To go or not to go - Advice please!

Parents Forum
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<p>After reading much of this sub-forum, I've come to appreciate the amount of help other parents can give. That said, I've decided to post my dilemma on here to get some advice on my situation.</p>

<p>I'm an international from Australia, and I managed to receive offers from several amazing universities in the US. I decided on UCLA in the end mostly due to its location, academics and great all-around college experience (or so I hope).</p>

<p>That was really great and I was all excited, until I started considering what leaving to study at UCLA really meant (I should have done that a long time ago!)</p>

<p>My biggest concern is, naturally, finance. As UCLA is a state school, understandably, they do not offer any fin. aid to internationals. Compared to universities in Australia (~$10k/yr), UCLA is extremely expensive (The $50k OoS tuition = ~$60k AUD). </p>

<p>My parents have supported my application and have said that if I want to go, they do not mind paying for my education at all. While I am extremely grateful for that, I am not quite sure if that is a responsible thing to do. I'm the oldest and I have many other siblings who have to attend college after me. I probably should add, if I do stay, I would be attending a top Australian university doing an Engineering/Law double degree which would take 6 years (So my entire undergrad education in Australia would be the same as a year in UCLA!) while I would be doing Mechanical Engineering at UCLA. </p>

<p>I took a gap year in which I worked to raise some money for college, but that wouldn't even come close to paying part of the education at UCLA. I'm sure if I do attend, my family will not be in financial hardship, but they would probably be cutting costs here and there (my parents refuse to tell me!); especially with the economy the way it is.</p>

<p>I intend on going to grad school pretty soon after my undergrad (Either a J.D. or MBA after UCLA, or LLM or MBA after Australia - depending on what I decide to do), that is, once again, more cost for my parents - although I may take those as student loans as my parents would have to support my siblings through college at that point. </p>

<p>That aside, I'm not quite sure how things would look like after I graduate (does anyone?) so I might end up having to return to Australia to work due to visa issues, in which case, UCLA would be more of the college experience more than anything else. (Since, supposedly, undergrad colleges don't matter much anymore once you obtain a degree after that and it would probably be easier to get a job graduating from an Australian university) Is that college experience really worth the extra $150k USD? Or would graduating from a US college help my postgrad applications in anyway at all? I'm not so sure anymore.</p>

<p>The other thing I'm worried about is more emotional than anything else. I'm extremely close to all my siblings and I'm not sure about leaving them while they're growing up. Sure, I shouldn't let them decide my future, but it's somewhat depressing when I think that by the time I get back from UCLA, they'll be in the middle of their teenage years and I'll have missed a lot of them growing up. And I've sort of realised that it's times like that which mean a lot to you, but it's also times that you can never get back. (When I went to boarding school, I was more than happy to get away from them!) Do parents have any advice about this? How do older siblings deal with their younger siblings growing up and not being able to go for their concerts or recitals and everything else? (I can't possibly take a plane back every time!)</p>

<p>...Wow, that was a long post. In any case, I would appreciate any advice that you have to impart and I'll take it all to heart. Thanks for reading this to the very end (I'm not quite sure if I would!) and enjoy your summer!</p>

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<p>I’m curious: Have you spent any time in the U.S.?</p>

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<p>A fair bit, but only on holidays back when I was a kid (vague memories of an amazing place - granted, all I remember are Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland and a Lakers vs…Sonics game. Heh.) My family traveled a fair bit back when there were only a few of us and my memories of the US definitely stand out.</p>

<p>I think that’s why I’m seriously considering my options right now. Otherwise, I’d probably just decide to stay here and save the money for grad school.</p>

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<p>Question: where would you want to live and work after getting all that education - in the US or back in your beautiful home country?</p>

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<p>Would it be possible to go to the Australian university and then do a semester or year abroad in the US? I know that many US colleges offer such programs to Australia but don’t know if it works both ways. </p>

<p>This kind of plan would allow you to experience some of the US university life while still conserving funds.</p>

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<p>For example, here is a link to the page for the UC program to Australia</p>

<p>[University</a> of California Education Abroad Program, Prospective Participants, Australia, Study in the “Land Down Under”](<a href=“http://eap.ucop.edu/prospective_participants/countries/australia/]University”>http://eap.ucop.edu/prospective_participants/countries/australia/)</p>

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<p>I’m not quite sure actually. I think I would much prefer the US, but once again, that would have to depend on visas and what-nots, so I’m trying not to get my hopes up and think about that now.</p>

<p>EDIT:</p>

<p>Ah, I completely forgot about that. Thanks scualum. The university that I would attend in Australia actually has an exchange program for mechanical engineering with UCLA - which is perfect. But since I would be doing a combined Law/Engineering degree, I’m not sure if I would be able to get the green light for that since the UCLA Law school might not allow it. It might be do-able, but if it doesn’t, then I guess I’ll miss out of the opportunity.</p>

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<p>Shoyz, have you considered studying abroad for a semester? My D is in Sydney right now at UNSW, and having a great time. She has had the chance to travel around Australia, see Fiji, New Zealand and have an amazing semester at school. The nice thing about many study abroad programs is that you pay the tuition to your home school, and they have a reciprocal arrangement with other schools that belong to the same consortium so the tuition would not be through the roof. You could even spend a whole year in the States, if the program allows it, and still not spend so much money for an undergrad program.
Also, most study abroad programs take place junior or senior year. This would give you a few more years to mature before leaving your close knit family. If you get an opportunity to visit the US before then (and airfares on Virgin Australia are really cheap- like $650 U.S.) you could see if that is really where you want to spend a lot of time.
Would you live at home if you go to Uni in Au? My D’s experience has been that most of the Aussie students are commuters who live at home with their parents. Perhaps, after a year or so at home you could manage to move into an apartment near a local Uni, and get the experience of living independently without paying the US tuition.
One other thing to consider, is if you have to pay out of state tuition at a US public school, you might consider applying to some small private schools. They tend to be much more generous with scholarships, so even if on the surface they seem more expensive, the scholarships can bring the cost down by $10,000 or more.</p>

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<p>

No.

Probably wouldn’t make any difference, but with a good record at a top Australian university, you would be in a strong position.</p>

<p>UCLA is a great school, but not particularly known for mechanical engineering.</p>

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<p>I definitely have considered the option for studying abroad. But I’m not too sure about the law pre-requisite. As far as I know, universities here will only support your exchange if you will get credits for all the majors that you’re in. That said, unless I am able to get approval from the graduate law school, it might be hard to get the faculty’s approval on that. </p>

<p>If I did study here, I would more than likely be staying at home. Most of the students in dorms here are those who live in the country (We don’t have that many universities to go around here) or internationals. I know friends who make 1 hour commutes every day and that’s quite normal. </p>

<p>About living independently, I’ve got some experience because I went to boarding school - my only issue with that now is that my siblings are at that age where they’ll really change, and that’s the only thing that’s worrying me about that.</p>

<p>With the small private schools, my family doesn’t quite qualify for fin. aid so that makes it a little harder. But when you have 3 more people who have to go into college…</p>

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<p>For graduate or law school admissions in the US you will still be considered an international student even if you graduated from UCLA since you will need another student visa.</p>

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<p>I’d call the Australian study abroad office and ask if other students in your double major have been able to do a semester abroad. I would be very surprised if they didn’t. Perhaps a little earlier in the program - like sophomore year - when you are mostly taking introductory and breadth courses anyway.</p>

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<p>“Is that college experience really worth the extra $150k USD?”
No. I think it would limit your postgraduate opportunities in Australia, and also would limit your siblings’ college opportunities. Use part of the money you’ll save by going to school in Australia to travel in the U.S. on vacations or after you’ve finished your studies.</p>

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</p>

<p>That is certainly true. But say, would the US undergrad background be beneficial at all?</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies everyone. Really appreciate it.</p>

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<p>Why would you want to go to law school in the U.S.? Don’t you want to practice in Australia? If you want to practice in Australia, I doubt that attending a U.S. law school would be beneficial.</p>

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<p>Ah about that.</p>

<p>The law programs in Australia are being changed around now, with many universities dropping the LLB for a JD. So it’s a bit of a mess with some universities not offering the LLB anymore and stuff like that.</p>

<p>Also, an LLB is somewhat restricted in that it’s limited to commonwealth countries, but apart from California (And NYC with an LLM) it’s not really usable in the US. </p>

<p>A JD, from what I know, is applicable in most common law countries as long as you manage to pass the bar.</p>

<p>But I’m still not entirely sure where I would want to practice (if I even go into law at all!). Decisions decisions. Mais c’est la vie, I guess.</p>

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<p>Don’t know about law programs. But for engineering programs, it is very common to see folks get their undergraduate degree (bachelors) back in their home country and come here to the US for grad school.</p>

<p>I suspect that completing your bachelors degree here in the US would be a slight advantage while applying to grad programs - but not necessarily from an admin perspective. It would be more of an advantage for you in that you will be better informed about programs and more attuned to the way things are done here in the US.</p>

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<p>Shoyz,</p>

<p>Sounds like you have a lot of good reasons for staying in Australia for your undergraduate studies. Frankly, I do not believe that UCLA is the type of school that one would travel halfway around the globe to attend. Save the money. It sounds like you will be in school for quite a while.</p>

<p>Good Luck,</p>

<p>Kevin</p>

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<p>Aye, I’m not particularly worried about where my degree comes from, I would get a decent education in both universities. Except perhaps my law degree and the difference with it being an LLB/JD.</p>

<p>The thing about UCLA, is that I chose it over other privates with slightly better academics because I thought that the whole college experience was much more important for undergraduate if I was going to go to the US (Although UCLA doesn’t seem to be a slouch in the academic department either.)</p>

<p>I’m just wondering if the experience is worth it, and if the career opportunities after would be worth the extra investment (although, I’m not too sure if it would be a great deal more).</p>

<p>But yes, I think I’ll be in school for a little while longer. Not complaining though!</p>

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<p>No, it would not be worth it.</p>