<p>I am an international student staying in Asia. I was wondering if it is worth it to go so far away from home at the age of 17 just for an education in the US? When I mean US education I don't mean Harvard or Princeton because I know I don't have a shot there, but I am reffering to perhaps the top 20 liberal arts colleges, places like Colorado College or Carleton College perhaps.</p>
<p>There are lots of colleges in asia like the University of Tokyo of National university of Singapore which are considered relatively good. If I graduate from there I would graduate without any debt and will be staying closer to home. If I graduate from a college in the US I will graduate with a substantial amount of debt. </p>
<p>However I am not absolutely sure what subject I want to major in and in Asia I won't have a chance to explore other subjects and I would have to take Economics and if I like it then good, if I don't, well too bad I'm stuck with it.</p>
<p>i know ppl who chose to go all the way to US, no to the best colleges either. the reason most of them had in mind was to not to come back, and settle there after studies. ofcourse when its a top institution, its a different story. </p>
<p>you should think about where you want to live after graduation, then go for the best possible uni in that location</p>
<p>Does the thought of leaving home (or your home country) bother you?</p>
<p>One reason why I want to study in the US is that I want to get away from home for some time. I want to see something of the world as long as I am young and still relatively independent. And I really like the idea of a liberal arts education (though I am sure of my major).</p>
<p>From what I have heard from other Asians you might have a really hard time back in Asia with an undergraduate degree from a small college in the States for two reasons: the education you get is not as specialized and in-depth as it would be at an Asian university and there is no prestige and name recognition (as for Harvard) that would make up for the lack.</p>
<p>By the way, some colleges don't admit internationals who won't be 18 by the time they arrive in the States for legal reasons.</p>
<p>Curly, I have come across the minimum age requirement quite a few times but I cannot recall which universities that were (but most of them were commuter schools). I realize that this answer is not satisfying, so I did a quick google search and the first two hits were Santa Barbara City College and Columbia Bible College.</p>
<p>I personally think the strongest thing going in favour for a US education is the diversity of experience , if you are an individual who wants to explore his/her academic interests then definitely the benefits outweigh the costs. Other than that the other factors usually are governed by the almighty $ as the costs involved in an american education are high (assuming you dont get a full ride etc etc).
Having said all of that there is something else you can always consider , you can finish you undergraduate degree from Asia itself and move to the US to pursue higher studies , graduate school often gives you the opportunity to explore different academic interests and is easier on the pocket too.
Lastly , if you want to work in the US ultimately or have goals of switching countries then again a Masters is equally benefitial as an undergrad.</p>
<p>Depends on your career plans. If you are interested in doing Masters after graduation, I would recommend NUS/Tokyo over a lower ranked LAC, say Colby (which doesn't has as many Research opportunities as NUS). It might also make sense to save money for your masters.</p>
<p>But If you aren't sure about your major, a LAC would be your best bet.</p>
<p>that doesnt make sense though because I thought LACs have a higher proportion of people going on to do PhDs and its difficult to get a job directly out of a LAC. </p>
<p>Yes the saving money point taken</p>
<p>Actually I think I'll just focus on some of the top 10 LACs. I really like what I hearded about Carleton, also liked Bowdoin and Varssar. Although not in the top 10 I really really loved the setting and the block plan of Colorado College.</p>
<p>I believe that if you wanted to get a PhD after graduating from a LAC, finances would not be a huge issue because one can support oneself with a teaching or a research assistantship.</p>
<p>Of course that does not hold true for most professional programs which you would have to finance with loans.</p>
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that doesnt make sense though because I thought LACs have a higher proportion of people going on to do PhDs and its difficult to get a job directly out of a LAC.
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<p>I</a> thought so too. But as intresteddad said on that thread, Grinnell produces the most for a non-engineering LAC - 6 per 1000 graduates. This is still low compared to the Asian universities you are talking about.</p>
<p>But benefits of a LAC education in other areas outnumber this.</p>
<p>PhDs are funded, but it's awfully hard to get into too. Masters are a little bit easier in getting into.</p>
<p>Who said it's difficult to get a job directly out of a LAC? Just because more LAC grads tend to MD/JD/PhD programs doesn't mean it's hard to get a job. Numerous grads get positions at consulting firms/insurance firms even a year before graduation. Some go into teaching, journalism, or any profession you can imagine. With a math major from college, you can do almost anything.</p>
<p>And even if it's hard to get a job in the US, it will probably be easier in your home country. And jobs/grad school aside, the experience of studying in the US is a lifelong one, even if you're broke for the rest of it.</p>
<p>Yeah. A typical asian school would have awfully large class size, NUS Computer Engineering has probably 300+. Also, in many american colleges, the student body is much more diverse.</p>