While the admissions standards for international students are usually very similar to US students, one difference is not qualifying for the same federal financial aid as US citizens. This means international students may be required to show proof of funds (financial documents) before their application is reviewed. Policies vary at different universities, but this is the biggest difference for international applicants’ admissions process. Additionally, the competitiveness may be based on how many people from their country of origin are also applying to the same universities.