Why Admissions at Elite U.S. Universities are More Competitive for International Students.

Long drawn by the quality of the American higher education system, the United States is the top-receiving country of international students looking to bolster their opportunities in the global labor market and access employment opportunities in the U.S. As of November 2022, nearly 1 million international students from over 200 countries are enrolled in American colleges and universities.?

Educational Exchange. Retrieved from https://opendoorsdata.org/data/international-students/leading-institutions/

While the United States remains a top choice for international students, those seeking admission to highly selective programs in the U.S. face additional barriers than their domestic counterparts, leading to lower admittance rates among the international applicant pool. Indeed, the admissions process at elite institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and MIT can be 4-5 times more difficult for such applicants.

Why is this the case? Below are several factors leading to this phenomenon.?

Financial Aid

Most international students do not have access to federal loans or grants from the United States government; thus, unless the student is provided a scholarship—a rarity for international applicants—they will have to bear the full cost of tuition and living expenses which be as high as $60,000+ a year at a private university. Thus, U.S. colleges and universities are need-aware when considering International applicants; if the applicant cannot afford the cost of attendance, this greatly diminishes the candidate’s opportunity of acceptance.?

Currently, there are only 7 U.S. colleges that follow need-blind admissions—meaning they do not consider the financial circumstances of the applicant when reviewing their application—they are Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Amherst, and Bowdoin (Brown will be need-blind by 2025).It’s in the international student’s interest to demonstrate they can cover the full cost of tuition; conversely, if the student requires financial aid from need-aware institutions, this will negatively impact their application.?

Assessing the Rigor of International High Schools & Extracurricular Opportunities?

The academic rigor of a candidate is an important factor during the admissions process. For instance, a candidate with a 3.8 GPA having taken a full Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courseload may present more impressively than a candidate with a 4.0 GPA having taken non-honors courses. The educational merit of the high school is also considered. Elite institutions have regional admissions officers responsible for overseeing the admissions process of students from their respective areas. These officers are responsible for assessing the candidate’s profile relative to the rigor of their high school.?

This can present difficulties for international applicants who do not attend American or international schools with similar programs, as it’s far more difficult to assess the rigor of such applicants. In such cases, greater emphasis can be placed on standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT in order to demonstrate to the admissions officers that the applicant can succeed academically at the institution.?

Furthermore, a key component of the application process involves demonstrating leadership and service participation through the form of extracurricular activities. In the United States, many extracurricular organizations are embedded in the high school’s culture. For example, the CommonApp has 10 spaces in which students can list the activities they’ve participated in outside of the classroom during their high school career. Many U.S. candidates can easily fill out these 10 slots and have pursued extensive leadership positions. In comparison, many international schools simply don’t have the depth and variety of these opportunities for students, putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to noting leadership, service commitments, and answering essay questions pertaining to these topics. For the applicant to remain competitive, this forces international students to pursue opportunities outside of their high schools, which can be difficult depending on the local opportunities available to them.

Diversity on Campus

The population of the United States, roughly 335 million, is 4% of the nearly 8 billion global population. International students generally constitute only 10% of the student body. The remaining students are competing for these limited spots.?

Furthermore, the applicant’s country of origin is taken into consideration. Elite universities value diverse campuses, especially among their international students. Applicants from countries such as India and China are faced with lower acceptance rates since the vast number of international students stem from these countries. However, applicants from regions and countries with fewer students in the United States can benefit, as their admittances can increase the global diversity of the campus.?

English Language Exams & Recommendation Letters

To demonstrate the candidate has the appropriate level of English to succeed academically, applicants will generally have to score at least 100 on the TOEFL. Some advisors even recommend TOEFL scores of 110 to quell any doubts among admissions officers. However, even with a sufficient TOEFL score, admissions officers will critically assess a student’s personal statement and supplemental essay to check for awkward phrasing, sentence structure, complexity, and presentation of ideas. Minor errors or maladroit writing can weigh more negatively on international applicants than on U.S. students. International students must demonstrate an unassailable command of the English language.

Additionally, international applicants sometimes receive inferior recommendation letters when compared to applicants in the United States. Strong recommendation letters emphasize a student’s academic performance but should also include positive qualities pertaining to their character. What constitutes a “quality” recommendation letter may vary depending on the local culture, where teachers may provide a critique of the student or even mention the reputation of the student’s family. Such illuminations are irrelevant for American admissions officers and indeed may even harm the candidate. Furthermore, the teachers of international students may have learned English as their second language; thus, elements of the letter may be lost in translation or not as eloquently expressed when compared to the letters written by instructors of U.S. applicants.

Looking Ahead

As college admissions become increasingly competitive, it’s important to understand the nuances of the application process for international students. Here at Blue Ivy Coaching, we’re committed to helping students from start to finish in the advising, test prep, and application process to colleges and boarding schools across the world. Please visit our website and schedule a consultation with us. We’re excited to hear from you.

About the author

Originally from Arizona, Ian is a graduate of Harvard University. He is a College Application Coach at Escuela Americana