European colleges
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Anonymous
Bolded parts apply quite broadly throughout Europe as a generalization (substitute Grandes Ecoles for any other type of specialized elite university in other countries). |
Anonymous
I know someone whose kids all went to McGill for free this way. Seems like an amazing opportunity. |
Anonymous
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What’s the purpose of enrolling to a European school? Save money on tuition, international exposure?
I wouldn’t do it for the lower tuition alone. If you plan on returning to US after graduation stick to a school that is well known here. Also the economy, youth employment, internship opportunities are much better in US. There’s a reason the net flux of students is from Europe to US. For international exposure you can do one semester abroad instead. |
Anonymous
They changed the policy within the last several years. You can qualify for Quebec-resident tuition rates which are very low (like $5k per year), but it's not free tuition. |
Anonymous
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My kid is a student at Trinity College Dublin, which so far has been a great experience -- they have been challenged academically and have become significantly more independent and mature. The application process is very straightforward and looks at grades, standardized test scores, and academic preparation for the "course" they are applying to (including LORs). They received notice of admission less than two weeks after submitting their application, which they submitted in late November/early December.
I believe--but you will want to verify--that TCD (and perhaps Irish universities in general) look at residence rather than citizenship, so your child would need to have lived in France for three of the last five years to qualify for EU tuition rates. The international tuition varies by course (more for engineering and medicine, for example, than English or social studies courses). A big consideration for European/UK universities in general is that most, if not all, classes are usually in the student's major, which they identify during the application process. My student chose an interdisciplinary course to ensure that they have more variety in the types of classes over the four years; some universities also provide more flexibility for taking classes outside the major. If breadth and exposure to new disciplines is important to your student, it is worth thinking hard about whether the European/UK approach would be a good fit. |
Anonymous
| If your son doesn't speak French, it's not going to work out. Outside some very specific tourist bubbles (even just one block away) English is only sightly more useful than Quechua |
Anonymous
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Both kids are still in HS here, and they have dual citizenship. One already passed the test to directly enter university in Europe and the other likely will too, later this year.
Unfortunately, neither has shown a strong inclination toward undergrad studies in Europe. It would have cost us very little, but oh well. Maybe they will reconsider for grad school. |
Anonymous
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Had relatives and friends in America with EU passports study at Science Po, ESCP, Sapienza, Bocconi and UvA (Amsterdam).
Yes, they can be pretty cheap. ESCP and Bocconi a little more expensive, but still, a drop in the bucket compared to US colleges for the education you get. |
Anonymous
Got it! Still an amazing opportunity to go to a world class university for a very low price ($5K + USD is awesome deal)! |
Anonymous
And how did things work out with internships? Employment? Grad school? thanks |
Anonymous
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A friend's kid went to a selective school in the Netherlands that accepts 250 per year, all classes in English. 3 year program, uner 15,000 Euros per year, they can afford to fly the kid home for all holidays and whatnot.
We told ours they could go abroad for grad school, but not undergrad. If there was a crisis of any sort, I didn't want 18 year olds trying to deal with that a flight and border away. One is doing just that, applying to grad schools across Europe now |
Anonymous
My Science Po nephew works for a DC based think tank. The Sapienza Rome one went to grad school at LSE and is now working in Brussels at an international political consulting firm. Bocconi kid is at a NY Investment firm. ESCP one just graduated and is finishing up a 1-yr masters degree at Imperial in London. Not sure what the final job outcome will be….all Americans kid who happened to have a EU passport. The best deal of them all was Sapienza…basically $2k per year tuition….for the price of a Michelin 3 Star Dinner she got a great IR/Politics degree 
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Anonymous
Did the Sciences Po one study in Paris or Reims? How was their experience? French level? |
Anonymous
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French person here. If he has French citizenship, he might not be treated like an international student and he might be asked for his Bac. So please do your research to make sure that his American school transcript can be accepted by a French university. It's not so easy as you might think - please do your research early on the process to apply as a French expatriate. I agree that French universities, like many in other parts of Europe, are bare-bones academic institutions. If you are not an international student, you are responsible for your own room and board. There are no dorms on campuses, it's not the same thing at all as US colleges. There is no hand-holding. Universities are not extensions of high school like they are in the US. Your kid is on their own to meet all deadlines and talk to professors. My oldest was accepted at McGill, which currently offers Canadian tuition rates to French citizens (not the lower Quebec tuition, and it was never free, contrary to what PP said), but chose to study locally, at GW in DC, then do a semester at Sciences Po in Paris, to test whether he might want to do a Master's there in the future. My second also wants to start undergrad in the US. If it's too complicated and too much of a leap to attend a French uni right out of high school, I highly recommend you visit McGill and other Quebec universities, which to my understanding all offer that discount for French citizens. One reason my son turned down McGill was that his intended major was International Affairs, which is better done at GW. But if your kid has other majors in mind... it might be worth a look. Sciences Po is a respected political science institution. It accepts many foreign students on its satellite campuses, with courses in English. My son was eligible to study in Paris, with courses in French and English, since he is entirely bilingual. He had a great experience there. |
Anonymous
No. For French citizens, it's Canadian tuition. Not Quebec tuition. Still lower than what they charge for other foreigners, but not quite as steep of a discount. In effect, we calculated it would come to about the same price as attending our in-state flagship. |