Ever since the first walking robot, ASIMO, amazed me as a child, I have always dreamed of making robots that can inspire people. With an ambition to become a robotic entrepreneur, I chose to study computer engineering in New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) with a full scholarship, mastering both software and hardware. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Soft Haptics under NYUAD AIM Lab through the NYUAD Global PhD Fellowship Program. 

I grew up in Palo Alto, Boston, and Kyoto, Japan. As far back as I can remember, I loved to dance, laugh, and make things.  If I was born during the stone age, I still would have enjoyed making tools during the day, and dancing around camp fires and cracking jokes at night.

Aspiring Robotic Entrepreneur | NYUAD

Erasmus Mundus International Master's Program student currently studying at: 
- University of Glasgow, UK 🇬🇧
- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸
- University of Aix-Marseille, France 🇫🇷

WorldWide Academic nomad | Blogger

📍Have you always wanted to live abroad? 

👩‍🎓 Hi I’m Mai, an international master's student at the University of Lund in Sweden. I did my undergrad in Japanese studies and went to university in Japan for 6 months in 2019.

📩 Do you have questions about studying abroad? Feel free to send me a dm on my Instagram: @Tokyostudies 


Study Abroad Content

 This guide is created by Veronica, co-founder of Borderless. I am not a college counselor, this information is based on my personal experience of studying abroad and working with students. The guide will be continuously updated with input from Borderless’s community members!

Choosing a college that fits your academic, social, and financial needs is an overwhelming process, but the good news is that you have lots of options! There are 30,000+ universities in the world, and 4000+ in the US alone. 

You can not (and should not!) apply to every school that accepts international students and provides scholarships

. Every application requires tremendous effort, and instead of a few excellent applications, you might end up with a hundred mediocre ones. Needless to say that mediocre application will not earn you a spot at world's best universities.

 that perfectly match your academic, social, and financial needs. It means that 

you will be happy going to any of the schools on your list

Okay, so how do I know what universities match my needs? The answer is through 

Use the following questions to guide you:

You can find such information on universities' websites, Borderless, YouTube, and various blogs.

pay attention to the acceptance rates and academic performance of current students to evaluate your chances

. If your SAT score is less than 1300, it is unlikely that you will get into Ivy League universities. It's very important to be realistic and separate your colleges into the following categories:

Reach universities are the hardest to get into — they have the lowest acceptance rate and highest academic standards. At the same time, reach schools s

: even if your scores are slightly lower, you might have amazing extracurriculars or outstanding essays. Every Ivy school will fall into this category.

Match schools are universities where the academic profile of admitted students 

 yours. Once you see that your GPA and SAT scores are in the same range as those of current freshmen, you found your match school!

Safety schools will have the highest chance of acceptance, as your performance 

 that of the average admitted student. It's important to note that 

acceptance to a safety school is never guaranteed: 

if you write a crappy essay, your chances will drop to zero.

It's recommended to have 3-5 universities in each category. When I myself was a student, all of my reach schools were in the US (NYUAD is not in the US, but you get what I mean), but my safety school was in Russia. Diversify your options as much as possible🌏✨

Once the research process is over, it's time to put together a list! You can do it directly in Borderless, using smart features and notifications which will remind you of the upcoming deadlines and new content about universities on your list.

You will find your template by clicking on your Profile icon in the top right corner and heading over to "🎓College List". Your College List is 

Step 2: Start adding universities from our database

You can then start typing the university name in the first column and selecting it from the list. The location will be filled automatically.

The rest of the table is for you to fill out! Add information about deadlines, financial aid, acceptance rate, application fee, etc. Our template will make sure all of the key information is in one place.

Once your College List is created, it's time to start applying! Use the "Status" column to keep track of your progress and stay tuned for notifications on new content.

You can leave your questions in the comments below👇

College List is a list of 10-15 universities that perfectly match your academic, social, and financial needs. You can create it directly in Borderless, using smart features and notifications which will remind you of the upcoming deadlines and new content about universities on your list.

How to build your College List as an international student

This first way to finance your studies is through scholarships, which are generally divided into 2 types:

Merit-based scholarships are offered for 

 in academics or other areas such as sports or arts. They are highly competitive, and usually given to a few students per year. Some examples are 

 (UK). In some cases, students are automatically considered for this scholarship, while in others, you are required to fill out an application. The amount of merit-based scholarships varies, but in the best cases, they can cover 100% of your expenses.

Need-based scholarships are offered based on 

. The amount of financial aid is determined by each family’s financial circumstances. In addition to the standard set of documents, you will be required to provide official documents, such as a bank statement and parents' salary, confirming your financial situation (in the US it's called 

you will get the money if you actually need it and you get accepted.

Not every college meets 100% of demonstrated financial needs

, you always need to double-check that on the university’s website! Keep in mind that you need money not only for tuition but also for housing, books, meals, and tickets. Some universities that cover 100% of your needs are 

The next type of scholarship is provided not by the university itself, but by the external sponsors, or even the government! A few examples are 

 (Korea). Each scholarship has its own requirements, which you need to carefully check on the website. They are quite prestigious and highly competitive, but very generous!

My least favorite method that is not suitable for everyone: the sponsor covers your expenses, which 

. The amount and interest rate will depend on the country and university, here is an example of a zero-interest loan from 

As an international student, it can be difficult to get a loan, especially in the US, so make sure to explore other options and have a serious conversation with your parents. In the US you would generally be asked to have a guarantor — a US resident or citizen who provides a guarantee of repayment.

These are scholarships designed to support a 

. The amount of money and conditions depend on each organization. I would recommend searching for these in Google using relevant keywords.

And finally, you can enter a university with 

, which is possible for international students! Free universities are most common in Europe: 

However, there is a catch! In many cases, you can study for free provided that 

you study in the language of the country where you are applying.

 But there are also programs in English! Keep in mind that you would also need to cover your living costs, which can be done with scholarships or on-campus jobs.

⚠️ Do you have any suggestions or corrections to this article? Please, leave it in the comment box below. This article will be updated continuously. It’s a community effort!

There are several funding opportunities for your degree: scholarships, financial aid, student loan, universities with free tuition.

How to fund your education abroad as an international student

Being an international student is not easy, but there are lots of people and organizations working hard to support you! Here is the compilation of the best tools that will guide you from an early application process to arriving on campus:

There is no one good database of scholarships for international students (not yet, we are working on it!), but you can still find everything you need.

Once you arrive on campus, you will be supplied with amazing resources by your own university, but here are our must-haves:

What would you add to our list? Leave a comment below👇

Compilation of the best tools for international students that will guide you from an early application process to arriving on campus.

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