Are We Crazy for Questioning a $250k US Degree and looking abroad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"The kids from other countries clamor to come to the USA and attend colleges there. There is a reason. The universities and colleges are top-rate in the USA. This isn’t about price. "

They come here because it's easier to stay here after graduating by either overstaying the visa or getting an H1B underpaid job.
Up until recently, this was a viable path after graduating from a US school.

The corollary to the above about overstaying visas and hunting for H1B jobs -
Most of the kids from other countries are Indian and Asian. Some from the Middle East. Their countrymen are also healthily represented in the profiles of immigrants who overstay visas scrounge for H1B jobs.

There are very few Europeans clamoring to come to the USA to attend college. Presumably because they have no agenda to overstay a visa and scrape the bottom of the H1B barrel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

OP, my son went to Exeter undergrad for Applied Finance in the apprenticeship program with JP Morgan in London. He was in the 2nd cohort of the program. He worked at JP Morgan in London for 3 years. He is now back in the US getting his MBA at a Top 5 program.

This is pretty cool. Where can i find more info about this apprenticeship program?

You can find more info here: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/degreeapprenticeships/programmes/financialservices/

It is a great niche program. My son had a blast. It worked real well for him. He was basically done with Level 1 CFA by the time he graduated and finished it in his 2nd yr at JP Morgan in London. Great experience that set up him well to come back to the US to a top MBA program.

That looks like a pretty interesting program. Wonder why JP Morgan chose Exeter for the program. Was your son hired directly after graduation?

Yes. The apprenticeship was a great experience for him. He was hired right away and spent 3 years at JPM in London before going back to get his MBA.

[Anonymous]

Does JP Morgan have anything like this in the US? Wonder why they felt the need to do this in the UK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does JP Morgan have anything like this in the US? Wonder why they felt the need to do this in the UK?

I met somebody in the UK in summer who was also talking about that child looking for apprenticeships with some of the big consulting firms.

Apparently, they’re called degree apprenticeships. There’s a list of companies that offer them in the UK on the UCAS site.

Here’s an article about a boy turning down a place at Oxford in order to do a degree apprenticeship. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-e9ba7a7b-c4cd-455f-a90a-3ed7ace3853b

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does JP Morgan have anything like this in the US? Wonder why they felt the need to do this in the UK?

I met somebody in the UK in summer who was also talking about that child looking for apprenticeships with some of the big consulting firms.

Apparently, they’re called degree apprenticeships. There’s a list of companies that offer them in the UK on the UCAS site.

Here’s an article about a boy turning down a place at Oxford in order to do a degree apprenticeship. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-e9ba7a7b-c4cd-455f-a90a-3ed7ace3853b

https://www.ucas.com/explore/search/employers?query=

[Anonymous]

The good news, is that US students are NOT eligible for UK apprenticeship degree schemes.

Phew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The good news, is that US students are NOT eligible for UK apprenticeship degree schemes.

Phew.

This has nothing to do with US students not being eligible. You need residency. You have be from anywhere in the world, as long as you can prove residency for 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

No it is not crazy. And thousands of Americans do this every year. The numbers are increasing every year. UK, Canada then EU are the most common paths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

We had a very similar discussion last year. My son was accepted to a few publics out of state full pay (UVA, Michigan and UCSB) and to a few privates like Emory, USC and NYU. Unfortunately he received just a tiny merit amount at Emory and nothing at USC or NYU. We live in Idaho and kid wanted out. He didnt apply to our state universities.

The choices were $55-63k OOS tuition or the privates with basically no merit. He got about 50% merit at Miami and Tulane.

Then he also applied to 5 schools on UCAS and to Bocconi in Milan. He was accepted to all of them. Bocconi, Edinburgh, Manchester, Kings, UCL and St Andrews. HE quickly turned down UCL and Kings after touring. He thought he would love London, but it was a little too much. We spent 1 week in Milan and 1 week in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Despite really loving the atmosphere at St Andrews and the big town, but still small town feel of Edinburgh, he ended up selecting Bocconi.

He gave up UVA, Michigan and UCSB for Bocconi. He is in his first semester and absolutely loving it. The dorms are amazing and the program is top notch. In the end, we are saving a ton of money and we are saving $30,000 per year for him on his account for when he graduates. He will have $100k plus there sitting for him to help start his life somewhere.

We were scared about this whole decision. We are both Americans, never studied abroad, but my son is thriving. has friends from all over the world in one of Europe’s top business school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

We had a very similar discussion last year. My son was accepted to a few publics out of state full pay (UVA, Michigan and UCSB) and to a few privates like Emory, USC and NYU. Unfortunately he received just a tiny merit amount at Emory and nothing at USC or NYU. We live in Idaho and kid wanted out. He didnt apply to our state universities.

The choices were $55-63k OOS tuition or the privates with basically no merit. He got about 50% merit at Miami and Tulane.

Then he also applied to 5 schools on UCAS and to Bocconi in Milan. He was accepted to all of them. Bocconi, Edinburgh, Manchester, Kings, UCL and St Andrews. HE quickly turned down UCL and Kings after touring. He thought he would love London, but it was a little too much. We spent 1 week in Milan and 1 week in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Despite really loving the atmosphere at St Andrews and the big town, but still small town feel of Edinburgh, he ended up selecting Bocconi.

He gave up UVA, Michigan and UCSB for Bocconi. He is in his first semester and absolutely loving it. The dorms are amazing and the program is top notch. In the end, we are saving a ton of money and we are saving $30,000 per year for him on his account for when he graduates. He will have $100k plus there sitting for him to help start his life somewhere.

We were scared about this whole decision. We are both Americans, never studied abroad, but my son is thriving. has friends from all over the world in one of Europe’s top business school.

Which program at Bocconi?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"The kids from other countries clamor to come to the USA and attend colleges there. There is a reason. The universities and colleges are top-rate in the USA. This isn’t about price. "

They come here because it's easier to stay here after graduating by either overstaying the visa or getting an H1B underpaid job.
Up until recently, this was a viable path after graduating from a US school.

The corollary to the above about overstaying visas and hunting for H1B jobs -
Most of the kids from other countries are Indian and Asian. Some from the Middle East. Their countrymen are also healthily represented in the profiles of immigrants who overstay visas scrounge for H1B jobs.

There are very few Europeans clamoring to come to the USA to attend college. Presumably because they have no agenda to overstay a visa and scrape the bottom of the H1B barrel.

You people probably know 0 H1B workers. They are all educated. They aren't going to stay in the US illegally to work blue collar jobs under the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

We had a very similar discussion last year. My son was accepted to a few publics out of state full pay (UVA, Michigan and UCSB) and to a few privates like Emory, USC and NYU. Unfortunately he received just a tiny merit amount at Emory and nothing at USC or NYU. We live in Idaho and kid wanted out. He didnt apply to our state universities.

The choices were $55-63k OOS tuition or the privates with basically no merit. He got about 50% merit at Miami and Tulane.

Then he also applied to 5 schools on UCAS and to Bocconi in Milan. He was accepted to all of them. Bocconi, Edinburgh, Manchester, Kings, UCL and St Andrews. HE quickly turned down UCL and Kings after touring. He thought he would love London, but it was a little too much. We spent 1 week in Milan and 1 week in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Despite really loving the atmosphere at St Andrews and the big town, but still small town feel of Edinburgh, he ended up selecting Bocconi.

He gave up UVA, Michigan and UCSB for Bocconi. He is in his first semester and absolutely loving it. The dorms are amazing and the program is top notch. In the end, we are saving a ton of money and we are saving $30,000 per year for him on his account for when he graduates. He will have $100k plus there sitting for him to help start his life somewhere.

We were scared about this whole decision. We are both Americans, never studied abroad, but my son is thriving. has friends from all over the world in one of Europe’s top business school.

Which program at Bocconi?

International Economics and Finance. The price for a Bocconi degree is ridiculous cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey everyone,
Following up on the conversations I see around here and other places about why more US students are looking at universities overseas. I've been going down the rabbit hole on this with my husband and my kids. My son is a Junior and daughter a Freshman. Thye have both brought up the possibility of maybe going abroad for college. My husband went to grad school in the UK and Italy so he is all for it. I’m not yet sold on it.

While it's tempting to focus on the positives, I think it's smarter to start with the real-world downsides. The biggest one for me is the career question. Let's be honest, if you go to Oxford, Cambridge, or LSE, your degree will open doors anywhere. But what if you go to a really solid, but less famous, university in the UK, Netherlands, Italy or Canada? How do grads from those schools do when they try to find a job back in the States? I worry that a hiring manager in, say, Chicago might just toss a resume because they don't recognize the school's name.

You're also thousands of miles away from US-based career fairs and the alumni network that helps people land their first job. A college consultant who specializes in EU/Canadian and UK schools actually told us that outside of Oxbridge and LSE/Imperial, we should focus only on the top 12 schools in the UK or the top 3 in each of the other EU countries. Her reasoning was that all US grad schools and the vast majority of top US companies know these specific schools, even if the general public doesn't. She said the real issue is with local or regional employers who won't recognize the name. But her point was, if your goal is to work for a local company back home, then why go abroad in the first place?

Beyond that, you're obviously giving up the traditional "American college experience." The whole campus life, dorm culture, college sports, and clubs are just a different world over there. And we can't ignore the personal side. It's a huge move. You have to deal with visa paperwork, international banking, and the very real possibility of getting homesick and not having your support system a quick flight away. It’s a serious trade-off that goes way beyond academics. This mom is a little concerned.

Now with the scary stuff out of the way, the pros are still massive. The most obvious is the cost, which is just staggering. We're talking about the potential to get a degree for a price that's less than a single year at some private US colleges. The math is pretty compelling: with many EU public universities having tuition at a fraction of US schools, the savings are life-changing. Specially if you are able to invest that savings on behalf of your kids for when they graduate. But beyond the practical stuff, I realize there's the huge benefit of actually living in a different culture for three or four years. I have to imagine that navigating a new country, becoming more independent, and seeing the world from a completely different perspective forces you to grow as an individual in a way that staying in the US just can't replicate. For kids with an interest in global business, History, Languages or international relations, this experience seems like a no-brainer. You'd be living and breathing cross-cultural communication and could potentially pick up another language, skills that can really set you apart.

But the last piece of the puzzle I was curious about was the return plan. It seems like coming back to the US for a graduate degree is a well-worn path. US Master's programs and even J.D. programs are very used to seeing applicants with international degrees. I wonder how many kids simply stay in Canada/EU/UK after graduation. Would love to hear from parents here who have had this experience before with their kids.

Sorry for the long post.

We had a very similar discussion last year. My son was accepted to a few publics out of state full pay (UVA, Michigan and UCSB) and to a few privates like Emory, USC and NYU. Unfortunately he received just a tiny merit amount at Emory and nothing at USC or NYU. We live in Idaho and kid wanted out. He didnt apply to our state universities.

The choices were $55-63k OOS tuition or the privates with basically no merit. He got about 50% merit at Miami and Tulane.

Then he also applied to 5 schools on UCAS and to Bocconi in Milan. He was accepted to all of them. Bocconi, Edinburgh, Manchester, Kings, UCL and St Andrews. HE quickly turned down UCL and Kings after touring. He thought he would love London, but it was a little too much. We spent 1 week in Milan and 1 week in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Despite really loving the atmosphere at St Andrews and the big town, but still small town feel of Edinburgh, he ended up selecting Bocconi.

He gave up UVA, Michigan and UCSB for Bocconi. He is in his first semester and absolutely loving it. The dorms are amazing and the program is top notch. In the end, we are saving a ton of money and we are saving $30,000 per year for him on his account for when he graduates. He will have $100k plus there sitting for him to help start his life somewhere.

We were scared about this whole decision. We are both Americans, never studied abroad, but my son is thriving. has friends from all over the world in one of Europe’s top business school.

Good for your son! Sounds like he made a great choice for himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many excellent public universities in the US that will end up being cheaper than the international schools you list above, even if you are OOS.

I know when we looked at Toronto two years ago for a STEM major it was going to be around US$62k/year. Cheaper than privates, but more than many public options in the US.

On the job front, it's really only the first job...but Toronto, McGill, UBC, Waterloo, Oxbridge, UCL (and like 10+ other UK schools), Zurich (the tech school that is like the MIT of Europe) et al are all generally known. I can't imagine your kid would really be looking at random European colleges anyway.

Right. I realize Toronto is expensive. Although I mentioned Canada, we really were not looking at Canada. EU prices are a fraction of that and considering English universities are just 3 years, they end up being much cheaper even with the current exchange rate. Unfortunately neither kid wants to stay in-state. So I’m trying to be open about this and get others perspectives with experience at colleges other than Oxbridge/Imperial/LSE.

a three year degree from eu is considered an associate degree in the US and not the equivalent of a four year college degree for either higher education or first time jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many excellent public universities in the US that will end up being cheaper than the international schools you list above, even if you are OOS.

I know when we looked at Toronto two years ago for a STEM major it was going to be around US$62k/year. Cheaper than privates, but more than many public options in the US.

On the job front, it's really only the first job...but Toronto, McGill, UBC, Waterloo, Oxbridge, UCL (and like 10+ other UK schools), Zurich (the tech school that is like the MIT of Europe) et al are all generally known. I can't imagine your kid would really be looking at random European colleges anyway.

Right. I realize Toronto is expensive. Although I mentioned Canada, we really were not looking at Canada. EU prices are a fraction of that and considering English universities are just 3 years, they end up being much cheaper even with the current exchange rate. Unfortunately neither kid wants to stay in-state. So I’m trying to be open about this and get others perspectives with experience at colleges other than Oxbridge/Imperial/LSE.

a three year degree from eu is considered an associate degree in the US and not the equivalent of a four year college degree for either higher education or first time jobs.

Thank you needed a good laugh to start the day.