I’m an NYC based high school senior. I’ve always been enamored with going abroad for undergrad but my parents are concerned about recruiting/employment opportunities afterward. I’m not sure that I want to be in the US for the rest of my life but I want to go into the finance/business world and I know that the US is probably the best place to do so.
I am looking into the University of Edinburgh, St. Andrew’s, UCL, and Warwick. I have already applied to McGill (although I am less concerned about post-graduate opportunities from there since it is so well known in the states).
Any advice? Should I even be looking into these schools if I probably want to be in the US after grad? Anyone have experience graduating from a school abroad and coming back/getting employment opportunities in the US? Anything will help.
For more context on my academic profile:
I have a 35 ACT and am looking at schools at the UMich, WashU, NYU, Barnard, Tulane level. I have 4s on my AP exams (AB Calc and Lang) and am taking BC Calc this year along with several IB courses (comparable to AP course but more international and more rigorous). My GPA is around a 3.8 (my school does not officially calculate GPA).
I attend a small, affluent private school that is nationally ranked. I have a lot of ECs although I’ve heard that they matter less to schools abroad.
Arranging internships in the US and job recruiting for positions in the US after graduation will not be easy if you complete your undergraduate degree outside the US or Canada. Paid internships and job recruiting in the UK or in the EU will also pose challenges because of restrictions on work permission there. Do a bit of investigation about that too. For most US students, what makes best sense is to do a semester or two of study abroad while working on a degree at a US college/university.
That said, if you are a dual national, and have work permission for the UK or EU, then earning your first degree abroad can make sense. You could begin your career there after graduation, and return to the US later either for work or for a graduate program.
It might be quite a culture shock for you - I imagine your school provides a lot of guidance and support. European universities generally do not. Not at all. So this, plus the usual adjustment to living in a foreign country.
You probably know it already but do you factor it enough in your plans?