Why Do Grad School in Europe? (As Opposed to the US)

A lot of people asked me, "Why did you want to go to grad school in Europe?" It's not that I'm an Anglophile or anything like that. In fact, I didn't know much about Europe (particularly the UK) before making my decision. It certainly wasn't cultural. After explaining it so many times, I've come to realize the reasons why in my head.

1. It's quick

Did you know that you can complete your master's program in just one year? I don't mean to generalize, but for the most part you can complete most programs within one year. (Obviously, medical programs and the like aren't like this.)

Plus, the decision turnaround time is less than a month. I'm actually not sure how long US schools take, but compared to grad schools in Japan, this was really fast.

2. It's reputable

The schools are really good. I'm going to the UK, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but some of the top schools in the world (Oxford, Cambridge, etc.) are located there. A lot of schools in Europe have great reputations.

Plus, it makes you look very worldly and experienced on resumes. You know how some people do study abroad as a resume-booster? This is like the next level of that!

3. It's cheap

Well, relatively... When you compare it to the rest of the world, it's not a spectacular deal, but compared to the US you're saving a fortune! We're talking about $15,000 vs. $30,000 per year. Or, if you consider a school in Germany and some other countries, schooling is free. Plus, when you consider that you're only paying for one year, too, the savings extra add up.

And, not to mention that there usually aren't application fees when it comes to applying to the schools. It seems that the trend for European schools is that they're beginning to charge application fees, so heads up for that.

4. It's easy

Again, this one is relative. But most schools don't require you to take the GRE, which can save you time, money, and a bunch of stress. 

The application process is generally the same (personal statement, letters of rec, resume) as any other one so it's no extra hassle.

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I hope that this has been helpful for you. These are just some of the reasons why I decided to go to school in Europe as an American. Maybe you'll make the same decision!