Hey! So here is my situation. My home country is Sweden and we do not pay any tuition fee here, also a bachelor + master is done in 5 years. I have got some pretty good scores and i reckon that i could do well on the SAT.
Now, in the future i wanna work in the USA. I know its hard and all that but atleast im majoring in computer science which i have heard is one of the easiest way to get an H1-B for an american company. my options are to stay in Sweden and attend university here for 5 years to graduate with a master degree in computer science or go to USA for 4 years to graduate with a bachelors degree. I know tuition is is a lot for international students but with some loans plus a merit scholarship i will be able to afford schools like university of Miami or USC. The interest rate on the loan is 0.6% by the way.
In Sweden i can get into the prestigious universities like Chalmers and KTH, i have heard that KTH is one of the best schools for computer science in Europe.
If I want to work in USA, am i better off going to USA for a bachelor or stay in Sweden for a Master? if i go to USA i atleast get to do OPT where i can show off my skills and hopefully impress the company for an H1-B. I also have the chance of getting an internship which will make me a stronger candidate when looking for a job. Are schools like Chalmers and KTH recognized in USA? Because they are the best schools that Sweden have to offer in terms of engineering and sciences.
I will have to take out student loans in both cases because the cost of living in Stockholm and Gothenburg is very high.
What about a Bachelors (and maybe Masters as well) in Sweden, then Masters in US? You will be more employable with the US Masters degree, and you will also have OPT with that degree.
“One of the easiest ways”.? NO, it’s the one of the LEAST HARD way. You should never count on getting H=1B in US.Nothing is guaranteed. It’s getting harder to ge H1b these days
Immigration law requires that a US employer state that there are no US citizens to fill a position before an employer can consider a non-citizen. CS is a very popular major with US citizens.
Your chances are extremely limited in gaining a visa.
Getting the bachelors in Sweden makes the most sense unless you are simply made with money. Then you are free to work anywhere in the EU (which is a big diverse place). Try that first before spending a large amount of money on an American degree and then likely ending up back in the EU anyway.
Really, you have four choices:
1- Do a BA/BS in the US and do an OPT, then enter a Master’s degree program+OPT in the hopes of getting an H1B. Risky but you CAN spend 4 years + OPT for sure, are likely to get into a Master’s program if you’re any good, then return to Sweden with desirable US experience if it doesn’t work out.
2- Do a BA/BS with co-ops, then OPT/H1B or OPT-Master’s-H1B
3- Do a BS in Sweden, then a Master’s degree in the US, then OPT/H1B
4- Do a BS/MS in Sweden, then a Master’s degree in the US, then OPT/H1B
1&2 are only possible if you can get a merit scholarship. It means you may apply to “famous” schools of engineering, but you’re likely to attend a “less famous” university that gave you a sufficient scholarship. Are you ready for that? Or do you want a “brand name” that all your friends and relatives will recognize? Will a degree from an American university be recognized in Sweden if after your OPT you don’t find a job?
As a Swedish student, you should investigate St Olaf due to their ties to Scandinavia and excellent CS dept, plus Gustavus Adolphus (I think they have special scholarships for Swedish students), and, I would imagine, UMN-Twin Cities and UWisconsin due to their CS depts’ strength and dynamic economy + Scandinavian heritage.
UCincinnati has the best Co-op program in the US, although Norteastern has become more famous for it. Both have good scholarships but you need to apply early.
One of the first things you need to do is ask your parents how much they can afford to support you. The 0.6% loan is good, as is the cultural expectation you can be in college till age 24 or 25 with no problem.
In all cases you’d need to have contingency plans in Sweden.