Step # 4 – Guide to Need Blind Scholarships for Undergrads

International Scholarships for Undergraduate Students

This article is part of a series of posts that I am writing to help International Students like you understand the process to finding and applying for scholarships. If you have not read the three previous posts, I would encourage you to return to the home page and start your reading there. Each post contains valuable information that will help in your search for an international scholarship.

Step # 3 focused on obtaining a free scholarship from Norway – these are mostly available to graduate students. This post will focus on opportunities available for undergraduate students.

Before we look at specific scholarship opportunities, I need to review what NEED BLIND ADMISSIONS are:

Need-Blind Admissions:

• Need-Blind admission means that a higher education institution has an official policy where an applicant’s financial resources are not considered before he or she is offered a place. This policy is also extended to international students.
• Sometimes the student may be required to make a financial contribution to his or her upkeep.
• Several US schools currently offer need-blind admissions to international students.
• Basically, if you can get into the university, you can afford to go!

Schools Awarding Need Blind Financial aid include:

1. MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technologyin Massachusetts
2. Harvard Universityin Massachusetts
3. Princeton Universityin New Jersey
4. Yale Universityin Connecticut
5. Brown Universityin Providence, RI
6. Amherst Collegein Massachusetts
7. Cornell University in New York
8. Georgetown University in Washington DC
9. University of Illinois, Chicago
10. University of New Hampshire

However out of these, there is one university that is worthy of additional consideration and I believe should be one of your first places to look for free scholarships for International Students.

BROWN UNIVERSITY.

In additional to being Need-Blind, this institution also has an Advancing Africa Scholarship Fund.

Here is some more information about this scholarship fund:

• Recipients shall be known as Advancing Africa Scholars;
• Recipients will be asked to sign a pledge to return to full-time residency in Africa for a period of at least two years upon completion of undergraduate studies Brown or, if they have an opportunity to continue their studies, to return upon completion of a graduate degree;
• During their undergraduate studies at Brown, recipients shall be entitled to two return trips paid through the Fund;
• Upon their return to Africa, recipients will be given an appropriate monthly stipend for two years to ensure a higher standard of living and to ease their transition. If the resident shall cease to be a full-time resident of Africa within the two-year period, this stipend will terminate.

Here is what you need to know if you want to apply:

1. This program is geared towards undergraduate (first year) applicants with demonstrated financial need who are citizens of sub-Saharan African nations; graduate candidates are not eligible.
2. Students who are citizens of a Sub-Saharan African country who apply for financial aid get automatic consideration for the Advancing Africa Scholarship.
3. Upon submitting your application for admission to the University, simply indicate in your communication with the Admissions Office that you wish to be considered for the Advancing Africa program
4. Apply for financial aid assistance in accordance with all requirements outlined at Brown Financial Aid – no special application is required beyond our regular protocol for financial aid
5. If you are accepted by the Office of Admissions then you will be advised if you have also been selected for the Advancing Africa program. Details on any financial assistance would also be outlined (provided you met all the financial aid deadlines/requirements).

NOTE: Your admission and acceptance to the University precedes all other steps.

(THERE IS NO SEPARATE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP).

Here is all the information you need for this excellent international scholarship for undergraduate students.

NEXT STEPS

Here is what to do next…

1. Go to the Brown University Home Page – http://brown.edu/. From this page, you can learn more about Brown. It is an excellent school that provides a world-class education for all its students. You can go to this page to see what degrees Brown offers – click here.
2. From there, go to the Guide to Applying to Brownpage. It is very important you read through all the information on this page. There also is an excellent page for International Studentsthat gives additional information.
3. Here are a few highlights and things you must remember:

• The Application process is extensive – you will not complete it in a few hours. It will take time and work to accumulate all of the necessary requirements.
• Your application will contain such things as:
  • Transcripts showing your courses and your performance
  • Awards, distinctions, or achievements that you have obtained.
  • Recommendation letters from a school counselor and two teachers.
  • Standardized tests, which would be the SAT Reasoning Test, two SAT Subject Tests orthe ACT with the writing component.

5. As you can see, admission is highly competitive. Because of this, Brown does not admit many students with impressive academic and personal records. Before proceeding, you should feel confident that your records are at a level that would enable you to be admitted to a leading university in your own country. Do not bother to apply if this is not true.
6. The application process may seem overwhelming, but if you are qualified and prepared to do the work it takes to apply then this is a great opportunity. It is one of the best study opportunities around.
7. Your next step – Go to the Common Applicationsite, select “Brown University” for your “My Colleges” list, and then follow the instructions for completing and submitting forms. Common Application is a website designed to simplify the process of applying to more than one college
8. If you have any questions, or need clarification regarding the admission process at Brown University, contact them directly at admission_undergraduate@brown.edu. Please do not bother them with basic questions – they get many emails and much of the information you need can be found on the website. Please remember this is an impersonal process. You need to read and follow the instructions – that is the best and only method for admission and obtaining an international scholarships.
9. If you have made it this far and have successfully applied to Brown, then I would also recommend that you choose one or two of the other Need Blind Admission Schools from the list above and also apply to them. Once you have done the work once, it will be easier the second and third time.

Another school that offers Need-Blind Scholarships is GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

• Georgetown University is Need-Blind for all applicants. In other words, this university enrolls and admits students regardless of their financial circumstances.
• This university is committed to meeting the financial need of all eligible students through a combination of aid programs like scholarships, grants, work study programs, loans (private state or federal), as well as university resources.
• The amount of aid given is based on the applicant’s demonstrated need.

Application Procedure

• The application process is fairly simple. All you need to do is indicate that you intend to apply for financial aid when filling out the Application for Undergraduate Admission.
• Remember, all students who are admitted are automatically considered for need-based scholarships.
• Apart from the application form, you will need to submit a CSS/Financial Aid Profile at The College Board website.
• All candidates will be notified about their eligibility for aid, financial aid awards, or missing application documents.

Let me know how the application process goes for you! – Samuel