When you think about going off to college, you probably picture packing up your family’s minivan, driving for a few hours, and then finally entering the mysterious yet exciting world that is an American college or university. But what if instead of your parents dropping you off at your dorm room, they dropped you off at the airport… suitcase and passport in hand? What if you boarded a plane (or two) and touched down in Canada, the UK, or Sweden? This is the reality for the more than 40,000 American students who attend colleges and universities outside the U.S.
Whether you’re an adventure-seeking free spirit, or a small-town girl just looking for a (drastic) change of pace, going to college abroad can be a highly rewarding experience. International programs often offer benefits like lower tuition and shorter degree programs – plus the opportunity to see the world! Do you think you’re ready to make the leap to international college student? We’ll help you find out!
Save Time, Save Money
Elizabeth Tompkins, a former editorial intern and national contributing writer for Her Campus, is setting her sights abroad as she prepares to start grad school in Europe this fall.
After graduating from the College of William and Mary this spring, Elizabeth will begin a master’s degree program in Peace and Conflict Studies at Uppsala Universitet in Uppsala, Sweden, in the fall. For Elizabeth, grad school in Sweden is a cost-effective and time-efficient opportunity to earn a prestigious degree.
“A lot of MA programs in Europe are only one year, whereas in the United States the typical length is two years,” she says. “The degrees are the same, but the time and money you put in are lesser.”
The same goes for undergraduate programs as well. A bachelor’s degree program that would take you four years in the United States may only take you two or three in an international institution, such as King’s College London in the United Kingdom.
“Your typical degree program in the UK is only three years, instead of four like in the US, because the UK doesn’t have any general education requirements,” says Ashley Evans, a rising junior at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. “But, you can optionally take a ‘year in industry,’ which is essentially when you take a year off from college to work.”
European programs don’t just save you money by getting you to your degree faster – they also usually cost less up front.
“In some [European] countries, particularly Scandinavia, education is heavily or completely subsidized by the government, which means tuition is unbelievably low by US standards,” says Elizabeth. “One semester at Uppsala costs about $7,000, which is less than in-state undergraduate tuition at a public American university.”
In some countries, you can even go to school completely for free as long as you’re willing to pay the expenses of living in a foreign country. The University of Oslo in Norway, for example, requires students to pay only a small “registration fee.”
As an added bonus, European tuition also gives you free healthcare.
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New People, New Cultures
Going to college abroad also offers students the opportunity to meet new people and experience new cultures firsthand.
“Many European universities have very large international student percentages to their student bodies, facilitating that constant cross-cultural discourse that is vital in today’s world,” Elizabeth says. “European universities are fantastic global microcosms, and your peers will truly come from all over the world.”
Lily Herman, a contributing writer for Her Campus and a freshman at Wesleyan University, seriously considered going to college abroad because of the opportunity to meet new people and experience new cultures.
“I’m a huge fan of meeting new people, so what better way to meet people with different perspectives than your own than going to college abroad?” she says. “College itself is a place of diverse ideologies, so I could only imagine what it’d be like to be far away from my home country!”
That being said, studying in a foreign country doesn’t necessarily mean studying with only foreign students.
Out of the 7,000 international students enrolled at King’s College London, over 700 students are from the United States. The University of St. Andrews boasts an international student population that includes at least one student from almost every state in the United States. This large American population in the midst of the international setting appealed to Lily.
“I liked the fact that St. Andrews has a large American population on campus,” she says. “That way, I figured, I’d be far away from home but never feel completely alone.”
A new culture also means a new social environment, including a new college nightlife. “The biggest difference for was probably the drinking age,” says Ashley, collegiette at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, where the drinking age is 18.
“There are no rules saying you can’t have alcohol in the dorms, since it’s basically assumed that everyone is 18,” she says. “It means things can get a bit crazier [than American schools], particularly at the beginning of the year.”
Attending college abroad can also facilitate starting a post-college life abroad. “Going to university in Europe gives you a fantastic leg up if you ever plan on living and/or working in Europe, such as the ability to get a work visa more easily,” Elizabeth says.
Do the perks of international institutions excite you about a future abroad? Attending college in a foreign country is an exciting – but huge – decision, and there are several factors to consider before packing your bags and boarding your plane!
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Different System, Different Grades
Going to college in a different country means adopting that country’s educational system as your own, a challenge that is easily overlooked by Americans who are used to a certain structure.
The grading system in foreign countries, particularly European countries, often seems less favorable than the American system. For example, it is not uncommon for “A” students in America to be perfectly content with getting Cs at a European school.
Additionally, students in foreign countries may have less flexibility in their programs of study. This lack of freedom and flexibility ultimately discouraged Lily from attending the University of St. Andrews or Trinity College Dublin.
“The only real turn-off for me personally was that schools in the UK make you pick what you want to study upon arrival,” she says. “In the US, and especially in the liberal arts college system, it’s so unbelievably common to switch majors and try out other subject areas on the side, and I didn’t want to lose that!”
By the time Lily was well into her freshman year at Wesleyan University, she had realized that the ability to explore different academic disciplines in American universities really made a difference.
“I showed up at Wesleyan wanting to study government, but during my second semester here I ended up in a sociology class by some weird fluke and found my passion,” she says. “I’m not sure if I would have found that same happiness had I stuck with my plan of going abroad and studying international relations so singularly.”
The application process for foreign universities is another factor to consider. Some universities use the Common App, just like many American schools, but requirements and essay questions are often different.
“The biggest difference between American college applications and UK college applications was the essay,” Lily says. She started the application process for both the University of St. Andrews, which uses the Common App, and Trinity College Dublin, which has its own application.
“American colleges are all about personal statements that ‘show your personality,’” she says. “But colleges in the UK are very straightforward: They want a personal statement that explains what you intend to study and why. No fluff, no cleverness – they just want the facts.”
In some cases, foreign college applications are even more drastically different than American ones. Hannah Orenstein, Her Campus’s High School editor and sophomore at New York University, seriously considered applying to McGill University in Montreal but was intimidated by the application process.
“I know that McGill doesn’t take application essays or supplements or recommendations. It’s all based on your GPA and test scores,” she says. “To be honest, that scared me a bit! I had a strong essay and excellent recommendations and I was worried that if they only took stats into account, I wouldn’t get in.”
More Miles, More Flights
Aside from academics, a huge factor in deciding whether to go to school abroad is the distance from home. Schools like McGill in Canada might not be too far from home, but traveling across an ocean to go to college is a completely different story.
Despite some initial nerves, Ashley, at the University of Kent, chose to cross the pond for college to be close to her English boyfriend and to seize the opportunity to travel through Europe.
“In my mind, the distance isn’t much different from going to college in New York when you’re from California,” she says. “Sure, I’m in a different country, and I can’t just run home whenever I want, but the same can be said if you’re attending college in the United States and only a few states over.”
Ashley says she is able to come home to California for a month during her winter break, a month during her Easter break, and for three months over the summer. “Yes, we have a month-long Easter break!” she says.
A final consideration to take into account before enrolling in a foreign university is having the proper paperwork. Make sure to check with the specific school to see what types of documentation you need in order to enroll (and stay enrolled!), including student visas and passports.
Moving to a foreign country for college can seem way more intimidating than studying abroad for just a semester or a summer, but it’s sure to offer at least a few perks along the way!
Photo Credits
Travel Signs
Friends Laughing
Pointing to Map
Passport