<p>My nephew lives in AbuDhabi and has a very good SAT score. He has got admission in to GeorgiaTech and Purdue for BS in Computer Science for the upcoming fall. His parents have an option to either send him here or to India for Bachelors. I have recommended him to pursue Bachelors in India where he has got admission in one of the reputed institutes and then apply for Masters here. I suggested this way in order to save the money as the International applicants do not get any Financial Assistance at all. </p>
<p>Am I right ? Pl guide us in making the appropriate decision. I do not want to misguide them too.</p>
<p>Does it make a difference to do Bachelors in Purdue vs doing Masters in Georgia tech or Purdue ? His parents are obviously worried about placements. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance and I greatly appreciate your inputs.</p>
<p>Where does he plan to live and work? If it’s in the US, then he should be thinking about the US schools. Otherwise, the IIT’s are excellent schools, that are well thought of in the US (and I would think the rest of the world). He would always have the option of going to Grad school in the US, so saving money getting his BS wouldn’t be a bad idea. </p>
<p>Either way I’m sure he’ll do fine, it’s a choice between three great schools. :)</p>
<p>He/they should not worry about the masters degree at this point, If he plans on living in the US (and working here) doing his undergrad work in the US would be a good way to absorb the culture sooner. He may even decide to work first then contemplate getting a masters, regardless of where he goes to school. US firms do recruit in the comp sci field in India so that would not be a disadvantage. We’re hoping our gifted kid decides to go for at least a masters now that he’s been working a couple of years. He is hard to impress but feels his coworkers are smart. Since the student was not raised in India the family needs to decide where he should be culturally. Distance is also a factor for visiting home. Finances do matter as well. It will be interesting for you to see what path his life takes in the coming years.</p>
<p>Please remember that it is not easy at all for an international student who finishes a bachelor’s degree here to find permanent employment in the US. Some do, but they are few and far between. It is much more likely that he would be able to find permanent employment with a US master’s degree. If the parents have limited resources, it probably makes sense to do the undergrad work in India.</p>
<p>That is exactly what I told them. Thank you. They do not have any financial constraints but still I feel that he would be fine whether he did Bachelors or Masters in the US. His SAT score is 2200. I am sure he will score great on GRE or GMAT as well.He won’t get any aid for Bachelors whereas he can try for TA or RA in Masters. “Why spend all the money when he can land in the same kind of work after Masters” was my thought process. On the other hand is there an advantage like networking etc., if he did BS here ?</p>
<p>These days even a BS from a very good program in the USA does not guarantee permanent employment for internationals. Neither does an MS, and the way things are going, TA/RA ships are nowhere as common as back in my days (F1 -> H1 -> GC in a year, Praised be Elbonia). If living in the USA post graduation is a requirement, I would be aiming for a BS in the USA + 18 months EAD for practical training then a MS in the USA as well which I think opens up another 18 month EAD (employment authorization document i.e. practical training). </p>
<p>In either case, one would have to judge whether spending $200k for a chance towards a green card after 4 or 6 years is worth the hassle. Back in my days it did not cost $200k to get a 4 year degree, or even a BS + MS (I did both for a lot less) but back then GC’s were a lot more straightforward. </p>
<p>The bar has been raised quite a bit and while one can get a job, one will have to play the H1B game for a decade - and coming from certain countries may be even more difficult). I have several coworkers from India who took 9-10 years to get a GC. I suggest OP refers his nephew to any decent immigration forums to learn about the feasibility of GC after BS or MS.</p>
<p>The catch by doing a BS in India is that unless one has gone to a very good school there one has less chance to get to the very good grad schools here…</p>
<p>Funny part is we interviewed such a candidate a couple years ago. The kid was Indian whose parents were living in UAE somewhere. Went to a very good school in India, then MS in a Big 10 EECS, very good GPA, a lot of experience in some very obscure Linux driver type stuff, not your typical candidate, an excellent candidate. Of course kid shows up with a Rolex, $4k suit, $1k shoes, the works. Needless to say he turned us down ^:)^ </p>
<p>You are right, turbo93. It is tough to get a permanent position…These days there is no EAD right after BS or MS. The kid has to be in OPT and try to get the H1 sponsored. In our days a few years back, it was easy. But not anymore due to the lottery. I know of a kid who went back to India due to his misfortune. The kid whom you are talking about, was he at one of the Ivies ? </p>
<p>You are so right about the good schooling part in India. </p>
<p>The kid was from one of the top EECS schools in the Big 10 (where we recruit 99% of our hires) but it was his knowledge and experience that really made him unique. We don’t find this kind of expertise coming out of anybody’s school, Ivy or community college. So he could pretty much write his own ticket. </p>
<p>To be honest, if it was for fundamental education and the kid could get to an IIT, I’d say go there. All my IIT buddies have made it super-big in the corporate food chain. The annual IIT entrance exam question reviews were always fun, we’d grab the questions and some tea and try to solve them (fat chance) so we really understood as fellow engineers what it took to get there and get out. Especially the fundamentals (math, phys, chem…). </p>
<p>But good school means nothing in itself. A very good friend from India went to a ho-hum college in Hyderabad that shall remain nameless, donation seat and all, then to a ho-hum school in the US for his Masters. Worked for a few years in the US, saw the light, learned a very specific set of skills, and he now is CTO of a thousand person company back there. As always, find what you’re good at, and the rest will follow. </p>
<p>Typically only the PhD candidates get the TA/RA fellowships, not the masters degree students, at the schools this student would consider. I presume this student has Indian parents who relocated for job(s). The major question should be cultural- do they/he want an Indian or an American experience? My Indian physician H (I’m also a physician) was gung ho on America while growing up and going to school in India. A person like him would ideally skip the heritage country and come directly to the US. A student who may choose to return to his heritage should definitely choose a school in India. After being in India he may choose to get an American Masters and then decide where the jobs he wants are. Who knows, the fields may be crowded with the high talent level of Indians there and the US may be where he can find a job. H has known Indians who choose to return after years in the US, it is a cultural decision.</p>
<p>what about graduation rates? ie, what are the odds of not getting the degree in 5 years at each of the schools considered? What type of support is available, is it drop in or by appointment, is it free, are there office hours (professors? TA’s?) </p>
<p>What about preparation - has your nephew followed the specific preparation required for the Indian school? Or will he have a “preparatory” year? (Since they are notoriously very advanced) Or did he prepare for these schools and will thus get advanced credit at the American universities? </p>
<p>What about cultural adjustment = is there an International Counselor at all 3 schools? An important group of students from his background? an orientation for internationals? does your nephew know any of the places where the schools are located? is English the language used in the Indian town where the university is located?</p>
<p>If his grades are high as well, there is guaranteed merit money available for him at some universities with decent engineering programs, and competitive merit money at some others. Point him to the threads on those topics that are at the top of the Financial Aid Forum here. Yes, some of those scholarships are open to international candidates.</p>
<p>^I agree. Considering his stats, he’d be eligible for merit money. He’d be eligible for the University of Alabama’s College of Engineering scholarship (full tuition and a $3,500 stipend) with a great Honors Program, Honors housing, etc. He’d get to have what Americans call the “college experience”.
If that’s what he’s looking for of course.
Attending school in India and attending school in the US are two very different experiences. (Preparing a Master’s Degree is very different from the way the undergraduate experience is planned in the US.)
Both are valid choices but they offer very different experiences.</p>
<p>It is easier to get a visa to work in the US with an MS or PhD from a US-based University, since there is a special allocation of visa for advanced degree holders. </p>
<p>The best way to get a US job would be to get both BS + MS at a US university. Next best would be to get the MS in the US. Both Purdue and Ga Tech are very strong engineering programs.</p>
<p>Also, US schools differ a lot compared to each other. Being a top student at one flagship may not be as good as being among the crowd at another school. Some schools have better programs in given fields than others. Substituting schools for financial aid may not be in the student’s best interest. The school cultures also have a wide range.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the suggestions. I very much appreciate all your responses. But how to find which schools are good for what programs ? Look at the ratings, may be ?</p>