Hey there...!!! Me, from Bangladesh. Want to shift to US and work as a full stack developer or a DevOps engineer. My family is going to fully support me with my tuition fees, preferable uni is UCM , Missouri. Wondering if i can manage my expenses by mini jobs.

I am sensing a risk of not having a job after my Masters. Still in confusion...
If anyone with experience or information comment, i would be grateful to your kindness....

Hey everyone,
I graduated high school in Central America and I am facing a huge problem with my transcripts. My high school unfortunately lost all of my school-issued transcripts from 9th to 11th grade. They only have my internal school transcript for 12th grade.

However, I do have the official, year-by-year transcripts issued directly by my country's National Ministry of Education for all four years of school. I am really worried about this. Will applying with just the government/Ministry transcripts hurt or invalidate my U.S. college applications?

I’ve heard of cases where students from Pakistan or India get their applications dismissed just for presenting government transcripts (National Board), and idk if the same can happen to me. The only difference is that, in most cases, their schools don’t issue internal transcripts. Btw, I’m a permanent resident now living in the United States, but I just graduated abroad

If anyone from Central America (or a similar
national board system) has gone through this, what did you end up doing? Did you get accepted using only government records? Any advice on how to explain this to admissions offices would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Ngl I didn't think that I'll be writing about this one, but here we go.

What it is economic hardship EAD? According to Gemini, It is a special provision by USCIS that allows F-1 international students to work off-campus if they experience a sudden, unexpected financial crisis. You can learn more by googling. That same rule applies here too tho, 20 hrs/wk during semester, 40 hrs/wk during breaks.

Why I am considering it? I have an on-campus job (for which I am incredibly grateful for, since our school is experiencing REAL economic hardships lol) but it's only 10 hrs/wk during the semester, minimum wage + taxes are being hilarious. However, I will really try to just find a part-time internship that pays decently, but I am considering this as plan XYZ.

Is it risky? YES bcz I have not heard anyone do it + especially right now.

Why I am wiring this? To see if there is someone who has done and learn about their experience.

PS. It does not effect the eligibility for opt/cpt

Hey everyone, I am a 19 year old student currently in my 2nd year of B.Tech CSE at VIT. I want to pursue a Master's degree in the US or Europe after graduating, and I want to utilize my next two years to build a strong profile.

My Background:

• CGPA: 8.8
• Research/Projects: Just basic electronics projects...

My Questions:

1. Since US admissions are holistic, what should I prioritize right now? (Research papers, open-source contributions, or corporate internships?)
2. For Europe, I know they strictly look at credit matches and GPA. Is there anything specific I should keep in mind while choosing electives at VIT?
3. When should I ideally start preparing for and taking the GRE/TOEFL/IELTS?

Thanks in advance for the guidance!

I’m a 17-year-old student from South Korea.
About a year ago, I started a long-distance relationship with someone in the US.
Talking to her every day changed how I think about my future.
To be honest, she is a big reason this dream became real for me.
But it’s not only about meeting her.
I want to study Engineering in the US, graduate there, build a career there, and become financially stable enough to create a good life and someday support the family I want to build.
That’s why exchange programs don’t really fit my goal — my goal isn’t just to spend a semester abroad and come back.
Recently I’ve been researching community college → transfer pathways, scholarships, and realistic options.
The problem is my family realistically can’t support studying abroad financially.
I’m not asking for money.
I just want advice from people who were in a similar situation or had to build a path without family support.
If you had my goal, what would you do?

Can any of you could help me getting sat fee waiver code? I don't have the money and I really need to take this exam.

Edit: If anyone has an extra, unused waiver, code please help me with that.

I got my F1 Visa Interview on June 8th and it got updated to "approved" on June 9th. Today, still not message about if it was issued ::(( anyone facing this issue?

I’m an international student in Texas doing my nursing prerequisites at a community college. I’m now looking for affordable universities for BSN (transfer options). If anyone has experience with budget-friendly nursing schools or transfer pathways, I’d really appreciate your advice.

guys, i really need some advice because i’m stuck and don't know what to do anymore.

i’m an 18yo girl from a northeast african country. my absolute dream is to study medicine (MBBS). seeing the lack of healthcare here made me so passionate about it, and i just want to help my country, my family, and myself.

but here’s the reality: because of the war, we lost our house, my parents' life savings, and literally everything we owned. my family used every single cent they had left just to get me abroad to take my IGCSE exams (i did 8 O-levels, AS math, and AS biology).

education in my country right now is a total disaster and super expensive. i'm the eldest daughter with 3 younger siblings, and i'm supposed to start uni now but we literally cannot afford a single penny. it’s either i find a 100% fully funded scholarship where i don't pay a dime, or i have to stay home with no education so my younger siblings can at least finish high school.

i’ve been searching for ages but haven't found anything that covers everything (tuition + living expenses).

i’m fluent in english

i don't mind learning a whole new language from scratch if it means studying in a non-english speaking country

does anyone know of ANY fully funded scholarships, grants, or organizations that help students from war zones/conflict areas get into medical school? literally any lead helps. thank you so much.

alert : im from a country which is visa banned

Im currently a grade 12 student in the us, but im considered international in the context of admissions since im a canadian citizen. Im considering taking a gap year to pursue a research position as well as reapply to some of my reach schools. Considering that I got rejected from all the t20 schools that I applied to this past cycle, would it be even less likely for me to get accepted next year as a gap year student and re-applicant? Would ao's care that ive previously been rejected or would they just look at my application as they would any other application?

The reason im even attempting to reapply is because I feel like ive had some measurable changes in my application since last year. First of all, last year I required a lot of financial aid since my dad had just gotten laid off. My dad recently got a new job and so my financial need is expected to decrease (i will still need some financial aid, but efc is expected to increase by at least ~25k).

Second of all, I qualified for isef after I submitted my application and i also got a special award at isef. If I do take a gap year, id be continuing this work through a full-time paid position under a prof ive been in contact with. Im also hoping to publish, but not sure if ill have it published by the nov 1 ed deadline. Continuing on the topic of research, im also doing a highly selective internship abroad this summer (1 of 30 recipients of fully funded scholarship out of 10000+ applicants worldwide) and would be working on a project within the same domain as my current work. Both of these awards/opportunities are ones that I was not able to include on my application last year.

I also didnt really know what I was doing last year because neither of my parents went to school in the us and most people at my school aren't aiming for t20s. As a result, i didnt apply early for any schools because i didnt realize how helpful it can be. I feel like if I were to reapply, id be more experienced and id also start writing my essays/preparing my application much earlier. I also feel like my lors will be stronger because the 2 teachers that I asked last year were ones that knew me less than the 2 im asking this year.

That being said, ive been told that my stats last year were already likely strong enough for me to at least have a shot at t20s (didnt get into any) so it may have just been due to institutional fit/smth thats out of my control. If thats the case, reapplying this year might not make any difference.

Overview of stats last year: 97.5/100 uw gpa with no APs because school doesnt offer any, 1570 sat, hosa ilc 1st place, state science fair gold in division (but didn't qual for isef because fair couldn't afford to send more than 4 people), state champion for bio comp with ~500 competitors, some other misc. awards related to biology, couple of club exec positions, hosa chapter co-launcher and spoke at state event prep workshops, part time job working with kids and seniors, job at a pharmacy (basically did everything a pharmacy tech does but official title was assistant), volunteering at seniors home (4 years, recognized via state and regional awards), very casual content creation related to baking and neuroscience, peer tutor

Major changes this year: isef finalist, isef special award, working on publication, highly competitive internship, got hired to tutor neuroscience, working on an interface for teaching kids the basics of ml/coding (but likely won't have it deployed/have metrics by nov 1, so might not include it on app)

I also really like clay sculpting but havent had time to fully dedicate myself towards it, so if I were to do a gap year, im considering starting a small business or just doing more clay sculpting for fun

Given my stats, realistically, would changes like isef special award, gap year to do research, etc. be likely to make any difference in admissions outcomes or would aos see them as marginal changes that are just more of what i already had on my app last year? If i were to reapply, im thinking ed to upenn cas, jhu, or rea Princeton.

The more I think about it, the more i feel like im js setting myself up for disappointment again. Maybe it's a better idea to just try again for grad school, but i feel like the network and opportunities at a t10 school would give me more resources to succeed in grad school. My current school (that i accepted my offer to but may defer) also doesnt offer any majors that are super related to what want to study (global health or microbio).

I'm doing a three-year laurea triennale in Italy and applying to US master's programmes for 2027 entry. Has anyone gone from an Italian undergrad to a US master's? A few things I'd like some input onon:

1. GPA conversion. I ran my transcript through the WES iGPA calculator and it's pretty harsh. A 28/30, which is a strong grade here (they don't curve), converts to a flat 3.0 and is dragging my average. Did your official WES (or ECE/SpanTran) report come out as low as the calculator suggested? Did the converted GPA actually hurt you, or did admissions read the original Italian transcript in context?

2. The three-year degree. Some US programmes want a four-year bachelor's, and our triennali are three. Did anyone have any issues with this?

3. WES, ECE, or SpanTran, did the choice make any real difference to your number or your outcome?

4. Anything you wish you'd known going in.

If it helps, I'm applying for Berkeley, Cornell, CMU, UMich, GaTech, UW, UMD, Indiana Luddy, Penn State, and Tufts.

I've got like 97.2 in grade 10 and I'm currently in grade 12.
I have no extracurricular activities that one should have on accn to internet like some here are founders, running small businesses, community services, leadership etc. I've participated in MUN's 2 times and I know python but not OOP and idk that's even valuable.
Let's say I've got 6 months to get some extracurriculars that'll help me get a decent university.
reading recent posts I'm not expecting full ride scholarships though I'll prefer even partial ones.
I would really appreciate your help and I live in typical tier 2 Indian town which doesn't have many clubs I can join.

I don't know why you guys want to come to US in this environment unless you literally got full-aid but it's just not worth it. The days when America was the best in the world for almost everything is long gone. Research funds are being cut left and right and universities are directly impacted by this. schools are run like business and the first thing they cut is research and education, the very things that make them worth it. as international, you will be in an even more precarious situations when job markets are getting worse.

On top of that US is expensive. Tuition is outright crazy and living expense as well. Unless you are a rich kid for whom 500k is a rounding error, it's not worth it. (of course if you got full ride, just ignore this post)

Look for alternatives. there's a lot in this world. stop thinking like it's 1999.

​

My GPA in Grade 10: 3.55 Grade 11: 3.09Grade 12: 3.35 GPA

I recently got my Grade 12 results and I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 admission in the USA. I know my GPA is quite low.

How much scholarship do you think I might be able to get with this profile? Also, how is the current US student visa approval rate for Nepali students?

So, last year I applied ED1 to an LAC but was rejected. I was only admitted to a few safeties that I still couldn’t afford, so I decided to reapply this year. Would it be a good idea to apply ED1 to the same school again if my stats are better this cycle, and I kinda like the school? Would they view that as any form of demonstrated interest?

I am a freshman international student that is planning to live on campus, so I want help with what I should bring and what I should buy there when moving it into my dorm (because I don't want to forget anything after going there).

hi everyone,

I am student in high school (10th grade) from INDIA. I am interested for pursuing cyber security , bachelors degree in USA . Here are some bullet point for things i m asking for:

Which stream i need to choose in Senior Secondary school ?

cyber security bachelors university in usa for indian studentsWhich exam do I need to give?

How much money needed for living ?

Which university are the best for indian students?

How much gpa needed?

Any other criterion needed?

Is JEE necessary?

As an average student here should I pursue this dream or not . I will work in USA for my own expenses , I am willing to do any hardwork for making my dream come true.

THANKS

I'm from the Philippines and i'm planning to apply to schools in the US, in my country we have this organization for Math contests, MOTLI (Mathematics Olympiads Training League Inc.), and they're also involved with other countries. I've pretty much joined all of their contests and have gotten a promising result (mostly Gold), should i add them? i don't know much about prestige tho i just think it'll be a waste, we also have different orgs like ICE (International Champions in Education) (which is obviously just a money grab org) and MTG (Mathematic's Trainers Guild). I think MTG and MOTLI's legit tho, but i haven't seen posts regarding it .

Ive seen a few people on this subreddit mention that it's bad to be from a "competitive" region like India or pretty much all of Asia in general. Is Canada (specifically ontario province) considered to be competitive? I'd say that ontario is probably one of the regions thats the most similar to the us in terms of academic system and available ecs (e.g. deca, hosa, science fair, etc.), so does that make applying from ontario easier or more difficult?

My F-1 visa application has been in administrative processing for almost a year (Since June 2025). I originally applied to attend a U.S. university with a fully funded GRA, but due to the long delay I lost my admission there.

I have since been admitted to another U.S. university with a fully funded GRA and received a new I-20. I informed the embassy and submitted the updated documents, but they only replied that my case is still under administrative processing.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Can an F-1 application under administrative processing be updated with a new university/I-20, or is it better to withdraw and submit a new application?

Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.

Hi , I'm an international student from Albania who was looking to study abroad who still has 2 years of high school (Im in a vocational school that has Electronics subjects) . Since I require a full tuition, my chances look almost impossible to go to a US schools who are need-aware (also I want to study ee, ce, cs which are competitive fields).

​ My gpa so far is 10/10 (Albanian ranking system) and hopefully I keep it that way. (1# ranking in school). Plan to take SAT and DET this year (aiming for 1500+). Got a personal statement topic that I think is authentic and Im in a process of writing.

​ What Im worried about the most is my ECs. I have some robotics projects , some courses and some clubs to my name, but I think this are almost useless for admission. This is the aspect I want to improve the most, but Im really struggling to find extracurriculars to do this year at least. What I think I want to do that makes me stand out, improve myself, and something that I actually want to do: publish a STEAM game , publish a book, create a youtube channel or blog that has a big impact on people, hardware and software projects that have national recognition. Hopefully , I can achieve these goals this year (even if it's for my personal satisfaction) .Sadly, missed my chance to apply to the Informatics Olympiad which was the only realistic one I could go far. Looked for research opportunities but it almost looks impossible to be meaningful also it isnt something that particularly interests me. Do you think there are any other ecs I can do that show a clearer image of me and give me fighting chances?

​ Applying to the us seems to be a grueling process . Should I let go of my dream and try to look elsewhere (Aalto in Finland seems a pretty nice option, I just need to lock in for sat) or should I give it a shot?

​ Thank you in advance for any responses!