Hello all!
I’m still waiting for a couple of my dream university decisions, but since I likely won’t make it into them, these are the best I’ve got. A little bit about myself and (why I find it difficult to make a decision):
I am an international student (so won’t be getting any financial aid) who has keen interests in environmental science, data science, economics, law and policy, applied mathematics and engineering (mostly materials, but also nuclear, environmental, and electronic).
I am passionate about studying and protecting many different environments, and so really want to pursue environmental science. However, I am also concerned that its not a very high paying field (although demand, and career prospects are likely to increase in the near future, so I am not so sure).
I also plan to do a Masters later on, for which I want to save up as much as possible, and also help in paying my younger brother’s university tuition (Keeping our finances in mind, I would likely have to bear about 12,000-17,000 per year for him as well, 5 years after I graduate).
Finally, I am slightly skeptical of studying in the US because under the current administration, I feel it would be harder to get a work permit, or permanent residency, although I feel that I may be overplaying the difficulty.
These are my options so far (No debt in all cases):
UC Davis
Out of State, Regents Scholarship (+ Honors Program), Provost Award→ Estimated cost: 40,000 USD per year
Major: Environmental Science and Management
Pros:
I like the major program a lot
Has the best weather of the three places
Very high flexibility in terms of course selection, minors, and double majors (likely in Statistics or Managerial Economics)
Due to honours program, slightly smaller classes
Cons:
Somewhat remote
I’m not entirely sure of high paying employment opportunities after graduation, partly because of the major, and partly because of the the current administration.
UBC Vancouver
No scholarships or aid as of now. Estimated cost: 40,000 per year
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Likely Major: Environmental Science OR Combined Major in Statistics and Computer Science OR Combined Major in Statistics and Economics
Pros:
The programs are pretty good
Has decent weather
Canada feels more welcoming to international students
Cons:
Relatively less flexibility than US universities
Due to policy restrictions, cannot double major in any engineering course
Cannot take a double and combined major, so cannot major in environmental science and the combined major.
Very big classes initially (600-700 ish students in a lecture hall)
UW Madison
Out of state, No scholarships as of now. Estimated cost: 54,000 per year
Major: Material sciences and engineering
Pros:
Most high paying program of the three (initial salaries at least)
Slightly smaller classes as compared to UBC
Cons:
Engineering is a heavy course, so I’m unlikely to double major in environmental science
Program might be a bit more restrictive than other forms of engineering in terms of career prospects
I’m not used to the very cold weather of Wisconsin
I have no idea what should I do. Any advice is welcome.
Thank you!