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Jared, Part 1

Relevance: 100%      Posted on: February 28, 2016

Jared lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He attends high school in the best public school district in the state at a school that is ranked in the top 200 schools nationally. Though he is smart and a good student (4 AP courses, strong SATs, a weighted GPA of 4.3), he has never really enjoyed school and was approaching the college application process in unenthusiastically. Jared loves to travel. He completed summer language courses in both Costa Rica and Barcelona and has also traveled with his family. When he heard about Beyond the States, he asked his dad if he…

Firsthand: Student Life in Brussels

Relevance: 85%      Posted on: March 4, 2017

As I mentioned in my last blog, Brussels is not my favorite city in Europe. Recently, I spent some time with Jared, and his friends, Sebastian (from Luxembourg) and Lisa (from Atlanta) to find out their opinions on student life in Brussels. They all appreciate the offerings of the urban atmosphere.  Of course, no car is needed and they are able to get anywhere they need to go on foot or by train.  Though Brussels is known as a somewhat ugly city, the Grand Place is truly beautiful.  In some cities, it is hard to find student residences in the…

College in Europe Cost Comparison

Relevance: 84%      Posted on: June 12, 2016

I often encounter disbelief when I tell parents about the savings opportunities by sending their student to Europe for college. I think a lot of Americans think that Europe will be much more expensive because they associate Europe with expensive vacations, designer clothes, etc. The reality is different, though. To be sure, cities like London, Zurich, and Tokyo are among the world's most expensive, but they're right up there with New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco. I found an interesting list at Expatistan which shows the cost of living for different cities around the world. Did you know that…

Student Update: Jared Thriving at KU Leuven

Relevance: 82%      Posted on: November 26, 2016

We recently gave you an update on how Theo is doing at Leiden University College. Today I have an update on Jared (first blog, second blog) the student from Chapel Hill we worked with who is now attending KU Leuven in Brussels, Belgium. Jared’s family had a crazy summer before he left for school.  In addition to getting Jared ready for college in Europe, they were also in the process of relocating from Chapel Hill to Wilmington, NC.  Jared’s mom was starting a new job so Jared’s dad, Dave, went with Jared to settle him in.  Now I have to…

Are US Study Abroad Programs a Good Path to Global Citizenship?

Relevance: 57%      Posted on: April 8, 2017

I’ve talked before about the importance of exposure to cultural diversity and how grateful I was to have it as an integral part of my life growing up in Chicago.  I knew that this was something my kids would not have in their day to day life growing up in our homogeneous town of Chapel Hill, NC. Tom and I made it a priority to expose them in different ways with an eye towards global citizenship. We made it a priority to travel internationally from the time they were young, even when it meant long flights with cranky kids or making…

Great Options for Studying Abroad

Relevance: 31%      Posted on: November 23, 2020

This will be our first Thanksgiving with Jenn in several years. Perhaps it was one too many years of dry turkey and runny mashed potatoes at my family’s place in downstate Illinois that soured her on the holiday… I think the real reason she’s spent the last 5 Thanksgivings visiting schools is because it’s such a great week to travel internationally. The international terminals of the airports are empty, since most US travelers are travelling domestically. International air fares are generally reasonable at this time, as well. It’s a better time than summer, since you can get a feel for…

Is College in Europe Safe?

Relevance: 23%      Posted on: August 13, 2016

I often get questions from parents about whether it is safe to send their kids to college in Europe.  Granted, this question usually comes from parents who probably won’t send their kids overseas anyway, but safety is certainly something that is on most of our minds these days.  My answer is always that I believe college students are just as safe in Europe as they are in the US, if not more so. First, let’s first look at what is happening on US college campuses today.  The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that every year about 1,825…

European Study Abroad: How to Study in More than One Country without Going Broke

Relevance: 17%      Posted on: April 14, 2017

In our previous blog, we talked about the importance of global citizenship and the role international exposure plays in that development.  We discussed the financial challenges the US study abroad programs present as well as the fact that some of these programs even limit integration with non-US students. Less than 10% of US college students study abroad. In contrast, study abroad is an integral part of being a full-time student in Europe.  The EU sees study abroad as aligned with their policy agendas for growth, jobs, equality,  and social inclusion.  Further, the EU has set a goal that all citizens should have…

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