<p>I've recently thought of applying as an undergrad in South Korea or Japan. The major I plan on taking is (International) Business. I want to get an MBA.
So I looked into Seoul National University and University of Tokyo as a start. SNU is the best uni in S.K and both are top universities, especially in Asia.
I'm drawn to these schools for the experience living and studying in a different country, as I'm also hoping that can set me apart when applying for jobs. Also, the tuition is way cheaper than that of a US uni, which would make moving there and everything not a big problem. I'm also planning on studying in Asia either way (full time or as an exchange for a couple semesters,etc.)
I just want to know the advantages of studying in both places, with my major in mind, and anything else that can help me decide whether I should:
-Study in Japan/S.K as an undergrad and grad
-Study in Japan/S.K as an undergrad, then apply for graduate in US
-Study in US as undergrad, then apply for graduate in Japan/S.K
-Study in US full time; Study in Asia as an exchange student</p>
<p>I've done quite some research already, but insight from others would really help me out!</p>
<p>I'm trying to make this decision pretty early because I need to know how intensively I'm gonna need to study the languages (since I wanted to study those languages before anyway). And I'll also need to have a talk with my parents pretty early if I want to seriously apply.</p>
<p>If anyone can direct me to universities in the US that provide good exchange programs for my major/ the countries I want to study in that would also be helpful. (2 US colleges im currently looking into are NYU and Columbia)</p>
<p>What is your status? Are you a US applicant or an international applicant?</p>
<p>What can you pay for your education?</p>
<p>Which language(s) are you fluent in? Is that conversational fluency, or full academic fluency?</p>
<p>If you don’t have full academic fluency yet in one or more of these languages, what is your plan for achieving that before you begin your university-level studies?</p>
<p>I am a US applicant. And Im not fluent in both languages, so my plan would be to self study, then get a tutor once I get to an intermediate level on my own. I would also consider studying abroad for the summer to s.korea/ japan. But these colleges offer some programs in English, and I’d be studying the language there if I got accepted, so I don’t think its a huge problem. But I would definitely try to learn as much as I can before applying.
Not sure what you mean by the paying thing, but my parents would basically pay for it since they want me to study full time instead of part time with a job. </p>
<p>In terms of University of Tokyo, the programs available in English are very limited. If those interest you, fine. To apply for a Japanese program, you need to pass the EJU, sort of the Japanese equivalent of TOEFL. And it takes about 900 hours of study to get to that level. That sounds pretty ambitious.</p>
<p>Columbia does have a good study abroad program in both the academic year and in the Summer with the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese studies which is supposed to be really good. The flipside is that Columbia is very selective and expensive.</p>
<p>I would say that it depends on how well you learn language. I know some people who can pick up on a language in a few months whereas I myself have taken 8 years of French and still have trouble doing anything more than ordering at a restaurant and even then I’ve ordered the wrong thing a few times. XD It is just a skill some people have and others don’t. Also keep in mind that you don’t just need conversational fluency, you need to be able to understand the language at a high enough level to keep pace with complex college topics. </p>
<p>Another factor to note would be concerns over security in the region. Even ignoring North Korea, the recent and rather heated disputes between China and Japan over territorial claims raise the possibility of conflict in the upcoming years. I’m not sure that it is likely enough to warrant avoiding the region, and you are bound to take a risk wherever you go, but it is certainly something to think about if you may be spending 4-6 years there. </p>
<p>I pick up languages pretty fast. I’m bilingual, so I guess that helped xD
The conflicts in east asia are gonna be a bit of a problem when bringing up the idea of me studying there, but it definitely doesnt change my mind. </p>
<p>Asian languages are notoriously difficult to learn. Expect 2 years of intensive study (not self study, but 5hours of class a week, 12-15 hours of work added to that) to reach intermediate level. You’d need 2 more years and a semester abroad to reach a level where you’d be comfortable being an independent student there.
Do you speak an Asian language already? Because that would help in speeding up the process.
Some schools with good study abroad programs include Goucher, Dickinson, St Olaf…</p>
<p>I don’t think it makes sense to plan now where you will get your MBA. You are better deciding that later when you have your undergrad and are working a few years and have a knowledge base to draw on to determine which is optimal for you. There are US universities that operate MBA programs out of Asia as well. Maybe do some reading in the MBA forum to see if value of foreign MBA is discussed.</p>
<p>If you plan to work in the U.S. you may be better off going to a U.S. university. While it might set you apart for some companies, it might limit you for others. I just don’t know how you would expect to keep up at those fiercely competitive universities without the bilingual language skills.</p>
<p>Too many universities have opportunities for study abroad in Asia to name. I guess you will have to look one by one. For instance Brown has a ‘house’ program which, like Columbia, is through the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies, but allows a number of approved external programs, 4 which are in Japan, none in Korea, and you can petition if you find an alternate you like. All that is online.
<a href=“Study Abroad | Brown University”>Study Abroad | Brown University;
<p>If you graduate from a college or university outside the US, you will need to have your academic records translated and formally evaluated for equivalence before you can apply for transfer to a US college/university, for admissions into a graduate program here, or for a job that requires copies of your academic records. One organization that does this is <a href=“http://wes.org/”>http://wes.org/</a> there are others as well. Depending on the country in which you study, there may be a number of intermediate steps required to legalize and validate your records and your diploma before they can be translated.</p>
<p>Whether or not a US employer will be interested in hiring you after your studies abroad is entirely up to that employer. You may want to run your ideas past some family members and friends who hire recent college grads to find out whether or not they think a foreign degree would pose difficulties for you.</p>
<p>Thanks! That’s my moms biggest concern. Which brings me to another question, would I mind living in another country? Because I really wouldnt. In fact I would love to. But that that would be another thing to discuss with the 'rents If anyone who studied there/ lived there before could give me advice that would be amazing!</p>
<p>@in7ite I was just interviewed by University of Tokyo for the PEAK Undergrad English program. Japan is a safe country and you don’t have to worry about the conflict between China and Japan more than I do. I’m Chinese by the way and I don’t think that there is even a posibility of wars between Japan and China. Chinese government simply dare not to offend Japan with a promise from the U.S… and do not have the strength to even challenge Japan if you know what it’s going on here in China. So don’t worry about safety and go apply for it! 頑張ってね～ ：）</p>
If anyone who studied there/ lived there before could give me advice that would be amazing!</p>