What do you think about college in Europe? Canada?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>DD is a HS junior , who for many years has been telling us that she would like to eventually move out of the USA :(
She is currently looking very seriously at McGill in Canada and EPFL is Switzerland.
At McGill she would get a citizen rate, which together with room/board will come to somewhere between 22-25K /year.
EPFL tuition is about $1500 but for living expenses in Lausanne one has to designate about $2200/month.</p>

<p>We already went through a college admission process with an older child, at that time the least expensive school he has been accepted to (Yale) was about $22K (not counting free rides and state flagship). So we think that if we are lucky and she is accepted at one of the top schools in the country offering the best need based aid, we are still looking at about 22-25 K. The schools I have mentioned in my first paragraph would be about the same (if I look at it correctly).</p>

<p>When I look at my DD I only see the benefits of her studying abroad. She is at a tender age of 16 fluent in 3 languages, studying another 2 very seriously. She loves to travel. She imagines herself working for some kind of an international agency. I think that for her EPFL would beat Harvard if they turn out to be the same price, if you know what I am trying to say here. </p>

<p>What would be the cons of such a move? How would grad schools in the US look upon her if she decides to return for her Phd/professional school here? </p>

2

<p>Given all of the international PhD students in US PhD programs, having the undergraduate school’s location outside of the US should not be an issue for PhD programs (although, as with US undergraduate schools, what the PhD program thinks of the school’s undergraduate curriculum in the major and students coming from the school can matter).</p>

<p>For professional schools, you may want to check on what they are looking for from students with undergraduate study outside of the US.</p>

3

<p>I think one of the main differences between college outside of the U.S. is that they go right in an focus on the major. Therefore, you need to know what you want to study. There is very little hand holding and dorm life is not really a thing. My D1 applied and was accepted to McGill, UBC and three UK schools several years ago. She actually really liked the concept of not having to take classes not pertaining to her major and I believe it would have taken 3 years to complete vs. 4. At McGill. dorms were only guaranteed for first years and after that they had to get their own apartment. She heavily considered McGill up until the very end. However, she fell in love with UNC and that is where she went and graduated in 3 years . She is now actually getting her Masters in the UK. She absolutely loves the culture and it is all very hands on and quite intense.</p>

<p>Switzerland is probably a wonderful place to study as well and so central to many other countries. Everyone seems to be fluent in English but also French and of course German. The education is probably in German. I would visit, if you have not already, and see if she likes the culture. </p>

<p>College outside the U.S. would be good for someone who is quite independent, well focused and ready to grow up quickly. </p>

<p>Also, the visa process can be a chore so research well before hand. It can be nail biting till the end. </p>

<p>Good luck</p>

4

<p>EPFL is in the French speaking part of Switzerland.</p>

5

<p>Keep in mind the cost of living in Switzerland is expensive. My S toured McGill and really liked it.</p>

6

<p>McGill U is considered to be very good. A friend of my son’s reports high satisfaction there.</p>

7

<p>Trinity college in Dublin is a great school. University of Toronto also. We toured both, but D is going to stay in the states at least for undergrad.</p>

8

<p>There are a few cons.</p>

<p>One is that these schools are unlikely to have career service offices that will help her get a job in the US after graduation if she doesn’t want to go right on to graduate school. A neighborhood kid, now older, went to the U of East Anglia, which is VERY highly regarded in her field of interest but simply offered no help at all getting a job in the states. It’s very unlikely that many US employers will come to campus to interview. If she doesn’t want to come back to the US at any point, that’s less important, but…if she’s not an EU citizen she may have trouble getting a job in Europe too. </p>

<p>I’m not familiar with EPFL. How does its academic year compare with that in the US? Some friends of my kid who studied abroad had trouble getting summer jobs in the US because the vacation dates didn’t line up with internship dates. Additionally, they weren’t eligible to work in Europe during their summer vacations because student visas limited the # of hours they could work. </p>

<p>These won’t be issues with McGill, which is widely known in the US. And, IIRC, the school year is about the same as most US schools. </p>

9

<p>McGill is well respected worldwide, including in the U.S. I don’t see much difference in career and graduate school opportunities between attending McGill or attending an American college. My son has an American friend with an undergraduate degree from McGill who ended up getting two Master’s degrees in two completely different fields from two prestigious U.S. universities.</p>

<p>Considering the number of young people all over the planet who are eager to get a degree from an American university/college, it’s hard to reason with giving up a home team advantage. </p>

<p>I’ve lived in Asia for 23 years and can attest that the expat life can be good, both personally and professionally. I can’t remember that I’ve ever met an overseas American who didn’t do his/her undergraduate work in the U.S., Though I’ve sure met a multitude of non-Americans who studied in the States.</p>

<p>My inclination would be toward choosing a U.S. college but maximizing summer travel and year abroad opportunities.</p>

<p>There are plenty of career paths that lead to assignments overseas. The foreign service (E.g., State, Commerce), foreign based non-governmental organizations and consulting firms that specialize in development economics are the most obvious, but many, many private corporations – from banking to tech to pharma to retail – send their employees all over the world.</p>

<p>My advice to your daughter would stay in the States (or Canada) for her undergraduate years.She should choose the most academically rigorous college that she can get into (and can afford). A reputation for IR graduate programs is less relevant than a reputation for internship and post-graduation job placement, both in public and private sectors. </p>

<p>Along the way, she should get as much foreign experience as she can in her summers and year abroad. Choose some less traveled places (i.e., balance Europe with some experience in Asia, Africa, South America). Connect and network with people who work for NGOs and consulting firms. </p>

<p>Then work a few years in the region of her choice before going to a graduate school that has a track record for being recruited by type of organization that she’d like to work for.</p>

<p>Having a facility for language is a gift that will serve her well in her career, but unless she intends to be a translator, language alone won’t open the door. What will get her the job will be her connections and what’s on her resume up to that point.</p>