NY Times about US students choosing to study abroad

[Anonymous]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/us/us-students-international-university-enrollment.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JE8.LmlR.FAk33_42OmQe&smid=url-share

This is sort of a spin off from the other thread which says US students are going abroad because they can't get into top US colleges due to the large percentage of places offered international students.

This article gives a host of other reasons Americans are choosing to go abroad. Particularly interesting to me was the kid who was planning on going to the U of Maryland, but is now going to attend college in Canada due to Trump's cuts to research at Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Aaron Dowd, 18, a high school senior in Maryland, said he applied to the University of Toronto two days after the presidential election, at his mother’s urging. Mr. Dowd will pursue a mechanical engineering degree and hopes to use it to do medical research.

Initially, “Canada was nowhere on my list,” he said, adding that his top choice had been the University of Maryland. Studying in Canada “was basically going to be a plan B just in case things in the country went south as a result of the new administration.”

But when the National Institutes of Health and other research institutions began to experience cuts, Mr. Dowd’s plan B appeared to be the “safest option” for his education and future career, he said.

[Anonymous]

For my kid it was simple. It was either Full Tuition for 4 years at Cornell Engineering or 3 year of Full Tuition at Imperial College for Mech Engineering.

The savings are absurd. We can both fly first class every other month to visit and it would still be cheaper. In the plus side, it is Imperial College….

[Anonymous]

Among kids I know going abroad, decisions include cost savings and cache. For some, the cost savings is significant - both in terms of annual tuition rates and also the years it takes to earn a degree. For others, UK schools are better acafemically than their other US options. The uk/irish schools also admit by grades/testing vs the opaque 'holistic' process which seems refreshingly straight forward. No one I know brings up Trump budget cuts as a rationale. Personally, i think the opportunity to live and study in another country is pretty exciting! My kid was not interested, but I think it's great for kids who have a clear idea about what they want to study.

[Anonymous]

I have neighbors that sent their children to McGill. Saved a lot of money. The graduates are doing really well. Not really as campus and sports oriented at all from what has been described to me. The focus seems to basically be the academics and that is what is paid for. Not all of the other stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have neighbors that sent their children to McGill. Saved a lot of money. The graduates are doing really well. Not really as campus and sports oriented at all from what has been described to me. The focus seems to basically be the academics and that is what is paid for. Not all of the other stuff.

This is Canadian unis in general. There are sports, but it’s definitely not the main focus.

[Anonymous]

I’m thinking about doing this just because I want the kids to be able to move away from the US. This country is going in the wrong direction.

[Anonymous]

For UMC families, it’s so much cheaper to go abroad or OOS public (with a few exceptions). I don’t blame kids for wanting to leave right now, at least for a few years.

[Anonymous]

My son left because his option at St Andrews for the dual major he wanted was better than the NYU and USC offer he had. It was an academic decision. When coupled with the fact it would be half of the price, it just made it an even better decision.

[Anonymous]

The U.S. is losing their best and brightest to other countries while developing a nation of MAGA dunces.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is headed to University of Toronto. After the election, she chose to apply abroad. The savings in tuition is my favorite benefit!

[Anonymous]

Understandable, better value for the educational dollar. Also no mystery in what it takes to get in. Have the grades and scores and you have good shot at getting in. No hidden agendas or social engineering, at least for now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Understandable, better value for the educational dollar. Also no mystery in what it takes to get in. Have the grades and scores and you have good shot at getting in. No hidden agendas or social engineering, at least for now.

Not if you want to study science or do research, it's not a better value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Understandable, better value for the educational dollar. Also no mystery in what it takes to get in. Have the grades and scores and you have good shot at getting in. No hidden agendas or social engineering, at least for now.

“Social engineering “? Like educating citizens of other countries? That kind of “social engineering “? Let’s see what happens after a few years of larger numbers of US citizens taking advantage of non-US schools. Other countries might get tired of supporting that “better value” part.

[Anonymous]

My kid chose U of Toronto last month over several elite US schools because research funding at the US schools (important even for undergrads in STEM) was dramatically disappearing, with stories of students losing funding they thought they'd secured (usually because faculty lost funding) unfolding in real time as my kid was visiting the schools and trying to reach a decision. Kid originally planned to stay in the states, but it felt as if the US federal government was telling him to leave. And so he is.