Studying and getting a degree from the United States is as prestigious as the destination itself. If you get a degree from a university in the states, you can be sure of getting a suitably good job as well as strong alumni support. Studying free in the United States is very possible if you play your cards well. In this post, we are going to explain how you can guarantee yourself a full scholarship to study in the United States. We are also going to list some of the scholarship programs/organization offering full scholarships to international students.
Standardized Test (SATs)
Most admissions officers will tell you that the gateway to getting a full scholarship to study in the US is your scores on the SATs. Please don’t doubt them! As much it is wrong to use some scores gotten on just one day to determine a student’s eligibility for a scholarship, it is a great way of eliminating and reducing the number of applicants for a certain scholarship. Sad to say, admission to American universities is based primarily on SAT scores, although a couple of colleges apply a test flexible scheme in their admission process. However, most students wishing to get acceptance and adequate financial aid into prestigious American universities cannot evade the SATs. So if you are hoping to get a full tuition to study in the United States, you need to get a really good score. I have written below a list of universities and their SAT scores. These scores would remain the same for most competitive scholarships.
| College | SAT Total | SAT Critical Reading | SAT Math |
| Harvard University | 2070 – 2350 | 690 – 780 | 690 – 790 |
| Stanford University | 2010 – 2300 | 660 – 760 | 680 – 780 |
| Yale University | 2100 – 2370 | 700 – 800 | 700 – 780 |
| Princeton University | 2090 – 2360 | 690 – 790 | 700 – 790 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2030 – 2320 | 650 – 760 | 720 – 800 |
| Columbia University | 2050 – 2320 | 680 – 770 | 680 – 780 |
| Brown University | 1990 – 2300 | 650 – 760 | 670 – 770 |
| California Institute of Technology | 2140 – 2340 | 690 – 770 | 770 – 800 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 2020 – 2290 | 660 – 750 | 690 – 780 |
| Georgetown University | 1965 – 2235 | 650 – 740 | 660 – 750 |
| Cornell University | 1935 – 2250 | 630 – 730 | 660 – 770 |
| University of California-Berkeley | 1800 – 2170 | 580 – 700 | 620 – 760 |
| Washington University in St Louis | 2085 – 2295 | 680 – 750 | 710 – 780 |
| Rice University | 1970 – 2270 | 640 – 750 | 680 – 780 |
| Duke University | 2000 – 2300 | 660 – 760 | 680 – 780 |
Application Essay
Nearly all scholarships will require you write series of essays to determine your suitability for the scholarship. This is your chance to write as coherently as possible. This is an opportunity for you to tell then scholarship why you are the most suitable candidate for this scholarship. As much as you don’t want to brag on your essays, but don’t be too modest. Highlight to them your various achievements and and how they’ve shaped you. To learn more on hwo to write a killer scholarship essay, please click here
List of Free Scholarships in the US
These scholarships are for both domestic and international students.
The Robertson Scholars program(UNC and Duke)
The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program’s investment begins with the selection of a diverse community of undergraduate students – generally 18 at Duke and 18 at UNC-Chapel Hill each year – who demonstrate extraordinary potential. We provide these young leaders with exceptional benefits and a distinctive set of shared experiences:
- Four-year scholarship, including undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, room and board
- Unique access to the academic and extracurricular offerings at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill
- Three summers of domestic and international experiences
- Customized leadership and professional development opportunities
- Extensive community of Robertson Scholars, alumni, and staff
John Montgomery Belk Scholarship(Davidson College)
Annual Award Amount: Comprehensive cost (tuition, fees, room and board) and two $3000 summer stipends
Number Awarded: Up to eight in each first-year class
Eligibility: Students who demonstrate exceptional promise in academics, character, leadership, and service
The Hesburgh-Yusko Scholarship Program(Notre Dame)
The Hesburgh-Yusko Scholarship Program is a comprehensive, merit-based scholarship Program that seeks to attract, encourage, and equip extraordinary students who will have a transformational effect on the Notre Dame community, the Church, and the world.
The Program cultivates visionary leaders in the image of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., the former President of the University. The scholarship covers the full tuition of attending Notre dame for four years.
The Renaissance & Global Scholarship( Rochester University)
The Renaissance & Global Scholarship is a full-tuition, four-year scholarship to the University of Rochester. Renaissance & Global Scholars are an exceptional group of more than 80 students who come to Rochester from across the United States and all around the world: Nebraska, Illinois, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, and Papua New Guinea, to name a few. Not only are they academic all-stars, but they also have unique backgrounds that add to the diversity of our student body and extraordinary life experiences that enhance the classes in which they are enrolled.
MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program
This foundation provides comprehensive scholarships to hundreds of international students from Sub sahara Africa to receive free tertiary education in top universities in the US and around the world. The have partnered with the following universities in the US:
Stanford University
Michigan State University
University of California, Berkeley