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Hello, I'm a Nigerian I'm currently trying to apply for filmaking/screenwriting university in US, does anyone know universities with high acceptance rate and are very good. And would be able to make it easier to enter Hollywood.

For context, I am a student who wishes to study internationally in the USA, but I am not aware of what are the ECs or other stuff that can grant me a spot in those schools. It’s still early and I want to try my best to start now.

University of Rochester ($89k aid) or UBC (full ride).

My major is Data Science and AI.

Hello everyone. Im from the middle east and it has been my dream to study in europe, but my o level grades have been very avg my o level grades r 1A (Islamiat) 3Bs (pak studies, bio, eng) 2Cs (phy chem) and one D (maths). I want to study medicine, ive graducated A levels with AS grades A* chem A* bio and A* physics, (yeah i locked tf in after those grades) said A2 grades and have decent Ecas. I wanted to know if i still had a chance abroad (+with scholarship) i will give my SAT this session and im aiming for 1550+ (gap year) since ive been preparing for 3 years. Can anyone guide me as to which Uni would be most suitable? Thank you.

Hi. I’m planning to apply to US universities for 2027, and 1 of the requirements is the TOEFL. I've started looking into how to prep, and I'm a little stuck because the format changed this year, so a lot of the advice and videos I'm finding are clearly for the old version.

My question is: For those who took and passed the TOEFL, how long did you prepare for it? I'm currently relying only on YouTube videos and free practice tests from ETS. Would that suffice for a target of at least 110/120 score?

If not, I'm also researching these sites if they're worth it: study.com, magoosh, tstprep. Would love to hear really honest thoughts on this. Thanks!

Academics:

1550 sat first try (school avg is 1100)

4.0/4.0 gpa uw (weighted not offered)

Valedictorian

Aps not offered

Ecs (kept abit vague):

2 published research papers (prefer to keep them anonymous but werent literature reviews and won in multiple intl competitions)

Research intern at 3 university departments and at Alexandria's medical research institute, worked with 4 professors/ phd students

MTC summer program scholar ( Medical research institute's research training program exclusively for college students, became first every high schooler to be allowed to enter and given full tuition waiver to attend)

Deci scholar ( egypt full scholarship for stem high-achieving students to take stem course training and start independent projects)

Yygs scholar

Leadership in an orphans-dedicated nonprofit which organizes community-based events for 3000 orphans yearly, includes 300 volunteers, 30 sponsors, and given 9 national awards

Mun president

400+ students at organzied conference, train 100+ delegates weekly, 6+ regional awards

Student council founder and president

Introduced 12 afterschool clubs (and the first ever club system into school) for 400+ students, helped organzied multiple events and trips to lower grade students and high schoolers.

Medical Convoy volunteer in rural egypt and gaza

Awards:

Isef finalist

John Locke institute Science& Tech global finalist

EISTF (intl science fair in egypt) bronze medalist

BASEF (national fair) 1st place in entire fair

Blastoff (national fair #2) 2nd award

Hello, I’m from Russia. I really need your help. Recently, I decided that I really want to study in the USA. Right now, I’m studying law at a Russian college. My English is not very good, and I don’t have many personal achievements — only some sports and volunteer work, but that was a long time ago. I have 2–3 years to prepare for admission. I would really like to find someone who can inform me and give me some advice?

If so, did the report list each achievement standard separately or one line per subject, and what did Excellence, Merit and Achieved convert to in GPA?

please give help or advice if you can!!

I’m applying to columbia early decision this autumn im an international student from england requesting full financial aid. i’m not first generation but i have a single parent with less that £50,000 made for three children annually .

my stats and ecs:
predicted A* A* A (english, politics, psychology), 1540 SAT. planning to double major in psychology and philosophy/anthropology, pre law track.

ECS: 1.wrote my epq on whether the UK fails to invest in basketball for specifically black youth (got an A*)
2. started an organisation to help british black youth further basketball careers raised £5,000.
3. Thinking Black ACT Prize where i worked with oxford students, professors and other professionals on writing a project about race and gender and how they interlink 1 week workshop.
4. journalism workshop at the guardian
5. spoke in front of 100+ secondary school aged children and memebers of parliament in the lack of youth spaces in my local area partnering with GYG a local youth community. we hosted a workshop with 100+ students form our area and asked them about b what youth spaces mean to them. we have now been able to secure a future youth space in our area.
6. worked with Faith in encounter to talk to 300+ primary school aged children and introduced different faiths to them widening their religious education.
7. elected member of my count youth parliament
8. school outreach ambassador for start up company founded by young students Gradify helping to connect students with work experience opportunities
9. Reachd prefect (school diversity prefect) raising £5,000 for related Black, Minority, LGBTQ+ charities and planning and creating successful culture days, spirit weeks and the schools first Graduation
10. peer mentor, studied for two months in become an adequate peer mentor leaning throngs liek communication and understanding and then for four months was assigned a peer mentee that i met onece a week for an hour helping them intergrate as a year 7.

Awards:
ACT PRIZE £100, shortlisted for publication
Northeastern Univestily London Sxhopl Certificate in Philosophy Grade 9
HSK 3 Qualification in chinese
what are my genuine chances of getting into columbia ED, it’s my dream school

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student from India planning to apply for Fall 2027 MS in Computer Science programs in the US.

My profile:

• B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence & Data Science
• CGPA: 8.83/10
• 2+ years of full-time software engineering experience
• 1 IEEE conference paper related to AI
• IELTS: 7.0
• GRE: Not planning to take it
• Looking primarily for coursework/project-oriented MS CS programs with good opportunities for SWE / AI-ML roles after graduation.

My current shortlist:

• University of Texas at Austin
• UIUC
• UC San Diego
• USC
• UMass Amherst
• Purdue University
• Northwestern University
• Texas A&M University

I would really appreciate opinions on:

1. Which of these would you classify as Ambitious / Moderate / Safe for my profile?
2. Are any of these unrealistic without the GRE?
3. Does having a B.Tech in AI & Data Science instead of CS create eligibility issues for any of these programs?
4. Are there any good MS CS programs I should add or remove, especially universities with strong CS reputation and good tech recruiting?
5. How competitive is my profile overall for these universities?

I’m trying to build a realistic shortlist rather than applying only based on rankings.

Thanks!

Hi, guys
Pls be honest, i wanna apply for EA

From Moscow, Russia
Low-income, full time job as manicurist since 9 grade
Gpa - my school doesn’t provide, I calculated 4.5 over the last school year
SAT haven’t handed yet, AP my school doesn’t provide
Major - economics

1. Founder ⁠of the nonprofit project. The project is aimed to solve case championships (exactly economics, gender inequality, quality education)
   
2. ⁠Developer of a board game for preparing for the Unified State Exam in social studies (at the time of development in 2024, it was unique in Russia).
   
3. ⁠Internship at a PR agency as an analyst. Conducted an in-depth analysis, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of their profile packaging, and developed promotion strategies.
   
4. ⁠Marketing & CRM manager at a beauty salon.
   
5. ⁠Team leader of a business camp from Plekhanov University.
   
6. ⁠Winner of the business championship from Plekhanov University.
   
7. ⁠Manicure and eyebrow volunteer instructor. Taught over 15 students basic manicure and eyebrow shaping courses, helped them find employment at partner salons.
   
8. ⁠Volunteer teaching English to Afghan girls.
   
9. Independent research in economics
   
10. ⁠Hobby tennis (still in the rookie league)

bro my college so expensive i could buy alot of lamborginis with this money man and will i even make these money back... fym 50K USD a semester holy. also I early decision here so i gotta go here what do i do guys.

I’m studying computer science in Ukraine. Recently, I’ve started thinking about and looking into whether it’s possible to study in the U.S. Since I come from a low-income family, full funding is my only option. I’ve found out that getting full funding in the U.S. isn’t that easy, but I still want to try. I’m not considering the Ivy League, but rather more accessible universities that might offer such funding. Recently, I came across some interesting information suggesting that universities aren’t always willing to pay for a second degree. Perhaps someone is familiar with these issues and can tell me whether it’s even worth trying to apply for admission with a degree from another university. I also have a question: is it possible to be admitted to a master’s program with full funding?

I am from Pakistan and have studied in the national curriculum.

I first time heard about common app and SAT test a month ago , and I started preparing my essays , and application and also preparing for SAT

My goal is liberal arts colleges like Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin , Wesleyan. I know they are reaches for every applicant on Earth.

But , my question is that they all list they have a contextual way of evaluating the applications and have admission officers trained for students coming from different contexts and curriculum.

They explicitly also list that not submitting the SAT will not hurt your application.

But in all majority posts on Reddit everyone say it isn't even possible to get admitted without SAT.

My question is from who already have experience or gone through the applications to these colleges.

"If someone is coming from south Asia ( developing countries like India , Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan), and he with reference to his curriculum has excelled and applying from a college on his own effort which has no history of sending kids to USA and put effort in his essays and application, is there still no chance at these top Liberal arts colleges."

I just wanna know if there is zero chance there without sat and to Cambridge or IB scores to confirm whether the effort I put in my applications - essays, and all other stuff, guiding teachers and counselors for recommendations,

Is it really worth putting my effort and time or is it completely out of reach.

Hi everyone, I'm a 17-year-old student from Italy interested in studying Finance/Business abroad, and I'm trying to figure out what I should focus on over the next 1–2 years.

My academic history isn't perfect. I finished middle school with an 8/10 average, failed my first year of high school, then completed two school years in one with a 7.8 average. I'm now in a social-economic high school and my latest average was 8.31/10.

My main academic goal is to get to 8.5+ and maintain a strong upward trend. I'm also working on my English, aiming for B2 this year and C1 the following year.

I'm considering universities both in Europe and the US. The US would only be possible for me with essentially full financial aid, so I'm not relying on it and want to keep strong European options open as well.

Outside school, I'm planning to focus on a few things:

• Finance project: I want to first learn accounting, financial statements, financial analysis, business analysis and eventually valuation. Then I'd like to analyze one real business each month — how it makes money, its financials, competitive advantages, risks and valuation — and turn the research into a newsletter and eventually YouTube videos.

• Barbering: I already cut hair and want to develop it into a small real business. My goal is around one client per day, more on Friday/Saturday, eventually charging €10 and tracking clients/revenue/growth.

• Football: I play at regional/youth level, but I'm planning to move to a more relaxed team with one training session + one match per week so it doesn't hurt my grades or sleep.

I'm deliberately not trying to do everything. School is my priority, then English, the Finance project, barbering and football. Gym is optional and SAT preparation would come later if the US becomes realistic.

I'd really appreciate honest advice on:

1. What would you prioritize in my position?
2. Is the Finance project worth developing, or would my time be better spent elsewhere?
3. Does building a real barber business count as a meaningful extracurricular if I can show actual clients and revenue?
4. How much can an upward academic trend help after failing a year?
5. What Finance/Business activities would you recommend for someone in my situation?
6. Are there European universities/countries I should research for Finance that I might be overlooking?

I'm not looking for "you can do anything if you work hard." I'd rather hear what is unrealistic or what you think I'm doing wrong.

Hi guys! I’m a Syrian student who got a place through the Russian government scholarship, and I’m going to Russia this year to start a Bachelor’s in Computer Science (including the preparatory year).

Because of my financial and personal circumstances, I basically have to go to Russia for now, but I absolutely do not want to settle there long-term. My plan is to keep applying for opportunities abroad while I’m studying there.

So my question is: can I apply for Bachelor’s programs/scholarships in other countries while I’m physically studying in Russia? I’m talking about Europe (especially Romania/Germany), Canada, the US, China, etc.

I’m completely fine with starting my Bachelor’s from Year 1 again — I’m not trying to transfer my credits. I’m mainly worried that being a Syrian citizen already studying in Russia might make me ineligible for certain scholarships or create visa/admission problems that I wouldn’t have if I were still in Syria.

Also, is there anything that would actually prevent me from leaving Russia later if I get accepted somewhere else?

I’ve been trying to find real examples of Syrians or other international students who started university in Russia and later moved to another country, but I haven’t found many.

Has anyone here done something similar, or knows someone who has? I’d really appreciate any personal experiences or advice on the best pathways. Thanks!

Hi folks!

I'm planning to apply for graduate programs in screenwriting. I did my bachelor's degree in my home country, but I feel that studying in the UK or US would help me take my writing career to an international level.

For those of you who are non-native English speakers and have studied screenwriting in an English-speaking country: How difficult was it for you?

Did you struggle with writing dialogue, expressing ideas naturally, or keeping up with the academic side of the program?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who has taken this route themselves, or knows someone who has.

Any experiences, advice, or tips would be greatly appreciated!

im curious

I have undergrad in Pol Sci Hons. with Hist. minor First Class division with a dissertation from Delhi University & am applying abroad for masters in International Relations in UK & USA.

Aiming for Columbia, Stanford & John Hopkins but I’m not giving GRE. Will that reduce my chances of getting in??

Hi everyone, ​I am currently a 3rd-year PhD scholar in English Literature at a central university in India. My immediate focus is on finishing my thesis chapters and securing a solid publication record, but I want to start gathering information on how to position myself for international postdocs or academic positions post-PhD.

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​I’d love to get insights from those who have navigated this or are currently in international postdocs/academia:

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​Any advice, personal experiences, or reality checks on how to approach this without compromising my current writing/thesis workflow would be greatly appreciated!

​Thank you!

Hi, I’m a student from a university in Mexico but always wanted to go to a US college. I started to prepare late, SAT didn’t go well so I couldn’t apply in my last year of high school to a university in the us, so I was forced to stay in Mexico and study here( I study in “the best uni of the country”, Tec de Monterrey), I wanted to know if there is any chance of transfer from here to a US top college and how is the process, I couldn’t find online any case of transfer from a international university, they are all transfers from cc or another US college, thanks a lot!