U.S. College and University Opportunities in Europe
Not long ago, the more adventurous and self-confident of undergraduates would take a semester or two abroad to experience a different culture by attending a university in Europe. Today, undergraduates have much broader opportunities to enroll in a European institution as part of their bachelor’s degree program at their home university in the U.S. The number of options available has grown significantly. There are now an estimated 5,670 colleges and universities in Europe that offer more than 1,500 English-taught study abroad programs and bachelor’s degrees.
Recently, Laura O’Brien Gatzionis, writing in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) newsletter, stated the following:
“There are numerous ways for students to gain global experience and increase their transferable and marketable skills while broadening their horizons. Study abroad has become a typical college experience for many students. Gap years are another fascinating possibility. Many universities, including Tufts, Princeton, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Harvard, actively encourage entering freshman to consider a well-planned bridge or gap year. Families are interested in learning more about English-taught, bilingual or immersion bachelor programs outside the United States, which may be ideal for independent, adventurous, curious personalities.”
Although there remain many excellent Junior Year Abroad programs at top-tier U.S. colleges and universities, three additional options are described below:
First Semester in Europe: A number of U.S. institutions offer a first-year or first-semester abroad option. Boston University’s College of General Studies offers students who are admitted in January the chance to take a gap semester and then to undertake a condensed interdisciplinary six-month curriculum through a six-week summer residency in London. Examples of similar opportunities are Northwestern’s NUin program, Hamilton College’s January admission courses, NYU’s Global Liberal Studies Freshmen Abroad programs, and Loyola College of Maryland’s Rome Start program.
Dual Degree Programs: Dual degree programs offered cooperatively by European and American institutions represent another type of opportunity for a broader education. The University of St. Andrews in Scotland and the College of William and Mary in Virginia are partners for the International Honors bachelor’s program that allows students to spend two years at each institution and receive a BA from both. Students choose to specialize in classical studies, economics, English, film studies, history, or international relations. The Dual BA program of Sciences Po in France and Columbia University in New York City offers a global undergraduate university experience in which students focus on social sciences and language during the first two years at one of the Sciences Po campuses and spend the second two years at Columbia in New York City fulfilling the core curriculum and requirements for their major. Students in the World Bachelors in Business program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles shift with their cohort to Universita Bocconi in Milan, Italy, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology during their first three years. Upon successful completion of the fourth year at the USC campus, they receive bachelor’s degrees from all three universities.
Four-Year Undergraduate Programs: Some U.S. institutions have a European campus where students may earn all or most of their undergraduate degree and are awarded a BA or BS from their American institution. In Florence, for example, Marist College, in conjunction with the Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici, offers bachelor’s degrees in several majors. A joint program by Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and Saint Louis University in Madrid, Spain, offers majors in art history, international relations, and engineering. Some courses can be completed in Spain; others require that the final two years of study take place on the St. Louis campus in the U.S. The economics BA gives students the flexibility to move back and forth between the St. Louis and Madrid campuses as they wish.IvySelect, a leading college admissions consulting firm, has a particular interest in international studies. Michael Goran, J.D., IvySelect’s Founder and President, takes particular pride in his Professional Member status in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), where he is recognized by IECA as an international specialist. He counsels students regarding educational options beyond their home country, including assisting American students considering university education outside of the U.S., as well as guiding international students looking to achieve admission to American colleges and universities.
IvySelect, a leading college admissions consulting firm, has a particular interest in international studies. Michael Goran, J.D., IvySelect’s Founder and President, takes particular pride in his Professional Member status in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), where he is recognized by IECA as an international specialist. He counsels students regarding educational options beyond their home country, including assisting American students considering university education outside of the U.S., as well as guiding international students looking to achieve admission to American colleges and universities.
Whether you are an American or international student, IvySelect provides superior comprehensive, individualized counseling to high achievers based on years of experience. We guide students in achieving admission to top-tier, highly selective institutions. The colleges and universities referred to in this post to which IvySelect’s students have been admitted include Boston University, Hamilton College, New York University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, the College of William and Mary, the University of Southern California, and Oxford University (U.K.).
In addition to the schools above, IvySelect has been successful in guiding students to acceptance by Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Stanford, Duke, MIT, Cal Tech, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Berkeley, UCLA, Boston College, Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, Tulane, Washington University in St. Louis, Rochester, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Haverford, Wellesley, Vassar, Barnard, Colgate, and many others.
