<p>i am very glad that has work out & really happy that you’ve chosen to come to the US. ( i read your other thread )</p>
<p>~Swat then!
~ you like it, that’s ALL that matters! You’ll learn a lot & will demonstrate your skill/ability to your future employers in HK or here in the US. You’ll never know if you will go on to grad school later here or
maybe if opportunities come up, you may get a job here too.</p>
<p>~ now I 've read you new post about the USC reception.
…you have ‘buyer’s remorse’ LOL
~ what’s important to you? a job opportunity in HK after school ? then maybe USC … for love of learning/exploring/possible US job here? maybe Swat !
~ if job in HK is your #1 concern,then even HKU is a better selection.</p>
<p>@ Eduedm, Thanks for asking! We get upset and then we work through it in stages. We know it’s going to be a hard road but we’re going to learn to be strong. We’re just going to learn how to be strong I guess. Are you from HK but living in the US?</p>
<p>Do yourself a favor and go to Swarthmore. USC is a great school, but if it really is a lot like your high school, then what’s the point of moving abroad just to relive the last four years of your life? The arguments you cite–networking, local name recognition, etc.–are all very superficial things that shouldn’t matter if you make the best of your education. It’s <em>you</em> who will be applying for jobs, not your school. (Also, applying to MBA programs as a Swarthmore grad is in no way an uphill battle.)</p>
<p>If anyone ever dares to condescend to you for going to a school they haven’t heard of, you can proudly cite Swarthmore’s many records and its ranking (normally I wouldn’t use rankings as a talking point, but discussing matters of prestige usually revolves around them) as proof of its status as one of the very best colleges in the US.</p>
<p>Lastly, aren’t UCLA and USC thought of as the best American universities in some Asian countries? They’re both great schools, but the amount of attention they seem to receive in Southeast Asia is wildly out of proportion with their brand power in the US and probably has at least as much to do with their efforts to recruit Asian students as with their actual merits. Again, I’m not saying they’re not fantastic places to be, but ask yourself this: if everyone in your country suddenly decided Wake Forest was better than Harvard, and you had been accepted to both, would you go to Wake Forest just to appease your countrymen? Like, why would you entrust your decision to a bunch of strangers who may or may not know what they’re talking about?</p>
<p>(No offense meant to Wake Forest, I’m just using it as a random example.)</p>
<p>If what you want to experience in college is a first-class intellectual experience, surrounded by other students who are there for the same thing, go to Swat. </p>
<p>If you are looking for business connections, the big-campus sports and social experience, go to USC.</p>
<p>This is not to say that USC has no serious students and Swat kids have no fun. But there is a predominant vibe.</p>
<p>“Lastly, aren’t UCLA and USC thought of as the best American universities in some Asian countries? They’re both great schools, but the amount of attention they seem to receive in Southeast Asia is wildly out of proportion with their brand power in the US and probably has at least as much to do with their efforts to recruit Asian students as with their actual merits. Again, I’m not saying they’re not fantastic places to be, but ask yourself this: if everyone in your country suddenly decided Wake Forest was better than Harvard, and you had been accepted to both, would you go to Wake Forest just to appease your countrymen? Like, why would you entrust your decision to a bunch of strangers who may or may not know what they’re talking about?”</p>
<p>Isn’t this the whole crux of the prestige-in-Asia discussions? People who don’t necessarily know the truth about what are the excellent colleges in America, but who have arbitrarily elevated a few that they are aware of to special status … and their opinions need to be taken seriously, why? Why is it important to impress people who make judgments based on hearsay, believe that if they haven’t heard of something it can’t possibly be good, and aren’t working from a sound knowledge base?</p>
<p>You are totally on the class of 2015 page aren’t you? Haha. Anyway I think both schools have something different to offer. USC will offer you better career placement almost certainly (though this depends slightly on what you want to study). Swarthmore offers a far more rigorous, intellectual experience that is widely respected at graduate schools around the world. I’m sure you will be happy and successful coming from either school, I think a lot just depends on what you are looking for. Do you know what you want to study?</p>
<p>Although you listed it as a factor, maybe you should remove weather considerations from the equation. We live in SoCal. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about parent/student concerns over going to school in a “cold” part of the country.</p>
<p>First of all, Swat isn’t in the coldest part of the country. It’s not Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, etc. Second, I’ve only heard of one instance where a student decamped (from Vermont) due to the weather. Remember, it’s ony four years out of your life and you might find it a refreshing change of pace, as my S has found during his first year at Northwestern U (in Evanston, just north of Chicago.)</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision making. Posters who know me probably wonder why I haven’t said anything about USC, as my H is on faculty there. I think other posters have pretty much covered the bases.</p>
<p>WOW - Great choices! I’ve visited both schools and they sure are different. Big v. small. Great sports v. sports(?) Large city v. suburb. East coast v. west. I think the small classes at Swarthmore would be nice. If you are at all shy, a smaller school might be enjoyable. Intellectualism can be found at both schools. The classes and friends you choose will determine that at both. USC name recognition may be bigger, but Swarthmore is very well-respected in the US amongst those who know the name.</p>
<p>One idea is to go back to Swarthmore and tell them about the money that USC offered, and that you are in a dilemma. See if they will match the offer, or come closer. Then your guilt about spending the extra money for Swarthmore would not be an issue, and you could just focus on the fit of schools themselves. It never hurts to ask…</p>
<p>My child chose USC, but he is a high school athlete from the east coast who wants to go somewhere different and warm to study engineering and enjoy big sports, so USC was a great match.</p>
<p>It seems like your main concerns are Swat’s name in helping you find, or acquire, employment overseas. You will find employment. Will USC’s connections make it easier for you than Swat to find employment back home? Possibly, but once you do find employment, be it after attending USC or Swat, what will matter for future employers is your work experience.</p>
<p>I did not read the whole discussion, but assuming you are majoring in something marketable, there are ways to market yourself, when applying to jobs, that doesn’t involve relying on your school’s name.</p>
<p>Swarthmore will not even make an attempt to match merit aid. I got 20k a year at Bryn Mawr and 0 at Swarthmore (even though I was a finalist for the full tuition scholarship) and I talked to the Dean of Admissions about it and he said there’s just nothing they can do because my demonstrated need (or lack thereof) was already met.</p>
<p>Thank you for all your responses, they really helped me consider things from all points of view. I was having a hard time “uncommitting” myself from Swat to look logically at USC but then I decided I didn’t have to. I like Swat a lot and I’m happy with my choice. If I go to Swat, and then go to graduate school (not sure whether academic or MBA) would that make it easier to find a job - as easy as it is for a USC graduate? My ultimate goal is not a job in HK but a job in India - don’t know if that changes things or not…probably not because no one knows any US colleges in India anyway. LOL I’m currently planning on doing psych an then an MBA maybe but that may change. @raiderade, yes, I am totally on the FB group You are too?</p>
<p>Oh and USC revoked my second scholarship. They said they gave it to me by mistake. LOL I think they realized I don’t actually belong to that certain demographic although it was pretty obvious! They gave me a minority scholarship meant for URMs when I am an ORM. Oh well. :)</p>
<p>Glad you have made the decision that you are happy with. Funny that you got a late & then revoked 2nd scholarship from USoCal. Both my kids have been very happy there, but it sounds like you are excited about Swat.</p>
<p>It is a common fallacy that USC is mostly for those who love football & the Greek scene. That is NOT big for either of my kids, but they are very happy–S majored in EE & D is in cinema.</p>
<p>I have also found USC & its surrounding area to be much SAFER than Hong Kong, where my backpack on my back was slashed in broad daylight unbeknownst to me while I was walking about. Found out when I got home & was quite shocked.</p>
<p>You could likely get your master’s degree if you decide you need one at the most appropriate school for you, at that stage of your life. Good luck & I am sure you will be happy with your choice!</p>
<p>Wow. Almost a year later and I’m stuck in the same dilemma, choosing between Swat and USC. I thought I’d say thanks to everyone who offered advice. :)</p>
I was having a hard time “uncommitting” myself from Swat to look logically at USC but then I decided I didn’t have to. I like Swat a lot and I’m happy with my choice. If I go to Swat, and then go to graduate school (not sure whether academic or MBA) would that make it easier to find a job - as easy as it is for a USC graduate? My ultimate goal is not a job in HK but a job in India - don’t know if that changes things or not…probably not because no one knows any US colleges in India anyway. LOL I’m currently planning on doing psych an then an MBA maybe but that may change.
I think they realized I don’t actually belong to that certain demographic although it was pretty obvious! They gave me a minority scholarship meant for URMs when I am an ORM. Oh well. :)</p>