Feature Article: A Missing Piece in the College Puzzle

I don’t think I could have picked a more cryptic beginning to an article, but I wanted to get you interested enough to read it! So, what is the “missing piece” in the college puzzle? Well, it started with a random conversation with a counselor at a public high school in my neighborhood. We talked about some of her students who were attending college overseas and loving it, getting great opportunities for personal and professional growth, and at very reasonable prices! This led to the counselor connecting me with several representatives at these schools, which led to some interesting conversations and meetings, which led to some important revelations, which I am sharing with you here.

You might be thinking that I am referring to some of the globally elite schools, like Oxford, Cambridge, Tsinghua University (China), Peking University (China), The University of Tokyo (Japan), the Australian National University, or the University of Toronto (Canada). Nope.

These schools all operate under very different conditions than we understand here in the U.S. They have different applications (for the most part, though a few still use the Common App), different standards for admission (SAT/ACT scores, AP/IB scores and grades/curriculum…that’s about it), and a very different method used for curriculum and program design (The U.S. has a K-12 education system. The UK and Australia, in particular, have a K-13 system. This means college is one year shorter in most UK/Australian colleges). This is great for some students, but you have to know what you want from your undergraduate studies or else it makes little sense to move overseas for this educational experience. Further, those students will receive little to no general education, which means connecting what they learn to the larger universe will be that much more challenging.

However, for those students who are laser-focused on what they need to learn, and why they need to learn it, they can earn a world-class education one year faster (or more) than they typically can in the States.

You will also find that these institutions base their grading almost exclusively on examinations, and little to nothing on, well, anything else, so you better be one of those strong and confident test takers. Merit aid does exist, but it is usually limited in quantity, and need-based aid is sometimes available via the FAFSA, but in loan form only. Grant money (state or federal) will not carry over outside of the U.S. Truly, it is different, and students should have some real experience and understanding of what they are buying if this is the direction they wish to go for their undergraduate experience. I’m not suggesting it’s a bad direction, just a different one than we understand in the U.S. So, all that said, what am I talking about?

I’m referring to the colleges and universities, mainly based in Europe, that have a U.S.-designed curriculum, U.S. admission standards, accreditation from U.S. institutions, and offer this educational experience at a fraction of what a private college or university costs here in the states! Sound too good to be true? Let’s see.

Now, before you get too excited, I’m also not referring to the colleges/universities that are owned and operated by U.S. colleges/universities (see: Rochester Institute of Technology - Croatia; Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai; NYU - Shanghai; NYU - Florence; NYU - Abu Dhabi; Duke Kunshan University – China; Georgia Tech Lorraine – France; St. John’s University – Paris; St. John’s University – Rome; Temple University – Rome; Temple University – Japan; Georgetown University – Qatar; George Mason University – Incheon – S. Korea; SUNY – Incheon – S. Korea; University of Utah – Incheon – S. Korea; Saint Louis University – Madrid – Spain; Arizona State University – Vietnam – I think I got most of ‘em). These schools will likely operate on the U.S. system and you can enroll in one or all of the schools in the system if admitted to the parent organization, but you will still pay the U.S. cost of doing business (better known as the COA), which will likely be the same expensive path we see elsewhere in U.S.-based schools.

So, what schools AM I referring to??

According to the American Universities Abroad (AUA) website, they (the AUA) are “a group of private American Universities located outside of the United States. AUA Universities are U.S. regionally accredited, non-profit, and operate on U.S. academic credit systems.

All members participate in U.S. Federal Financial Aid along with institutional aid. AUA members encourage international perspectives and global education. Students attending AUA institutions engage in global issues, experimental learning, travel and cross-cultural exchanges with an emphasis on global citizenship.” That sums it up nicely.

If you are looking for a small sample of names, here ya go:

· Bard College Berlin (Germany)

· Franklin University (Switzerland)

· John Cabot University (Italy)

· Richmond – The American International University (UK)

· The American University of Paris (France)

· The American University of Rome (Italy)

· The American College of Greece (Greece)

Here are a bunch of colleges/universities that offer an affordable education, incredible opportunities for personal and professional development, true multi-language immersion and cultural development/awareness, and a global understanding and vantagepoint, allowing graduates to stand out versus their American counterparts.

I mean, who isn’t going to be impressed that you traveled to England, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, Greece, etc. for your undergraduate education?! The likelihood is that you will see them ALL during your four-year stay overseas. Think of the possibilities!

A lot of students and parents who are still reading (hi there!) understand the idea of and are comfortable with living a long distance from home. Once you get past that tough hurdle, the rest is actually easier than you think. Most of these institutions are in the very small to medium size range (500-5000 undergraduate students), so attention is paid to everyone in their classes. The language all classes are taught in is English, so you don’t have to be completely fluent in another language to earn a degree. Housing, meal plan, health fees, books, tuition and all the other goodies we are used to paying for in the states are part of the same programming overseas… but at a fraction of the usual cost (with the exception of airfare). The same financial systems that apply here in the U.S. apply to these schools as well, so some families can still get the need-based aid they require, as well as merit-based aid, if they are strong candidates. Further, the admission percentages at most of these schools is high and the bar for admission is, for most of the schools I have looked into, in the B+ range. The bottom line is this: there are lots of schools overseas who very much want you to consider them. They have a lot to offer you, without changing the way you perceive college to be, at a price most families can afford. Interested? I thought you might be.

For more information on the wonderful world of international colleges and universities, please feel free to peruse these websites:

http://americanuniabroad.com/

http://www.aaicu.org/

Special thanks to Justin Schaefer of The American College of Greece and Lea-Anne Allen of Macquarie University – Australia for their contributions to this article.