There may be more to the story as is often the case.
Since law schools (I think) require you to study in the US or Canada to work here, you need to see the stats on admissions from Sweden. Next, look at the grading, foreign schools do not have grade inflation. Is that going to be taken into account? What language are the classes in? English ok, Swedish, good luck. Even if you grew up speaking Swedish, you were not educated in their system. It is much harder to express yourself on a sophisticated level in another language, even if you are a heritage speaker.
I encourage you to think of the Bigger Picture. Your career goal and meaningful employment in a field you care about might be a good Big Picture vision for you to think about. Decide out what you want and then figure out how to get there. This will require multiple steps, and most likely financial assistance from your parents.
Now for that adventure you are looking for. Consider that attending college in Sweden is only one of the many ways you could add adventure to your life. A semester abroad, a family vacation to Europe, a six week backpacking tour sponsored by a company that provides some structure and security to make your parents feel more comfortable letting you go abroad…these are just a few ways you can get what you want without having to break ties with your parents.
I suggest you back off of the college in Sweden idea and start researching other ways to get what you really want…a Big Adventure.
@mcorrigan555 , I speak from the perspective of someone who lived in Europe for 20 years. I am American, and I was always desperate to study abroad. So at the age of 20, I went to the UK and did just that. It was a decision that utterly changed my life for the better. If your parents absolutely refuse to let you study in Sweden, and you are still eager to do so, I think you should do everything in you power to make it happen. Get a job and save so that you can fund a semester abroad if your parents won’t pay for it. And while some students are just looking for adventure, it was never just about adventure for me. I felt strongly that I needed to be somewhere else, and the UK was the place that spoke to me. If you feel strongly that you belong in Sweden, do your best to make it happen, even if it has to be after college. Dont let life get you caught up in the "go to college, get a job, and then work"cycle. Do what is in your heart while you are still young enough and free of obligations.
I think an attack can occur at an American college as readily as abroad. And I personally love Sweden, would spend my summers there if I ever win the lottery.
That said, I suspect Sweden probably had the same rule some other Scandinavian countries have that you can’t come study there unless you can prove you already have the financial assets to cover you full expected term of study. And you probably can’t take US federal loans for a degree program at a foreign university. And you will have no ability to borrow elsewhere without an adult co-signer. I don’t think you can do this financially.
Why not look for colleges with strong study abroad programs with the opportunity to go to Sweden for a year?
I think that others’ comments that you might want to consider studying abroad rather than trying to attend university abroad might make more sense, especially of you were to not hawithout any parental support.
And yes, if your dad is paying and feels strongly about it, you do need to respect that. Perhaps you can suggest a trip to look to Europe to look at schools.
Were does your dad want you to study?
(and thank you to the moderators for removing offensive post before)
To the OP: Scsndinavia in general is frighteningly expensive, alcohol even more so for someone used to what the dollar can buy in the U.S… Tuition may be cheaper but you will more than make up for it shelling out for basic living expenses. Almost everyone speaks English but if the classes are in Swedish how will you manage? Do you need to take a language proficiency test as a condition in the application proces? How will you handle the long dark winters?
Practically speaking, I think you’d be better off going to school domestically and do a study abroad in Sweden Junior year. There are plenty of U.S. schools in places different enough from your home town that can alleviate your ferlings of being stifled.
I think you may be able to use federal loans. D is studying abroad and I was able to use her 529 plan as long as the school had a number from the US Department of Education which most well known foreign schools have. I think the purpose behind registering with the US DOE is for federal loans but I am not certain.
I’ve been doing research into U.S colleges with study abroad programs and I’ve decided to do that instead (most likely). Thank you all for your help and thoughtful opinions. It was a help!
