<p>I wanted to diversify my college search a little, and was wondering what some good schools are, that are outside of the U.S.</p>
<p>Well, the UK is a typical location for outside the U.S. </p>
<p>If your scores and GPA are impressive, Oxford and Cambridge are cliches that must be added to the abroad list. University of St. Andrews is also great. If you're into economics and politics, the London School of Economics and Politics would be an excellent choice.</p>
<p>Just remember that going abroad for 4 years is quite different than 1 semester. UK system is quite different and you must go on their website and thoroughly research requirements. Cost is also a factor as well. </p>
<p>For Canada and Australia, I'm unsure of their schools (but I head University of Western Australia at Perth is decent).</p>
<p>In Canada, consider McGill. It's a very well-known institution not only in Canada, but in the educational world as well.</p>
<p>university of bologna, italy. salamanca in spain; oxford/cambridge in UK; univerity of berlin</p>
<p>Don't forget that if you to a non-English nation, your courses will be taken in that language.</p>
<p>So if you're looking forward to the University of Berlin, University of Bologna, etc. you need to know German, Italian, etc. very well.</p>
<p>Universtiy of Seville in Spain is also excellent.</p>
<p>I would highly suggest staying in the United States though. You can study abroad to get the foreign experience.</p>
<p>(King's College as well in UK).</p>
<p>I'll weigh in with Asian options:</p>
<p>University of Tokyo (but it's tough to get in), University of Kyoto, Waseda are all well-known schools. For a foreigner though, ICU might be a better experience because they offer English-language instruction.</p>
<p>In China, Beijing University (or Peking in English...bah) is a well-known university.</p>
<p>University of Seoul is a great school as well.</p>
<p>Again, to re-emphasize: you need to learn the language of your university.</p>
<p>I think what eiffelguy87 is trying to say is that if you are searching for foreign universities you should probably limit your search to the UK or Canada, possibly Australia. Unless you are totally fluent at the language the University teaches in, you shouldn't attend it.</p>
<p>I don't know if that's necessarily true. Many foreign universities offer bilingual options for new incoming non-natives.</p>
<p>If you study abroad, there is occassionally a language requirement. Spending four years at Sci Po (the Insititute of Politics in France) means that you have to learn French. I seriously doubt the university will cater to international students by offering bilingual classes.</p>
<p>Do international students in the United States get bilingual classes when they study in the U.S.? Most often not (unless they major in their home language). How is a university suppose to cater to a diversified student international body with so many different languages?</p>
<p>And the universities you mentioned definitely require learning your home language. Beijing University teaches most classes in Mandarin!</p>
<p>So, language does count. (Not to mention that you will be living in your host country so you need to communicate to the locals as well). Just as Americans expect foreigners to speak English and write English when they arrive to study in the United States, the same expectation follows when Americans study abroad.</p>
<p>So, unless you're fluent in another language, stick to an English speaking nation for foreign schools.</p>
<p>When considering foreign schools that have bilingual (or international division) courses, it's important to know that the bilingual courses may not be on the same caliber as the rest of the school (eg. Jiao Tong Uni.) You may also find, that the teachers might start going off in their native language and forget they're supposed to be speaking in English. Granted, I'm not in college, but my math teacher is a good example. Sometimes he can go almost an entire period without speaking any English.</p>
<p>eiffelguy,</p>
<p>Since English is the lingua franca to this day, there still exist many programs that sort of give you that "buffer" of English, and then finally the native language.</p>
<p>You'd all be amazed how quickly you can learn a language at 18 if you're forced to do so. I mean, really really quickly.</p>
<p>There may be visiting professors who speak English, but most of your courses will be taught in English. Just because English is the universal language doesn't necessarily mean that a German university, or French, or Chinese, or Italian, etc. has to teach the courses in English. The would teach it primarily in the home language because most of the students are from that nation. </p>
<p>Surely you can learn the language quickly at 18, but can you write in that language with the skill of native students? Could you write a modest 10 pages on the problems of an integrated Europe in a language you're being adjusted to? Or write a paper discussing the evolution and the various supporting theories in a foreign language?</p>
<p>There are different grammar rules, different styles other than English. You simple cannot expect to have the university cater to the fact that you are not able to speak the host language. Experience in a foreign language will let you know that you cannot write at an advanced level with some fluency.</p>
<p>So, again, it is better to be fluent in the language rather than attempting to pick it up, so if stick to an English-speaking nation if you're not apt at a foreign language yet.</p>
<p>JaneGalt,
I love your screen name!! Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book!!</p>
<p>No, it doesn't. I agree. However, if someone really wants to go abroad and study in another country, they should. My best semester of college was in Japan, despite the obvious challenges. And yes, I wrote a 10-page paper in Japanese. It was a pain in the arse, but I did it. And I did well. Nobody ever learns a language to the level of a native, yet these non-natives come to the US all the time and study here! Why are we Americans so crippled in language ability? I daresay we are not, but we are generally a scared lot of new languages (various geographic and political reasons...)</p>
<p>After I did my time abroad, I found out that many universities offer crash course sort of programs where you get a summer of intensive language and they just toss you to the wolves. To some, it's cruel and murderous. To me, it was life.</p>
<p>Have you studied abroad yet? It's the best opportunity a college student has.</p>
<p>I intend to study abroad.</p>
<p>Yes, some universities do offer intensive training and coursework in the foreign language (the language of the university) and you may consider tha an option for yourself, JaneGalt, as UCLAri mentioned.</p>
<p>Overall, studying abroad is an enriching experience for many students; just remember that studying 4 years abroad can lead to challenges besides the ones mentioned here (financial matters are huge here).</p>
<p>Of course, but if one is determined to go abroad for their education, I'll offer them the schools that are known worldwide (that I know of.) In many ways, four years is easier because you actually settle in after the first year or so, and the rest of the time is just like school in the US.</p>
<p>After six months in another country, the biggest challenge to life as an American is coming home to "re-culture shock."</p>
<p>Yeah, a good friend of mine studied at London's School of Politics and Economics and when he came back, he said he missed the convenience of London...going down to get some Indian food or hearing the British accent and the weather.</p>
<p>Right. If you're determined to do something, you'll find ways to make it.</p>
<p>After I got back from Japan, I realized just how easy life was there. I miss the beer vending machines...</p>
<p>Anyway, I can help with China, Japan, and to a lesser extent Korea. I'm not so hot with most of Europe, though.</p>
<p>Europe: That's where I want to go for a semester or a summer.</p>