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From Bangalore to Pitt: My Journey as a Finance Student in the International Landscape
by Arjun
from India 🇮🇳
Bridging Divides Together
yesterday 19:12
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How My "tripod" of family, faith, and voice Led Me to the University of Notre Dame
by Vicente
from Chile 🇨🇱
Vicente discovered his dream school, University of Notre Dame, through our AI powered college list
My application journey from Ethiopia to the Ivy League with a full scholarship
by Fenan
from Ethiopia 🇪🇹
Fenan used Borderless to refine his EC descriptions and Common App essay, which got him into Brown!
My journey from Romania to NYUAD Class of 2029 with a full scholarship
by Diana
from Romania 🇷🇴
Diana followed Borderless’s Guidebook and used EC + essay review to get into NYUAD!
Developed by expert counsellors & engineers from top universities
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Mechanical engineer who built autonomous wheelchairs in Japan and later taught himself software engineering.
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Experienced college counselor who’s guided students into the Ivy Leagues as well as top schools in Canada, the UK, and Europe.
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Not ready to apply yet? Explore our free resources
Stories
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus 🇺🇸
Pittsburgh, US
From Bangalore to Pitt: My Journey as a Finance Student in the International Landscape
by Arjun from India 🇮🇳
NYU Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪
Abu Dhabi, UAE
From studying at International Schools in Uzbekistan to winning a full scholarship to NYUAD
by Makhmudjon from Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Wellesley College 🇺🇸
Wellesley, US
It Only Takes One: From a Feminist Passion Project in Egypt to a $103K/Year Full Ride at Wellesley, the World’s Best Women’s College
by Sarah from Egypt 🇪🇬
University of Rochester 🇺🇸
Rochester, NY, US
Turning a Rejected Scholarship Into a Full-Ride. My Journey from Syria to the University of Rochester After 1 Gap-Year
by Majd from Syria 🇸🇾
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg 🇺🇸
Middletown, US
From Bangalore to Penn State: My Journey as a Biobehavioural Health and Health Policy Student
by Srinidhi from India 🇮🇳
Utsunomiya University 🇯🇵
Utsunomiya, Japan
Building Bridges Through Words: Connecting Across Borders with Language and International Relations
by Muaz from Malaysia 🇲🇾
Guidebook
Application deadlines
You'll usually apply to U.S. universities during your final year of high school—typically between November and mid-January. Already graduated? No worries. You can still apply as a gap-year student.
Applying happens in your senior year, but the real work starts way earlier—think 2-3 years ahead of deadlines. Building solid extracurriculars, prepping for tests, and researching universities takes time. This isn't something you can cram into a few months.
Types of Application Deadlines
Early Decision (ED)
ED is perfect if you're absolutely sure about your top-choice school. You'll apply by November and get your answer by December. But here's the catch: ED is binding, meaning you must attend if accepted. You can choose only one school for ED.
Early Action (EA)
EA is similar to ED, but without the commitment. You'll apply around November, hear back by December or January, and still be free to compare other offers. You can apply EA to multiple schools.
Restrictive Early Action (REA)
REA (also called Single-Choice Early Action) is non-binding but comes with rules. You'll apply by November, get your decision around December, and won't be obligated to attend. But there's a twist: if you choose REA, you can't apply ED or EA to other private schools, though public universities are usually okay. Check each school's rules carefully.
Regular Decision (RD)
This is the most common (and commitment-free) way to apply. Deadlines are usually in January, with decisions announced by March or April. You'll have until May 1st to decide. You can apply RD to multiple schools. Miss this deadline, though, and you're stuck waiting another full year.
Rolling Admissions
A handful of colleges don't set strict deadlines—they review applications as they come in. But watch out: some have priority dates, meaning you'll get an advantage by applying early.
Gap year students
If you miss the RD application deadline or decide to postpone your application to a year later after you have already finished high school, you will be considered a gap year student. Being a gap year student is very common and does not put you at a disadvantage. In fact, it is a great opportunity to explore your interests, pursue amazing internships, or just study more for your standardized tests. Some students take 2 or even 3 gap years.
Here are a few successful international students who took one or more gap years:
Even though taking a gap year will not hurt your chances of admission, it's important to spend it wisely. On the Common App, you will be asked to write a Gap Year Statement, explaining how you spent it, what you learned, and how it prepared you for success in college.
Grade 9-10 timeline
Like we mentioned earlier, your college prep starts waaay before application deadlines. Here's your step-by-step roadmap from grades 9 and 10 onward (yes, that early!).
- Choose challenging but realistic classes—think Pre-IB, Pre-AP, or accelerated tracks if they're available. And yes, every grade counts—even those freshman year grades you wish you could forget.
- Get involved with clubs, extracurriculars, and summer programs—but only pick ones you actually like! Admissions officers can smell a "doing-this-just-for-college" activity a mile away.
- Start exploring personal projects—not because you need something fancy for your applications, but because figuring out what genuinely excites you matters.
- Research colleges early, connect with other international students who've been through it, and definitely use Borderless.
Grade 11 timeline
By 11th grade, things get serious—but you've got this:
- Push yourself academically—universities love seeing strong grades this year especially. No slacking!
- Aim for leadership roles in your clubs, sports teams, or volunteer groups. Keep pursuing activities that genuinely excite you and make an impact.
- Thinking of launching or leading your passion project? Now's the perfect time.
- Prepare for and take standardized tests: SAT or ACT. If English isn't your first language, add TOEFL or IELTS to your list.
- Explore universities virtually or visit them in person during open-house events.
- If your school has one, schedule a one-on-one meeting with your college adviser for personalized advice, or consider mentorship from Borderless.
- Continue researching universities and scholarships. Your future self will seriously thank you.
- Towards the end of 11th grade, request your letters of recommendation—your teachers will appreciate the early notice.
- Begin brainstorming ideas for your Common App Personal Statement. Yes, already!
Grade 12 timeline
Grade 12—it's go-time:
- Applications typically open around August—don't procrastinate, start early!
- If possible, take more challenging courses in the fall semester. Remember, universities make decisions before seeing your final Grade 12 grades.
- Secure your letters of recommendation, transcripts, and all other necessary documents.
- Spend quality time refining your personal statement and supplemental essays. Rushing this part is a huge no-no.
- Complete all applications through Common App or other relevant platforms.
- Applying Early Decision or Early Action? Deadlines usually fall between October 15 and November 15. Regular Decision is typically due in January.
- Don't forget your Financial Aid application form—seriously, don't.
- Prepare thoroughly and confidently for your college interviews.
- Late March or early April means acceptance letters! Choose carefully—the right fit matters for your goals and your budget.
Trusted by International Students worldwide
Wellesley CollegeAs an international student needing a full ride, Borderless felt like a safe space for me. It made the whole admissions process so much clearer and less overwhelming, with resources that were actually easy to understand and apply.
Full scholarship
Vanderbilt University$99k/yr scholarship
Oberlin College$90k/yr scholarshipBorderless helped me a lot during this process, especially when writing my personal statement - the specific feedback and details I got back were spot on. My PIQs & all my supplementals were also reviewed by Borderless app and it gave specific feedback to improve them. I also used the Brainstorming tool (amazing! It really sounded like a real counselor) for most of my apps. The activities list review tool was also great, it helped me reorganize the order and small details that I didn't detect before. Thank you for building this incredible app!
Smith College
Brandeis University
University of ChicagoI've read some interviews and articles by students getting scholarships in different universities and this has really inspired me through different stages in my journey! I also used the essays editor and evaluator, which was really super helpful when it comes to evaluating many essays while applying and at least get a sense of how good it is without having to ask my friends to read a hundred essays for me! I also appreciated that it was almost completely free and I didn't have to pay anything, and I know how this can be helpful for students who can't afford to pay for advisors. Thank you so much!!
Full scholarship
MBZUAI
NYU Abu DhabiI used the thirty min call with Veronica twice and used the essay helper many times. The calls really helped me because i did one during brainstorming and one when i thought i already had my final draft and the first one helped me eliminate some bad ideas and second one helped me reframe my final version to be much more connected to my culture. Essay helper was absolutely amazing, and it helped me with focus and especially for the additional NYU essay as i was confused with what exactly to write within such a limited wordcount.
$88.5k/year scholarshipNYU Abu Dhabi
Bates College85% scholarshipTHE PLATFORM WAS A LIFESAVER, when i was managing 10000 of applications to colleges all at once. I read almost all the stories of students who got into universities, where i was applying
Tufts University
Franklin & Marshall
Wesleyan UniversityBorderless was really helpful for me. I almost read all the shared stories and found them truly inspiring. Also, I used borderless to review my essays online, organize my college list, and extracurricular activities. Thank you so much Veronica for all the videos you shared on social media, and for this great website. I am very grateful to borderless for helping me turn my dream a reality, even by just using your free services.
Full scholarship
NYU ShanghaiI have been reading the stories since I was in 9th grade, and it helped me kind of plan out my extracurriculars. But the thing that helped me the most was the Borderless App's review and rating mechanisms. It helped me refine my essays, and I believe that's what got me in
$40k/year scholarship
Minerva University
Bowdoin College$97k/yr scholarshipBoth the Borderless app and Instagram account have been a huge help in my application process. As a low-income international student, I found community in the Instagram account, watching content that helped me and showed me I am not alone. The app helped me organise my college list, tracking which applications were done or what was left to do. And the writing assistance was one of my favourite tools. From brainstorming to revision, absolutely helpful.
Georgia TechFirst Borderless expanded my college options through the college list service. With the stories, I was inspired to apply to some colleges and understand their admissions. With the ECs reviewer, it provided me with the chance to theme my profile to actually start crafting my profile. Thanks!
University of Washington
UW-MadisonBorderless was meaningful to me and to my process of learning and preparing to applications. I used every tool to review my essays and extracurricular activities and read many stories to learn about the profile of the approved students at the university I wanted to apply. I had mentorship to help me, but to people who can't afford or weren't approved at any mentorship, I believe Borderless is a powerful app.
Wellesley CollegeAs an international student needing a full ride, Borderless felt like a safe space for me. It made the whole admissions process so much clearer and less overwhelming, with resources that were actually easy to understand and apply.
Full scholarshipVanderbilt University$99k/yr scholarshipOberlin College$90k/yr scholarshipBorderless helped me a lot during this process, especially when writing my personal statement - the specific feedback and details I got back were spot on. My PIQs & all my supplementals were also reviewed by Borderless app and it gave specific feedback to improve them. I also used the Brainstorming tool (amazing! It really sounded like a real counselor) for most of my apps. The activities list review tool was also great, it helped me reorganize the order and small details that I didn't detect before. Thank you for building this incredible app!
Smith CollegeBrandeis UniversityUniversity of ChicagoI've read some interviews and articles by students getting scholarships in different universities and this has really inspired me through different stages in my journey! I also used the essays editor and evaluator, which was really super helpful when it comes to evaluating many essays while applying and at least get a sense of how good it is without having to ask my friends to read a hundred essays for me! I also appreciated that it was almost completely free and I didn't have to pay anything, and I know how this can be helpful for students who can't afford to pay for advisors. Thank you so much!!
Full scholarshipMBZUAINYU Abu DhabiI used the thirty min call with Veronica twice and used the essay helper many times. The calls really helped me because i did one during brainstorming and one when i thought i already had my final draft and the first one helped me eliminate some bad ideas and second one helped me reframe my final version to be much more connected to my culture. Essay helper was absolutely amazing, and it helped me with focus and especially for the additional NYU essay as i was confused with what exactly to write within such a limited wordcount.
$88.5k/year scholarshipNYU Abu DhabiBates College85% scholarshipTHE PLATFORM WAS A LIFESAVER, when i was managing 10000 of applications to colleges all at once. I read almost all the stories of students who got into universities, where i was applying
Tufts UniversityFranklin & MarshallWesleyan UniversityBorderless was really helpful for me. I almost read all the shared stories and found them truly inspiring. Also, I used borderless to review my essays online, organize my college list, and extracurricular activities. Thank you so much Veronica for all the videos you shared on social media, and for this great website. I am very grateful to borderless for helping me turn my dream a reality, even by just using your free services.
Full scholarshipNYU ShanghaiI have been reading the stories since I was in 9th grade, and it helped me kind of plan out my extracurriculars. But the thing that helped me the most was the Borderless App's review and rating mechanisms. It helped me refine my essays, and I believe that's what got me in
$40k/year scholarshipMinerva UniversityBowdoin College$97k/yr scholarshipBoth the Borderless app and Instagram account have been a huge help in my application process. As a low-income international student, I found community in the Instagram account, watching content that helped me and showed me I am not alone. The app helped me organise my college list, tracking which applications were done or what was left to do. And the writing assistance was one of my favourite tools. From brainstorming to revision, absolutely helpful.
Georgia TechFirst Borderless expanded my college options through the college list service. With the stories, I was inspired to apply to some colleges and understand their admissions. With the ECs reviewer, it provided me with the chance to theme my profile to actually start crafting my profile. Thanks!
University of WashingtonUW-MadisonBorderless was meaningful to me and to my process of learning and preparing to applications. I used every tool to review my essays and extracurricular activities and read many stories to learn about the profile of the approved students at the university I wanted to apply. I had mentorship to help me, but to people who can't afford or weren't approved at any mentorship, I believe Borderless is a powerful app.
Case Western ReserveI mostly watched the Instagram reels for advice and as I applied everywhere on my own without any agent I must admit those were REALLY helpful. Especially for the ECA recommendations — we don't really have any fancy clubs in our school or any high research opportunities. All of my ECAs were self-initiated, and Veronica's advice really helped me describe the impact I made through them in all my applications. I was thrilled to be accepted by CWRU since the USA admission process is 10 times more brutal than the Canadian one.
Middlebury CollegeBorderless was my savior during the application process. I mostly used the "extracurricular" and "essay" section to get feedback about what I was writing about. Borderless also made it easy to comprehend how to approach each supplemental question depending on the college/university. Finally, I would say that reading stories from different backgrounds was the starting point of motivation.
$92k/year scholarshipNYU Abu DhabiI loved the entire essay help section on the Borderless app! The brainstorming, the review, it all helped me so much in getting to where I am today.
Pace University$20k/yr scholarship
DePaul UniversityThe Borderless App has been helpful a lot in this college application season - as it is my first time, and I didn't have any mentors or people who could check my essays - it helped me survive. Especially the brainstorming with Borderless made me feel like i am less dumb and actually made my ideas more structured to put the all in one essay and convey the message I want. I am REALLY thankful to Borderless, I don't know what I would do without it.
$32,000/year scholarship
Berea CollegeBorderless was instrumental in my journey! I heavily used the Activities section guide to refine my descriptions and prioritize them according to Common App standards. The essay brainstorming tools and college list evaluations gave me much-needed clarity. I also spent a lot of time reading Borderless Stories and even reached out to past participants to get "insider" insights on specific universities, which helped me feel more connected to the community.
Full scholarship
Purdue UniversityI got into Purdue and a chunk of my acceptance goes to Borderless. I believe an application is nothing without essays and Borderless quite literally saved me with last minute reviews. Purdue was the first university I was going to writing supplementals for, and I genuinely had no idea how to begin, what to write, and if what I was writing was meaningful at all. That's where Borderless came in!! Its initial roadmap helped me start, and that framework helped me get my thoughts in order. Even after finishing my essays, Borderless AI caught many shortcomings within my essays, even minute ones, which I think have played a huge role in my acceptance to Purdue West Lafayette, and that too in one of the most competitive majors, Computer Science.
Bucknell UniversityI mostly used the essay review tool, which really improved my writing. I also gathered all my college options in one place, making my application process much more organized and easier.
$83.5k/year scholarship
Emerson College$15k/yr scholarship
Syracuse University$23k/yr scholarshipBorderless supported me throughout every step of my application journey. They helped with essay writing, building strong extracurricular activities, and choosing the right universities, making the entire process clearer, more organized, and much less stressful.
Texas State$24k/yr scholarship
UT DallasIt was my first time applying to universities outside my country, so I felt a little lost about what colleges were looking for. Borderless became a mentor for me throughout the process and gave me the confidence to tell my story more authentically in my essays.
Oberlin College$80k/yr scholarship
Union College$66k/yr scholarshipIt really helped me to structure my essays — I crafted most of my essays using Borderless, as I didn't use a college counseling service neither at my school nor outside counseling. For someone who had no confidence with writing and no knowledge about where to start, this tool was more than helpful. I read stories about many colleges and started making my dream school lists out of it. I am hopeful to be able to make a positive impact on other fellow international students on this platform just as I was given so much from the past applicants. Thank you so much.
Pace University$47k/yr scholarshipBorderless really helped me through this whole journey. I had a lot of activities, but was unsure how to describe or order them. Borderless made that process so much clearer and easier. It also helped me refine my essay by fixing the grammatical issues and giving me writing advice, which made a big difference in my essay.
Adelphi UniversityI've been reading Borderless's stories for years now, but the most useful tool would definitely have to be the Activity Description Tool. It was honestly so helpful, from organizing them and telling me how to utilize the character count. Something I don't see mentioned much about it is how it helps spotting mistakes. I wrote 1 hour instead of 10 hours and it helped me catch that, or I would have totally been screwed since it was a really unique and niche activity of mine.
$32k/year scholarship
Knox College$50k/yr scholarship
Beloit College$45k/yr scholarshipBorderless helps me to refine my essays and EC descriptions, it's totally a game-changer! At first I was completely confused about writing EC descriptions with tight limits, but the Activities review instructed me how to make my ECs sound measurable and impactful and I think it boosted my chances to get into my dream school (TCU) as an international student with a huge scholarship.
Clark University$45k/yr scholarshipUnion College$42k/yr scholarshipBorderless helped me immensely in structuring my activities in a way that really highlighted their impact. Additionally, the feedback on my extracurriculars helped me refine the narrative and theme of my application!
University of OregonI found Borderless when I literally hit a brick wall in my application. The essay brainstorm tool was literally a life saver — it helped me know what colleges wanted and how to write the best I can.
$50k scholarship
Beloit College$48k/yr scholarship
DePauw University$48k/yr scholarshipI learned about Borderless from Facebook. After using this platform I made some very clear progress towards my USA admission journey. Borderless helped me to write my essay and making my college list. So much grateful for that. I read some of the stories from Borderless.
Case Western ReserveI mostly watched the Instagram reels for advice and as I applied everywhere on my own without any agent I must admit those were REALLY helpful. Especially for the ECA recommendations — we don't really have any fancy clubs in our school or any high research opportunities. All of my ECAs were self-initiated, and Veronica's advice really helped me describe the impact I made through them in all my applications. I was thrilled to be accepted by CWRU since the USA admission process is 10 times more brutal than the Canadian one.
Middlebury CollegeBorderless was my savior during the application process. I mostly used the "extracurricular" and "essay" section to get feedback about what I was writing about. Borderless also made it easy to comprehend how to approach each supplemental question depending on the college/university. Finally, I would say that reading stories from different backgrounds was the starting point of motivation.
$92k/year scholarshipNYU Abu DhabiI loved the entire essay help section on the Borderless app! The brainstorming, the review, it all helped me so much in getting to where I am today.
Pace University$20k/yr scholarshipDePaul UniversityThe Borderless App has been helpful a lot in this college application season - as it is my first time, and I didn't have any mentors or people who could check my essays - it helped me survive. Especially the brainstorming with Borderless made me feel like i am less dumb and actually made my ideas more structured to put the all in one essay and convey the message I want. I am REALLY thankful to Borderless, I don't know what I would do without it.
$32,000/year scholarshipBerea CollegeBorderless was instrumental in my journey! I heavily used the Activities section guide to refine my descriptions and prioritize them according to Common App standards. The essay brainstorming tools and college list evaluations gave me much-needed clarity. I also spent a lot of time reading Borderless Stories and even reached out to past participants to get "insider" insights on specific universities, which helped me feel more connected to the community.
Full scholarshipPurdue UniversityI got into Purdue and a chunk of my acceptance goes to Borderless. I believe an application is nothing without essays and Borderless quite literally saved me with last minute reviews. Purdue was the first university I was going to writing supplementals for, and I genuinely had no idea how to begin, what to write, and if what I was writing was meaningful at all. That's where Borderless came in!! Its initial roadmap helped me start, and that framework helped me get my thoughts in order. Even after finishing my essays, Borderless AI caught many shortcomings within my essays, even minute ones, which I think have played a huge role in my acceptance to Purdue West Lafayette, and that too in one of the most competitive majors, Computer Science.
Bucknell UniversityI mostly used the essay review tool, which really improved my writing. I also gathered all my college options in one place, making my application process much more organized and easier.
$83.5k/year scholarshipEmerson College$15k/yr scholarshipSyracuse University$23k/yr scholarshipBorderless supported me throughout every step of my application journey. They helped with essay writing, building strong extracurricular activities, and choosing the right universities, making the entire process clearer, more organized, and much less stressful.
Texas State$24k/yr scholarshipUT DallasIt was my first time applying to universities outside my country, so I felt a little lost about what colleges were looking for. Borderless became a mentor for me throughout the process and gave me the confidence to tell my story more authentically in my essays.
Oberlin College$80k/yr scholarshipUnion College$66k/yr scholarshipIt really helped me to structure my essays — I crafted most of my essays using Borderless, as I didn't use a college counseling service neither at my school nor outside counseling. For someone who had no confidence with writing and no knowledge about where to start, this tool was more than helpful. I read stories about many colleges and started making my dream school lists out of it. I am hopeful to be able to make a positive impact on other fellow international students on this platform just as I was given so much from the past applicants. Thank you so much.
Pace University$47k/yr scholarshipBorderless really helped me through this whole journey. I had a lot of activities, but was unsure how to describe or order them. Borderless made that process so much clearer and easier. It also helped me refine my essay by fixing the grammatical issues and giving me writing advice, which made a big difference in my essay.
Adelphi UniversityI've been reading Borderless's stories for years now, but the most useful tool would definitely have to be the Activity Description Tool. It was honestly so helpful, from organizing them and telling me how to utilize the character count. Something I don't see mentioned much about it is how it helps spotting mistakes. I wrote 1 hour instead of 10 hours and it helped me catch that, or I would have totally been screwed since it was a really unique and niche activity of mine.
$32k/year scholarshipKnox College$50k/yr scholarshipBeloit College$45k/yr scholarshipBorderless helps me to refine my essays and EC descriptions, it's totally a game-changer! At first I was completely confused about writing EC descriptions with tight limits, but the Activities review instructed me how to make my ECs sound measurable and impactful and I think it boosted my chances to get into my dream school (TCU) as an international student with a huge scholarship.
Clark University$45k/yr scholarshipUnion College$42k/yr scholarshipBorderless helped me immensely in structuring my activities in a way that really highlighted their impact. Additionally, the feedback on my extracurriculars helped me refine the narrative and theme of my application!
University of OregonI found Borderless when I literally hit a brick wall in my application. The essay brainstorm tool was literally a life saver — it helped me know what colleges wanted and how to write the best I can.
$50k scholarshipBeloit College$48k/yr scholarshipDePauw University$48k/yr scholarshipI learned about Borderless from Facebook. After using this platform I made some very clear progress towards my USA admission journey. Borderless helped me to write my essay and making my college list. So much grateful for that. I read some of the stories from Borderless.
