an international student would be reviewed like any other.

 

[Phyline]

I assume this differs state by state. I work at a state school and we have no requirements about this at all. We chose to give a bit of a 'bonus' to state residents, but pretty small bonus, and no one has required this of us. We did it to be nice to our residents only. We do not look at school graduated from nor citizenship with our application review, so as long as you meet the minimums, an international student would be reviewed like any other.

Much appreciated, thanks!

 

[kettle_belle]

Phyline, I'm an international student as well so I understand where you're coming from. You have great stats so don't worry about it. I got into more schools than I expect so there is definitely hope. If you're worried about financing school, I recommend TWU. Their out of state tuition is relatively cheaper than other schools. But the department works to get all students financial aid. International students receive a scholarship that grants in-state tuition too!

 

[ilotayu]

Phyline, I'm an international student as well so I understand where you're coming from. You have great stats so don't worry about it. I got into more schools than I expect so there is definitely hope. If you're worried about financing school, I recommend TWU. Their out of state tuition is relatively cheaper than other schools. But the department works to get all students financial aid. International students receive a scholarship that grants in-state tuition too!

Hi kettle, do you know anything about TWU in terms of the international student admission ratio ?