If you applied to colleges outside the US, why?

[Anonymous]

You can also get single dorm rooms pretty much everywhere. Just sayin'...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can also get single dorm rooms pretty much everywhere. Just sayin'...

Yes, there is much less of a boarding school vibe overseas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid applied to Oxbridge and a few other British universities. The process is not as smooth sailing as people make it, and we prepped him for interviews with our own undergrad coursework (it worked out well).

DC was already going to an IB school, had expressed interest in going abroad for a while and DH and myself are considering leaving the country, so it all aligned.

Fake post. Go away.

[Anonymous]

My kid has been interested, theoretically, in living/studying in another country for several years. We are in DC, so we do not have an in-state tuition option. Family income is just high enough to be full pay or close to full pay (we did get a small amount of financial aid from the only EA school who has provided a financial aid award letter at this point). So the savings are real if not necessarily enormous, depending on where she studies and the local COL. She has been accepted by one international university and is waiting to hear from two more. The downside from DD's perspective is that she would prefer the breadth and flexibility of the US approach, and while she applied to multi-disciplinary programs at these schools, it would still be more a more narrow/targeted intellectual experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid applied to Oxbridge and a few other British universities. The process is not as smooth sailing as people make it, and we prepped him for interviews with our own undergrad coursework (it worked out well).

DC was already going to an IB school, had expressed interest in going abroad for a while and DH and myself are considering leaving the country, so it all aligned.

Fake post. Go away.

Learn to disagree with people and speak the truth rather than peddling false information. Figure your life out first. Go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid applied to Oxbridge and a few other British universities. The process is not as smooth sailing as people make it, and we prepped him for interviews with our own undergrad coursework (it worked out well).

DC was already going to an IB school, had expressed interest in going abroad for a while and DH and myself are considering leaving the country, so it all aligned.

Fake post. Go away.

Learn to disagree with people and speak the truth rather than peddling false information. Figure your life out first. Go away.

Wut?

[Anonymous]

I have one kid at Bristol and one at ESCP. My 3rd has just applied to Edinburgh, Bristol and Exeter. Awaiting results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid applied to Oxbridge and a few other British universities. The process is not as smooth sailing as people make it, and we prepped him for interviews with our own undergrad coursework (it worked out well).

DC was already going to an IB school, had expressed interest in going abroad for a while and DH and myself are considering leaving the country, so it all aligned.

Fake post. Go away.

Learn to disagree with people and speak the truth rather than peddling false information. Figure your life out first. Go away.

Wut?

Another poster acting like an idiot. Whose shocked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one kid at Bristol and one at ESCP. My 3rd has just applied to Edinburgh, Bristol and Exeter. Awaiting results.

I forgot to add….My wife and I are both Americans. But met at LSE during grad school, lived in London for 5 years and moved back to the states when 1st kid was born.

It is just so much cheaper considering most degrees are just 3 years. When you do a cost/benefit analysis, there is just no comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, only listen to people who actually have kids at college overseas.

My kid didn't find admissions at Oxbridge or a place like U Toronto all that straightforward. Not the same as in the US, but certainly not just a test score and GPA. Both had essays, asked about ECs, etc.

Yes, if for example at U Toronto, you had not already taken AP Calc BC by junior year and had not scored a 5, you basically couldn't apply for various STEM majors...however, there were still essays and LORs and all the other stuff required of the application.

Motivation for us was that some of these universities are tops in different fields, and you would save compared to OOS schools.

I don't know how tuition works if you say move to Ontario but aren't a Canadian citizen or move to the UK, but aren't a UK citizen.

I disagree about Oxbridge admission -- it is very straightforward, but not easy. They have clear standards, require standardized testing, and care only about aptitude for the particular field of study. "Hooks" are not considered at all.

While a few subjects accept a relatively higher percentage of applicants, the more popular subjects accept only about 5% of US-based applicants.

Tuition is based on residency for UK schools, like US state universities. Oxbridge is less expensive than US equivalents this year, but the exchange rate does vary.

The UK apps are very straightforward. They are transparent about the minimum SATs and APs are for certain courses of study. There are only 5 schools one can apply to because the chances of admission are so obvious.
The American holistic BS is social engineering that continues to fail everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid has been interested, theoretically, in living/studying in another country for several years. We are in DC, so we do not have an in-state tuition option. Family income is just high enough to be full pay or close to full pay (we did get a small amount of financial aid from the only EA school who has provided a financial aid award letter at this point). So the savings are real if not necessarily enormous, depending on where she studies and the local COL. She has been accepted by one international university and is waiting to hear from two more. The downside from DD's perspective is that she would prefer the breadth and flexibility of the US approach, and while she applied to multi-disciplinary programs at these schools, it would still be more a more narrow/targeted intellectual experience.

I taught at several British universities, but returned to the US, as I prefer the US system for my kid.

Universities outside the US are not the same vibrant learning communities. More students commute, there is less interdisciplinary work, and the lack of extracurricular emphasis reduces the theatre, music etc on campus.

A number of British universities are in serious financial trouble. Check those balance sheets before sending your kid there.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14lv7e61d3o

[Anonymous]

1. Cheaper
2. Growth by living in a different country and getting a more global (non US only) mindset.
3. Language if applicable.
4. Avoid US admins that are worrisome (i.e., Trump)

[Anonymous]

Better education, simple as that. Overall lower cost even with foreign travel and other cost associated with long-term education related visas doesn’t hurt either.

[Anonymous]

1) Kid wanted a career that could easily take him to Singapore or London as it would NY or DC.
2) Cambridge's prestige and recognition> many US 'good' schools.
3) Relatively smooth process. No b.s. clubs or e/c's or hooks. All academics in tests and interviews.
4) Cambridge as a college town > any US college town. Plus only 1 hour to London.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's wild that you can have an undergrad and a taught masters in the total of four years in the UK compared to six years here. Ton of savings!

I thought 4 years just gets you a BSc. Hons.