<p>O M G . . .
I'm planning on getting a Chemical Engineering degree with a minor in Nanotechnology at the University of Pennsylvania (SEAS class of 2013), this degree will cost me (and yes, I signed a contract with my parents for a 10 year repayment plan) $240,000 (US dollars).
I just read from another thread that as an international student, getting a job will be very hard, bordering the impossible . . .<br>
Another thing, the Upenn degree is unrecognized in New Zealand (my homeland) so I would be wasting $240,000 plus 4 years . .
Any thoughtful comment would be much appreciated</p>
<p>Have you already been accepted to the university?</p>
<p>Of course! This would be a very silly post if i hadn’t even been accepted =P
I’m just wondering if I should go for the fall semester of 2009…</p>
<p>That’s an awful lot of money for a BS degree. Is there something wrong with the universities in NZ since I assume they’re bound to be much less expensive yet still offer the degree? Spreading your wings in the USA by attending college here is fine but that’s quite a cost. </p>
<p>Since you want to be an engineer you’re probably fairly good at math so make sure you calculate what that $240K will actually cost you in monthly payments on the payback. It can be eye-opening.</p>
<p>When you say getting a job would be difficult to impossible - I assume you mean a job in the USA vs NZ - right? If so, you’d of course need a green card which usually means some corporate sponsorship. This could be difficult although i run into a fair number of engineers here from other countries. You certainly shouldn’t assume you’d be able to easily work and stay in the USA after you obtain your degree but you should do more research in this area.</p>
<p>Regarding the degree not being recognized in NZ - that doesn’t really make sense. I find it hard to believe that someone with a BSME from UPenn wouldn’t have a chance at getting hired for a ME job in NZ.</p>
<p>If i stay at the University of Auckland I would have to apply to Medical school (they do not offer nanotechnology & becoming doctor is my 2nd choice) and it would cost me $80k (USD)
However I doubt I’d be accepted in any case because they have a set 20-seat acceptance for Asian students per year… My SAT’s, SATII’s and AP’s aren’t taken into consideration when applying to Auck Uni so i stand at too much of a disadvantage (It’s almost arbitrary because over a 100 applicants have almost perfect gpa’s)</p>
<p>Thank you for that, I’m doing research right now, getting helpful comments from people like you. Yes i meant getting a job in the USA. Is a work visa also considered the green card?</p>
<p>$240k over 10 years comes to $2k a month, my sister’s ex-boyfriend managed to get a job straight after his elec engin degree at Columbia with an introductory offer of $80K (USD) a year with bonuses, but times have changed…</p>
<p>As for the Upenn degree not being recognized I may have exaggerated… But seriously, most Ivy league grads who come back to NZ leave the country within the year because they can’t find a job here… </p>
<p>Thanks for the post btw</p>
<p>bump!</p>
<p>Did you consider applying for citizenship? Is that even a possibility?</p>
<p>I fail to see how not offering a minor in nanotechnology means you have to go to medical school at Auckland… To actually work in nanotechnology, you need a graduate degree. Getting a minor in nanotechnology and a major in ME will not allow you to work in the field of nanotechnology, which is currently a very academic field isolated to research centers around the globe, rather than industry jobs. In other words, you can get your ME degree from U. Auckland (saving you $160K) and then enter into a graduate program that offers research in nanotechnology. You also don’t need to limit yourself to ME. The following undergraduate majors can also prepare you for graduate research in nanotechnology:</p>
<p>Physics
Material Science
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering</p>
<p>With that said, you have yet to actually even enter undergraduate and although you may think you know what you want to do you will likely learn of fields and career possibilities in the coming years that you are presently not even aware of. Lots of people are fascinated by nanotechnology because they think it is cool and cutting edge, but that doesn’t mean they would necessarily enjoy working in the field. Keep your options open and don’t try to pigeon hole your future based on your current knowledge.</p>
<p>The University of Auckland has a good engineering program, and given the huge difference in cost, I would say it is a much better option for undergrad than Penn. It is absurd to spend that type of money on undergrad, especially when you future salary as an engineer is not going to be astronomical… That 80K job you mentioned is an outlier and that was in ChemE (they generally make more than ME grads…) and even if you did start at that pay 240K is still a ton to pay back in 10 years. After all taxes are taken out that 2K a month doesn’t leave a whole lot left over, especially if you decide to start a family, or live in an area with a high cost of living.</p>
<p>I would advise against UPenn if it will cost you that much. It is not worth it and is not going to give you a better chance of entering into nanotechnology research. If you do decide to enter into that field graduate school costs money too, and if you need to get a job to pay back 240K you are basically making it impossible for yourself to enter into your currently desired field.</p>
<p>By the way, why did you choose UPenn for engineering?</p>
<p>240k is worth every cent for any degree from UPenn especially Wharton or engineering. I would do anything to be in your shoes right now… lol seriously</p>
<p>No undergraduate degree is worth a quarter of a million dollars. Period.</p>
<p>Repaying your debt to the tune of 24k/yr for 10yrs sounds painful to me. What’s your anticipated salary? Don’t get hung up on the emotional aspects of this decision. Crunch the numbers and see if you’ll be killed by this debt. PurdueEE, I agree with you. Oilers, be careful.</p>
<p>You have to pay, out of pocket, 60k per year for college? What about financial aid of any type? Surely UPenn would give you some sort of money in grants, scholarships, loans, work study, etc.</p>
<p>I would take the loan from your parents, buy a house or two and rent it out.
I would then get a Chemical Engineering degree from some other country such as Australia or Malaysia and maybe Canada.
Or get an engineering degree of a related field in NZ.</p>
<p>After graduating, I would sell the house(s) and pursue a master’s in the states.</p>
<p>You will not have trouble getting a job if you maintain a good GPA and actually know what you’re doing. That said, 240k is outrageous.</p>
<p>Wow, that is mind blowing. $240k for an undergrad degree.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but that is definitely not worth it. I hope you’ve applied to some other universities in the States (if you’re hell bent upon studying here), or you’ve scouted some other unis in NZ. Acceptance into UPenn as an international student = you are one smart guy, so I don’t think you’ll have much trouble finding a job (**** nanotechnology) that pays well coming from any other university in the world.</p>
<p>Sorry, it’s your decision, but $240k is RIDICULOUS.</p>
<p>@ lkf725: US citizenship is pretty hard to get, (i would have to urge my parents into considering investment immigration[I’ve heard a lot of fail stories about this one…])</p>
<p>@InPursuit: Thanks for that…
I do know of what Nanotech actually is (my uncle was a researcher at Northwestern + a professor now in Kor & we have discussions once every blue moon abt his research)… sigh your comment is exactly why i don’t want to go to Upenn… the 240k will fully hold me down over the coming years of my life… Cant do engineering at Auck Uni bcos the engineering degree at Auckland uni is very sketchy and isn’t recognised pretty much anywhere out of NZ…
I had the decision of choosing between Rensellar polytech (with scholarship), Carnegie-Mellon, Cornell, Northwestern, Brown and Upenn and in the brink of picking Northwestern, Upenn posted a nice letter detailing the unveiling of a $700mil Nanotech facility… so i picked penn… story of my life</p>
<p>@Hawkwings: no… they do not offer scholarships to international students 
I was gunna get samsung funding (bcos im korean) but they dropped me when they learned that i have dual citizenship…</p>
<p>Does anyone have any positive comments? There is always the possibility that I could get a good gpa, a good rec, maybe a good research under my belt etc and if i manage to nail the interview i could have a chance for an 80k job? living costs will be 20k or less, i’d be paying 24k a year so i could make a bit of money?</p>
<p>Shooting for a 70k job is more realistic - but jobs that pay 70k+ are usually in areas with higher cost of living. And then you pay taxes, which makes that 70k substantially less. And then you invest some money in a retirement fund. Then there’s living expenses (rent or mortgage, insurance, utilities, food, gas, car payment, etc. etc.). And then you finally get to pay your parents back. You won’t have very much money the first 10 years of your life.</p>
<p>If you want some place cheaper, go to Canada or something. Great engineering programs, known in the US, so you can apply to grad school in the US once your graduate.</p>
<p>id rather buy a ferrari bro.</p>
<p>but seriously now, if you have intentions of staying in NZ after undergrad you should reconsider this.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone else. Your statement about $80k has too many If’s in it. Yes, it’s possible, but for the most part unlikely. According to UPenn’s website, ChemE majors had an average starting salary of $60,400. That puts you in the 25% tax bracket. So after federal income tax (remember you still have lots of other random taxes too), you’ll have $45,300.</p>
<p>I would never, ever pay $240k for an undergrad degree. I’d look into other schools…</p>