George Hu vividly remembers the first time he visited the United Kingdom while on vacation in middle school. As he wandered through Edinburgh’s medieval stone castles and stopped to admire the towering spires around him, he realized that he had discovered not just a picturesque tourist destination — but what would also be his home for four years of college.
He recently committed to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he will major in civil engineering with an integrated master’s program.
He, along with Julian Tong, are among a handful of seniors who are crossing borders and oceans for their undergraduate degrees.
Architectural beauty and lower costs draw George Hu to Edinburgh
George said he has always been open to going abroad for college; he hopes to travel the world in his youth, as he feels he will have little spare time once he goes into the workforce.
His trip to London and Edinburgh in seventh grade sparked his interest for the UK in particular. As a self-described history nerd, George fell in love with London’s grand, Victorian-style architecture and Edinburgh’s “old vibes” and historic sites, making the UK the perfect solution for his wanderlust.
“It’s always been lingering in the back of my mind that I could go somewhere [abroad] for college,” he said. “When applying to colleges, I thought it would be really cool if I just went overseas, so I decided to apply to [schools in] the UK,” he said. “And lo and behold, it worked out.”
On a more practical level, George also cited several concrete benefits of going to school in the UK. He noted that tuition for schools like the University of Edinburgh is typically around $40K (adjusted for currency conversion), making it comparable to cheaper out-of-state public schools here. He also anticipates that Edinburgh will have more affordable living costs — and even free health care, if he succeeds in obtaining dual citizenship.
Perhaps the most important factor driving his decision, however, is the integrated master’s program that Edinburgh offers for civil engineering, which will allow him to get a master’s degree after just five years.
“For my degree, it’s kind of essential because I will get paid more after I graduate,” George said. “And, you know, the world revolves around money at this point.”
George is excited to explore UK culture, including adjusting to English spellings (“colour” vs “color”) and learning local slang. On the flip side, he will miss the wide variety of cultural food options available back home, especially high-quality Bay Area Chinese food. He also expects less racial diversity in Edinburgh than in Saratoga, which may take some getting used to.
Friends and family have supported George’s decision (even if he returns home with a thick Scottish accent). While his grandparents feel sad about the vast distance that will separate them, he plans to call his family every week and fly home to visit as often as possible.
“My friends have all been supportive, because we’re all going somewhere else [away from home],” George said. “I guess the distance doesn’t matter, especially because we’ll all meet up at least once a year during breaks.”
Paris Business School offers wide-ranging opportunities
Julian Tong will also venture across the Atlantic for college. He plans on attending ESCP Business School (École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris) for a Bachelor in Management, as part of a unique program that will allow him to live and study in three different countries in three years. He will spend his first year at ESCP’s main location in Paris, the second at the Madrid campus and close off his undergraduate studies with a year in London.
Fueled by a desire to travel, absorb European history and meet new people, Julian looks forward to experiencing three countries during college.
“I like traveling a lot, and I like history a lot,” Julian said. “[This program] is nice for me because I get to learn business along with a little bit of history. Plus, it’s a way for me to get to know new people because Europeans are very [culturally] different from Americans.”
Because ESCP is one of the oldest and most prestigious business schools in Europe (currently ranked first in France and fourth in Europe), he also hopes to benefit from top-notch educational opportunities during his time abroad. Compared to US schools, which typically deliver information to students through in-class lectures, Julian believes ESCP Business School focuses more on nurturing industry skills through interactive group projects. For instance, he described one project in the curriculum, in which companies present students with a problem, students pitch solutions — and depending on the quality of their ideas, companies then implement students’ solutions in the real world.
“I know this school in particular brings in leaders of big companies in Europe and other people they would consider innovative and good role models in business,” he said. “[ESCP] is more focused on teamwork, real world skills and putting us into simulations to develop those skills.”
Julian is also looking forward to living independently and exploring the surrounding urban environments in Paris, Madrid and especially London — he expects to adjust to walking more and using public transport as opposed to driving.
Beyond satiating his thirst for travel, Julian is excited to meet new people: Already, he has joined a group chat with other committed students, and has observed that there are international students from a wide variety of countries and continents — not just Europeans and Americans — which will allow him to interact with a more diverse crowd.
“I’m just excited to meet people and see how the curriculum works,” he said. “I know it’s very different from the US, but I think I can adapt.”
