<p>I see and hear about many people who get into prestigious, top notch schools (HYP and so on), yet they go and study abroad in say Spain, France and so on. Now why would they leave "HYP and so on" (after all, the "HYP and so on" category includes most of the best schools in the world) to go to other schools abroad? Apart from the experience of being in another country, what more from an academic perspective do you think one could gain? I understand going to another country to internalize the language, since after all there is no better place than Spain for Spanish, or France for French, so exclude linguistics from my question.</p>
<p>HYP all follow a liberal arts model. Part of this liberal arts model is to be a generally well-rounded person, and it helps to examine the world from a completely different perspective. And what better way to do that than immersing yourself in a country with a completely different culture?</p>
<p>There are other factors, as well - I'm a math major, and leaving tomorrow for a math program in Budapest. The math in Hungary is fantastic and almost unrivaled, so it's a great opportunity for learning mathematics as well as for immersing myself in Hungarian culture.</p>
<p>Well normally they study abroad 4 a year. I hope you don't mean that they transfer abroad.</p>
<p>HYP students are usually very ambitious (what other reason would you have to work so hard before college, besides mean parents). For many people Traveling the world isn't some common opportunity, but more importantly, it helps you gain a better understanding of ur culture, and theirs, as well as helping you better learn the language of the country you are studying in (assuming you are studying).</p>
<p>Generaly speaking, it is also a nice break from the tough coursework of Top US colleges, unless you are going to a school where difficulty is of equivalence (sciences po,oxbridge,LSE, etc).</p>
<p>My department at P actually has courses taught by P professors in Kenya and Panama, so in a way its the best of both worlds.</p>