Help me please: U of Edinburgh vs NYU Shanghai vs Carleton College

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Please, help me with choosing the school I will attend this fall.</p>

<p>A few words about me: I come from East Central Europe. Though still undecided about my major, I am especially interested in natural sciences (STEM) and economics/business. At this moment, I would like to do engineering (chemical? mechanical?) as an undergraduate and obtain the MBA degree. Also, I don't know yet whether I will stay in the country I will have been studying in or come back to my home country.</p>

<p>University of Edinburgh:
I got offers for economics, biochemistry and chemical engineering. Though they are conditional, I will probably fulfill all requirements. It's a prestigious university, recognized all around the world (I know, it's not the main reason to choose the school, but it's definitely an advantage considering application to the MBA program or first work). I will not have to pay tuition fees there, so the costs seem pretty low. Also, its location is an advantage - I will be able to visit home more frequently than 2 times a year. The only flaw is that the Edinburgh isn't in the USA haha</p>

<p>NYU Shanghai:
Brand new college in China under NYU sign. I visited it 2 weeks ago and feel like I really could live there. Graduating there, I will be holding the NYU and ECNU degrees, fluent in Chinese and having more stamps in my passport than after any other college. At this moment, they don't offer mechanical engineering (probably will), but majoring in economics or finance in Shanghai is very tempting. On the other hand, it's still a bit risky venture. I asked them for a better financial aid offer, since the proposed one doesn't let me study there.</p>

<p>Carleton College:
I feel that the Carleton really wants me :) I received huge FA offer, so the costs will be comparable to those of Edinburgh. I'm not even scared of the weather there. Advantages: liberal arts education, rigorious study, typical American college experience and football that I really love. On the other hand, Carleton does not offer engineering (only 3+2 programs or possibility of learning engineering at another university, after graduation). I have the impression that the Carleton isn't recognized not only outside of the USA, but it is not that known even in America.</p>

<p>I hold an offer from University of Glasgow too, but I decided to attend Edinburgh if staying in Europe. Also, I am waitlisted at the Middlebury College. Knowing that the odds are against me, I want to ask if possible admission there is worth it in comparision to Edinburgh, NYU Shanghai or Carleton.</p>

<p>Please, help me. Write, which school would you choose and why. Thanks for reading this and your answers so much :)</p>

2

<p>

Be aware that international students are extremely unlikely to receive financial aid from the engineering universities in the 3+2 programs. If you can’t afford to pay for 2 years at Columbia or WUSTL out of pocket, choose Carleton under the assumption that the 3+2 programs won’t be an option for you.</p>

<p>Assuming that engineering is off the table: what would you study at Carleton, and what could you do with that degree afterwards? International graduates of American liberal arts colleges usually attend graduate school, in the US or abroad, because they find that their undergraduate degrees are rather useless on the job market. (American students can usually still get entry-level positions, but few employers are willing to sponsor an expensive visa for a foreigner with a liberal arts degree.)</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your reply.
I don’t see any point in accepting the waiting list offer from the Middlebury as well.
What about NYU Shanghai (assuming that NYUSH will give me enough financial aid and will be offering mechanical engineering, what is more than just probable) vs University of Edinburgh (where, with satisfactory results in my final exams, I could enter the sophomore year this fall, and do the Master of Engineering in 4 years instead of 5)></p>

4

<p>If you go for ST(E)M or economics, I’d say Carleton because the experience at a top liberal arts college is unlike any you’ll get to experience at either other school. First, you’d be able to do BOTH Economics and a science/math major. Second, the opportunities you’d have are incomparable to the other schools’. (I can develop if you wish but essentially whatever you may need to do, they’ll find a way for you to do it. Advising is top notch and the “brand” really opens doors).
Carleton is in the top 10 and if you plan on doing a PHD it’s extremely well-recognized among academics so you don’t have to worry about name recognition, unless you plan to work in a backwater where people only know colleges for their football teams (seriously, that’s quite common here. :slight_smile: ) Major corporations in the Twin Cities and Chicago will know Carleton, where that name will likely open many doors.
If you go for Engineering, I’d pick Edinburgh, because it’ll essentially be free (with the SAAS scholarship) and you’ll have a Master’s in 4 years. Then you can transfer to a school in China or in the US. :slight_smile: Also it’ll definitively be more recognized in Europe than either Carleton or NYU-S. I agree with b@rl!um that the 3/2 is not a good idea for an international student so Edinburgh is the only reasonable choice if you want to study engineering.
If you go for Finance, then pick Shanghai, definitively, but ONLY if the financial aid offer makes it possible for you to attend (they’ve revised all their offers this week I think). Do not get into heavy debt to attend though, pick one of the two others if the money isn’t there at NYU.</p>