How to Find the Best College Abroad
While researching colleges is easy, getting in is obviously much harder -- and that much harder when you are talking about visas and long-distance plane flights. Yet if your or your child's passion is to go study in England or France for part or all of their education, it's an experience not to be missed. They will walk away with much more than a degree and the kind of education only travel can provide.
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Instructions
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Plan a realistic budget.Budgeting for college is never easy, but it's infinitely harder when you are considering going to Oxford versus Cal State Northridge -- unless you are very bright and have a full scholarship.Even then, you will need to factor in the costs of getting there, shipping your personal items and possibly furniture (if you won't be living in a dorm), miscellaneous fees for a passport and visa (should you not already have them), and so forth.
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Check out your prospective locales in person.You or your child will never know if studying in France or Japan is a good fit unless you visit. If making the trip is not affordable, do as much online research as you can while also picking the brains of friends and family members who've lived in these places.
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Look into visa regulations in that country.In the UK, for example, a student visa expires at a given point, and then that individual has to exit the country reasonably quickly. You or your child must also prove admission to the college(s) before a visa will be granted. Make sure your child's or your paperwork is up-to-date.
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Consider learning the language.This is putting it mildly. If you or your child is going to study in Barcelona, it seems a given that he'd know Spanish. If not, the road will be much tougher. However, living abroad will obviously up the odds of learning a language that much more quickly.In some instances, it may be a prerequisite coming in -- something else to check into before applying.
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Make sure you've perused all information on hand -- this means college guide books, country guide books (Fromers, Rough Guides, Fodor's, etc.) and friends' recommendations.Speaking to your high school counselor, if you are still a young person, would be highly advantageous. If possible, speak by phone to the advisors in the schools to which you will apply.
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Write the world's best essays.Well-written, highly literary essays can be a key into an otherwise off-limits university. Remember, the deans of Oxford and Cambridge are just as human as the rest of us and would respond favorably to a strikingly brilliant, humorous and insightful tretise on the world's financial markets (for example). That's not a given -- but it's the general idea. Good luck!
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Tips & Warnings
Investigate as many options for colleges as possible.
Learn the language native to the country in which your prospective college is located.
Write a winning essay!
Do not be cocky or inappropriate with admissions/guidance counselors--it's your ticket back to the local city college.
Studying abroad is much more expensive. Make sure your parents (or a friend, if you are an adult learner), go over the budget with you. Britain is particularly expensive for Americans moving abroad, though a stable budget can help offset the sticker shock.
