Timeline to College in Europe | 9th Graders

First of all, we’re excited for you!

‍You’re certainly thinking ahead, and ready to explore the landscape of college in Europe. That means delving into what programs there are, and getting a taste for the wide variety of majors, and areas of study. What will yours be? It may be too early to settle on a major, but now’s the time to explore and discover. This will help set in motion your journey to college in Europe, if you decide that this is the right path for you! 

Now’s the time to breezily snoop around in the database to see what programs exist, what areas of study sound appealing, and use our resources to see what the country and city options feel like. Journalism, Robotics, Architecture? Rome, Toulouse, Oslo? So. many. options! 

‍Let’s Talk – Admissions in Europe

Are you ready to learn about the utterly different approach to admissions in Europe, for instance, and the upcoming benefits for your own family? Yes, there are options beyond the US admissions survival-of-the-fittest ordeal, and by choosing the option of college in Europe, you may be able to have a more forgiving and meaningful high school experience. 

‍Let’s Talk – Tuition and Cost of Living

We know you might have question marks around the cost of tuition and living expenses in Europe. But know this: there are SO many European universities that offer international students truly affordable tuition fees for their English-taught programs. Additionally, the cost of living in many European cities is often significantly lower than in major cities in the US, and in US college housing as well. Our resources will give you the goods on all of this! 

 

‍Let’s Talk – Foreign Language

Worried about the language barrier? These English-taught programs across Europe are geared toward English-speakers, and no foreign language is required. But many schools do offer classes or resources for language-learning, if you so desire. And keep in mind, studying abroad is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a new language and culture. You can read first-hand accounts of this in our Student Profile series. 

‍Let’s Talk – Far-Flung

Perhaps you have some concerns around being so far from home. While it can be challenging to be away from your familiar support system, studying abroad allows you to make new connections and friendships that can last a lifetime. Additionally, many universities have robust support systems in place for international students, including housing assistance, cultural events, and academic support. Keep in mind that many/most of your classmates will be from another country, far from home as well, and this commonality will reinforce a unique and diverse community of friends.

We at Beyond the States believe that the benefits of studying abroad, including uber-affordable tuition, transparency of admissions, diverse cultural experiences, and breadth of career opportunities, among many other perks, far outweigh any potential challenges.  

Even if you and your child decide that school in Europe isn’t a good fit, it’s absolutely worth the exploration, and worth getting the full scope of your options. You have them! You’re not limited to expensive and depraved-admissions higher ed options in the states only. 

Trust us – We’ve helped thousands of US families and students (including our own children) over the years explore and apply to programs across dozens of countries in Europe.

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‍FAQ for YOU:

1. Can’t I just do this online research myself?

Finding these programs in Europe is notoriously burdensome, difficult, and confusing – which is why Beyond the States was conceived in the first place. This is especially true since many institutional websites are in foreign languages. We know, from personal experience, that making the decision to study abroad can be difficult, and so…we’ve made it easy for you by scouring the continent for vetted, and unbiased programs. Unlike other portals, we don’t accept compensation from the schools we include in our database and materials, which allows us to be objective, comprehensive, and honest about what we provide.  

2. Should I be considering AP classes NOW for admissions in Europe?

First things first, it might be helpful (and stress-reducing) to know that only about 18% of the thousands of English-taught programs in our database even require APs for admissions – that means that most of these English-taught programs don’t have these requirements. By using our database, you will have the chance to learn which programs and areas of study require these APs, and which don’t, so that you can prepare to spread out these AP courses across the next few years, or if you even need them at all. 

3. Should I be pursuing extracurricular activities, jobs or internships for admissions in Europe?

Nope, unless these things are of interest to you. Unlike the US college admissions rat race, where students are compelled, even as early as freshman year, to pack their profile with all the “extras” like sports, jobs, and clubs as a means of standing out, in Europe things are starkly different. Across the board, schools in Europe don’t care about these extras on your transcript or otherwise – they are strictly looking for students who are a good fit for their programs, and fulfill their specific admissions requirements, no more than that. Having extracurriculars, or even more academic achievements, won’t benefit you – hopefully this brings a sigh of relief. 

4. Can I get student loans and/or scholarships as an international student in Europe?

Yes, there are options! About 980 of our 3,400 English-taught bachelor’s programs work with FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – these programs are identified in our database, and you can even apply our database filter for these programs – easy, peasy. However, sometimes schools in Europe offer other funding opportunities, like scholarships or subsidies, even for international students. You’ll find this information with each listing in our database too! What if you have money saved in a 529 college savings plan? Check out our podcast episode on this topic.  

5. Is it too early to sign up for the Beyond the States membership?

No, now’s a great time to gain access to our database of vetted, accredited programs across Europe, to understand what’s on offer, what the admissions requirements are, what cities they’re in, and just generally explore and discover. Early access to our active, neighborly Facebook group of parents and students is also a gift – get advice from those on the ground in Europe now, coordinate visits/tours with those in the FB group, and just fold into this supportive community. And tuck into our self-paced class series that comes with membership, and get schooled (as it were) on the exciting,viable option of college in Europe. 

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Next Steps for 9th Grade Families | Seize the Moment: 

1. FIRST THING – HEAD INTO OUR DATABASE: You’ll find 3,400+ accredited, 100% English-taught bachelor’s programs across Europe, and across all areas of study. Our regularly updated database is super user-friendly, and reflects only vetted, unbiased programs. Each listing is chock-full, and has the current program description, admissions requirements, our notes or program highlights, tuition and scholarship information, school and city information, and more.
2. BROWSE OUR FREE RESOURCES: While you’re exploring the database, take advantage of the many FREE resources on our website, including blog posts, podcasts, city and country guides, and in-house rankings pages for top colleges – as an introduction. We cover all college-in-Europe topics, like: admissions tips, degree-recognition, drinking culture, applying 529 funds, international student life, and on and on.
3. DUAL CITIZENSHIP? Now is also a great time to explore whether you have any possibility of dual EU citizenship. Although tuition for international students is already relatively affordable, dual citizenship allows students to pay substantially decreased tuition costs in nearly all of the countries in our database. If a student’s parent holds an EU passport, this is already part of the discussion. It is less well-known that citizenship can be passed down from grandparents as well in some European countries.

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9th Grade Families | Check Out These FREE Resources:

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Why I Started Beyond the States from our founder

Ultimate Guide to Bachelor’s Degrees in Europe

College in Europe: 9 Reasons to Study Abroad 

Global Citizenship: The Biggest Benefit to College in Europe

The Fight Against the US Admissions Rat Race

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That’s it for now. With these steps you’re off to a no-sweat good start. Check in on the Timeline to College in Europe as you go along, since we’re here to offer direction at each stage of the process. 

Go forth and discover! 

– The Beyond the States Team

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Some praise for Beyond the States:

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“The options for studying in Europe are amazing, but starting your research can be daunting! Beyond the States was indispensable in providing the information my student needed to understand how the European system works, which programs fit his interests, how to apply, and much more. It was well worth the investment!”

-Heidi

“I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for our daughter. When she told me she wanted to go to Europe for school, I thought there was no way. I started doing research and found BTS. From there we signed her up for the masterclasses, scoured the database and found the greatest community of parents in various stages of education in the EU. We could not have done this without BTS!”       

 –Kelly

“Beyond the States has been such a blessing. As a former Rotary exchange student myself I have always encouraged my children to consider studying abroad, not realizing how daunting that process could be. My daughter and I spent hours scouring the internet but were never fully confident if a school was actually taught in English, would be recognized in our home country (US), or even if they were legitimate. BTS took all the guesswork out of the process. Beyond the States provided more information that we could have ever uncovered on our own. My daughter is now preparing to attend a university in Spain this fall and my son, who is a junior, is likely to follow suit. We are so grateful to Beyond the States for providing such an excellent resource to those of us who think getting a degree abroad is unattainable. Many thanks!

-Heather