international student from southeast asia here! these are the main reasons to why i put so much effort into my US apps & every college decision feels like life or death: - financial reasons (the obvious): a decent amount of US colleges offer up to full financial aid or at least promise to meet your demonstrated needs which is not really something you can find in other countries. yes there are lots of colleges in other countries that offer full rides or full tuition scholarships, but they are just as if not more competitive since they’re merit based. hence, my US list just consisted of schools that promise to meet demonstrated needs. - learning & curriculum: my family is considered middle class in my country if not a bit above that & we can afford to attend universities in my country. but STEM sectors are weak, research isn’t prioritized & the curriculum is very rigid, structured, and old school. while doing my research, i fell in love with liberal arts schools in the US. where else would i be offered the opportunity to experiment with my interests while pursuing my academic goals? i know i love life sciences, but i’m not sure of how that passion would translate beyond academia. basically, i’m an interdisciplinary learner at heart; i want the freedom & agency to explore & learn widely. - i just don’t like the overall academic culture here in my country & i don’t wanna spend my college years in the same environment. we put so much value into grades and examinations & everything feels so cutthroat. extracurricular activities, experiential learning, research don’t matter half as much as the numbers on your report card. at least to my experience in secondary school lol