Which One Makes More Sense?-An Undergraduate Or Graduate Degree In USA?
A lot of young people reach out to me often asking for guidance on how to study in America. Majority of them are those that have just finished high school and are looking for good education abroad.
When I am faced with such questions about studying undergraduate level, my answer is usually not what majority of the young people like to hear.My answer to the question is always, “study your Bachelor’s in your country first, then come for graduate studies”…So what is my reasoning behind that?..I will dive deep into that in this article.
I graduated from high school in 2001.At the time I had already acquired my passport and was ready to join a university in UK, or so i thought.
Little did I know that it would take another 8 years before I left my country Kenya to study overseas.When I look back, I always say that it was a blessing in disguise that I was not able to make it for my undergraduate in UK.There are many reasons why I say that.
One of the main reasons why I would advise against coming for undergraduate studies is the cost of studying especially here in USA. On average, a relatively affordable 4-year state university will cost you on average $25,000 on tuition and living expenses per year. That is about $100,000 in 4 years..That is a lot of money.Unless you come from a wealthy family, I would advise you spend less than $10,000 for your 4 years in your country and then come to USA for master’s.
A lot of undergraduate-seeking students reach out to me asking for scholarships. Well, It is not easy to find scholarships especially as an undergraduate student. The few undergraduate scholarships are merit-based and you need to have done very well in your SAT to even have a chance of getting such scholarships. If you do not get a scholarship, the other option is for you to find international student loans.
There are a lot of scholarship opportunities for graduate studies such as graduate assistantship scholarships. Also master’s students qualify for unsecured international student loans.
Unfortunately, most undergraduate students only qualify for secured international student loans which require a co-signer who is a US citizen or a permanent resident. Many people don’t have any willing family or friend who is a citizen or permanent resident who can co-sign their loan and therefore it’s very hard to raise the needed funds to care for undergraduate studies.
The other reason why I believe studying undergraduate in one’s country is beneficial is because it gives one the time needed to mature.Most 20 year olds do not really know what they want in life..Coming to America at that very young age is not good because one can be very vulnerable to bad influence.I am not saying everyone who comes to America at a very young age doesn’t do well, but there are high chances of losing your focus…It’s good you finish your undergrad in your country, maybe hustle for about a year as you prepare to relocate, and then make a move for your master’s.
Finally, Master’s students are more valued by the US government and employers in general.Research show that chances of getting a student visa are way higher if you are coming to study in USA at graduate level.
Also when you graduate from college as a graduate student, the US government has put a much higher value to graduate degree holders in granting employment based work authorization such as H1B visa and Employment-based greencard. Graduate degree holders have a higher chance of winning an H1B lottery and also those with an advanced degree can have their Employment based green filed at EB2 level (don’t worry what that is for now!!) which makes a big difference on how long it can take one to get a greencard through employment.This is very important for nationalities of countries like India,China and the Philippines.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME!
I am a former international student in USA and I am a senior IT consultant in the areas of Oracle EBS Financials and Robotics Process Automation (RPA)-uipath here in USA.
I am the programs director of Appstec America – A consulting company based in Tampa, Florida,USA.
I’ve been blessed to have learned and achieved a lot in my career as an IT consultant.
My life has truly changed, and I’ve made it my mission to give back and serve others beyond myself.
Whether that be helping you to relocate to USA as an international student, train you as an IT consultant, help you start and build your own online business, creating your financial freedom, motivating you to pursue your goals and dreams, to being more productive, to inspiring you to constantly improve yourself.
My mission is to get you to wake up to the unlimited potential within you and achieve what you’re truly capable of through my various self-development training programs.
On my facebook page, I openly and passionately share my life experiences and all of the very best concepts, strategies, tools, and resources that I continue to discover that have made a measurable difference to my life, and will do for you as well.
Keep your dream alive and never give up!
To learn about my company’s amazing programs, please go to;
www.appstecamerica.com or www.successwithbobmwiti.com
Contact Me At;
success@successwithbobmwiti.com
info@appstecamerica.com
+1 813-573-5619 ext 402
By Bob Mwiti
