@Tigerle, why wouldn’t you recommend German unis?
And yes, Zurich seems extremely expensive.
@PurpleTitan , not for American students because they are so radically different from what they expect, and the main attraction is usually that they’re cheap - not because the kid is actually interested in going to Germany and thrives on adventure and adversity.
This is a kid who has been taught resilience. All he needs is a place that won’t kick him out again and he’ll be okay. Problem is, we don’t know whether the US or Switzerland will be that place. But if the US kicks him out, he can try Canada, if Canada kicks him out, I imagine he can still try Germany, because he then has CS + English + German language skills which might help.
If Switzerland kicks him out, not sure whether Canada still is an option. Germany still might be.
For Switzerland, I’d budget at least 20 000 CHF for the year, that’s pretty much 20 000 USD, and it will be a hassle. But he’s got an uncle there, you said? Not close enough to rent out a room, I suppose?
@Tigerle
I grateful for your opinion, but I have some objections. Please understand me correct. I don’t want to argue with you. I want to explain why selection Grinnell / UZH is so hard dilemma.
I definitely know that UZH is not ETH. But university where 12 Nobel Prize Laureates were graduated definitely can’t be estimated as something secondary. Specially for CS QS placing UZH in 100-150 best U of the world, THE to 83 place in the world. Not very top, but and not so bad. And ability to take classes in ETH also making big difference.
I also know that Swiss is expensive. But cost of life is something that partly under your control as opposed to tuition fee. You can rent in suburb instead of main street and nobody can force you to visit restaurant daily. From my studying about Swiss I got that high cost of life is more relate to luxury segment and basic things price (food in supermarket, lunch in student canteen) not so dramatically different from other Europe.
About “Switzerland is not welcoming to immigrants” - the same way as USA frankly saying 
Honestly I don’t expect that any country in the world waiting for my son and will be welcome to him. For me his career after graduation is more about right usage of existing abilities rather than waiting for any help and support. USA giving some abilities without any warranties, Swiss giving some abilities without any warranties. Abilities that giving USA as per my opinion now essentially degrading.
No, he living near Geneva, too far from Zurich. And I don’t want to ask him about any help except sharing his Swiss experience.
About Canada I’m confident it will be option and after Swiss also. Their immigration system targeting to young people with grade from recognized university and good English. If they wouldn’t accept my son, whom they will accept at all? Olympic champions with MIT grade only? Now Canada is not breakpoint for our decision.
You’re right, I did not mean to talk down University of Zurich which is excellent in the life sciences and does very well in CS, too, just had a feeling too many posters still got it mixed up with ETH which is right up there with Stanford and MIT in CS and which UZH just isn’t. But who knows, the mix up might help him later in life! 
)
Agree that the Swiss option gives you a bit more cost control. There should an affordable health insurance option for students, find out, Try to get a room in a hall of residence., via the university housing office. Apply now. (Just withdraw, if you decide on Grinnell after all, European universities don’t care). Food in Swiss supermarkets is expensive too, that’s why the Swiss drive across the border to German, France and Italian supermarkets if they live close enough. Restaurant prices are outrageous. Maybe you can send cheap care packages with months worth of pasta!
But everything is nice and clean and works and runs on time. Germany on steroids. That said, is your son sure he can follow classes in Swiss German? It’s a different language, almost as different from standard German as Dutch.
You haven’t said where you, as a family, are living now - you’ve mentioned school in Dubai, study in Germany, a mother in Belarus, a cousin in Switzerland. Is there a country where you’d like your son end up in. to keep your family together? Flying, crossing borders, might be difficult for years. Having everyone in Europe at least might help a bit.
If he will select UZH, I hope he wouldn’t need this mix up. Because I’ll encourage him to make MS in ETH after BS in UZH. I’m confident he can do it.
Right now doors of ETH closed in front of him for one stupid reason. In his IB DP he make English SL. From 6 subjects in diploma program 4 subjects he did at HL, but for English he select SL. That killed his ability to be admitted to ETH. It is out of my understanding but for 100% German language bachelor program ETH admitting only those who make English HL in IB DP. All other ETH entrance requirements my son did or exceeded, he got more IB points than ETH require (and that is with 4 HL instead of 3 HL). But due to English SL only failed. Sadly but true (((
@Tigerle
I’m confident he will manage. When he started his study in UAE in grade 6, he almost can’t speak English. But in grade 9 he got High Distinction certificate for IBT English test, and in grade 11 his result in language part of SAT was 740/800.
I’m confident he will manage and with Swiss German. This Jan after German exam his result was second from all students. He is from Belarus, and we are experts in survival and break through.
I live in Dubai with family. Living in Belarus not acceptable for me. For last 26 years we have dictatorship of real lout.
In EU or USA I don’t living not because I don’t want ))). 10 years ago when I looked for the job abroad I got several calls for interview from USA and Europe. But in all cases first question was “Do you have work permit?”. And last question. After that several compliments how they impressed by my skills and background and invitation to immediately call AFTER I will get work permit. That way I appeared in UAE. Here get work permit for Belorussian is more easy.
Absolute priority for me is best future for my son, to give him realize his outstanding abilities. Definitely I very want to keep all family together and to see him daily. But now that is secondary. I’m not god and I can’t make all and at once. I just doing my best.
I really think the best for him is Grinnell, because he’ll be well taken care of from being part of a tight-knit community.
It will be a culture shock but he’ll manage.
He’ll work hard (even if he managed 4 HLs, it’ll still be difficult but my impression from what you say is that he has fortitude AND intelligence).
He’ll be surrounded by people who have his best interests at heart (it’s hard to believe, perhaps, but it’s the culture there). He’ll learn a lot about democracy along the way (from living in the US; living in Iowa; and living on a college campus where participatory democracy is a big deal among students). He’ll be surrounded by friendly people. By working hard and learning, he’ll impress people who’ll offer him opportunities, especially alumni (who are a very loyal and influential group). He’ll grow into the person you know he can become, without fetters and with the peace of mind that everything is taken care of because he’s part of the Grinnell “family”.
That in my opinion is the biggest difference between all his choices.
@Alezzz , I’m sure he can handle it as long as he’s prepared.
The point is some people simply don’t know how different Swiss German actually is and think of it as an “accent” or a “dialect”, whereas in reality you need to consider it a different language.
Have him watch examples on YouTube, and make him aware that there are actually different dialects of Swiss German all over Switzerland, one for each valley, in extreme cases one for each mountain village. And to not confuse it with Rumantsch, which is another language only spoken in various Swiss mountain valleys, not a dialect of Italian but a direct descendant of Latin and of which, again, various dialects exist for various valleys…again not to be confused with la Suisse romande which is where people speak French, which is actually just French with an accent.
I know your son will be able to navigate all of this. He sounds like a survivor, just like you. Let him badger your cousin as much as possible ( though it sounds as if he’s living in the Suisse romande, which is, in some ways, a bit easier to navigate).
If it now sounds as if I have done a total U turn and am now advocating the Swiss option over the US option, it’s because the news out of the US are beginning to sound even more erratic than usual, but I’m sure you are having your own thoughts about that. Maybe Switzerland is the more predictable option after all.
I still think both could work. Your kid will be okay. Stay safe.
Aren’t most bachelor’s level classes at UZH taught in Standard German?
Outside of the University be it in Zurich or Geneva, the majority of people also speak English, at least based on my travels there.
I stand corrected, it is standard German (which in Switzerland will mean German with a very strong Swiss accent, unless the teacher is a non native, which is of course entirely possible).
So, practice listening to German with a Swiss accent. Still very different from standard German, but much fewer vocabulary differences.
Health insurance for non EU/EFTA students would be offered for about 90 CHF per month.
I’m confident they can very good speak English and inside the University. Just because all CS master programs are in English. They teaching BS in German not because they don’t know English but to cut off majority of internationals from their close to free high quality education
@Alezzz it looks like Grinnell is giving everyone an additional $2,500 one year grant for next year.
Yes, I know. It is true
Any news about your sons choice, OP?
Hello
I shared with him all information that I managed to collect, and my own opinion, and then told: “Now select yourself”. He selected Swiss.
And honestly saying now I’m very happy with his decision.
^
Undoubtedly the right decision, especially under the current circumstances. Congrats to him!
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“You’re right, I did not mean to talk down University of Zurich which is excellent in the life sciences and does very well in CS”
This is something I don’t understand - why do people that advocate for LACs talk down other universities, you should be able to point out the advantages of a LAC on its own, without talking down other universities the caliber of Zurich.