[Kelent]

Right now I'm in a bit of a bind. My university, while in the DC Metro Area, is not as well connected as the universities in the city proper and has both a terrible social scene and terrible networking potential. I am a political science/economics major and while I'm fine staying in America for my career I feel a drive to go for Europe.

I feel like, cost of university tuition aside (I recognize airfare + apartment costs won't necessarily be cheap either but I'll get roommates and find a way to make it work), it would be good for me to take the plunge and go to a country like Czech Republic or Slovenia for my Bachelors degree.

There are a few caveats and things that sort of push me away from it. First of which being that I've got zero clue if it's possible to work in my field in CZ (I'd be doing an International Relations degree or International Business degree) even with EU citizenship potential (Hungarian ancestry). I feel like, as bad as my current university is, it's some foundation. Rotting stilts in a hurricane are better than none.

The other, much larger caveat, is that I'm not sure how US universities and employers would look at a European degree (or two, if I decide to do a Masters in Germany or Finland) for employment purposes. I've heard a mixed bag from "my friends couldn't get jobs" to "I was able to work at a high finance bank." I don't want to go into banking but it's some data rather than none. I just can't stand the idea of thousands of dollars in debt for an education that yeah in some places might hold prestige but unless you have good networking potential (which I don't seem to) or get headhunted straight out of academia (as a friend who went to Columbia was)[/i] you're SoL in terms of job prospects and internships.

I'm entering my second year this fall but if last year was any indication of my social potential I'll be getting decent grades (A's and B's), not going to parties (because "fuck yankees"), and not really having a life outside of classes, working out, and writing. I can't drive, and relying on the shuttle service (that's only 5 days a week and shuts down at 10pm) isn't really ideal if I want to go out into DC or Baltimore.

If anyone has advice for me, it'd be well appreciated. I'm not making this decision lightly, this choice of wanting to fully study abroad in Europe.

[Kelent]

(07-08-2017 04:25 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

Right now I'm in a bit of a bind. My university, while in the DC Metro Area, is not as well connected as the universities in the city proper and has both a terrible social scene and terrible networking potential. I am a political science/economics major and while I'm fine staying in America for my career I feel a drive to go for Europe.

I feel like, cost of university tuition aside (I recognize airfare + apartment costs won't necessarily be cheap either but I'll get roommates and find a way to make it work), it would be good for me to take the plunge and go to a country like Czech Republic or Slovenia for my Bachelors degree.

There are a few caveats and things that sort of push me away from it. First of which being that I've got zero clue if it's possible to work in my field in CZ (I'd be doing an International Relations degree or International Business degree) even with EU citizenship potential (Hungarian ancestry). I feel like, as bad as my current university is, it's some foundation. Rotting stilts in a hurricane are better than none.

The other, much larger caveat, is that I'm not sure how US universities and employers would look at a European degree (or two, if I decide to do a Masters in Germany or Finland) for employment purposes. I've heard a mixed bag from "my friends couldn't get jobs" to "I was able to work at a high finance bank." I don't want to go into banking but it's some data rather than none. I just can't stand the idea of thousands of dollars in debt for an education that yeah in some places might hold prestige but unless you have good networking potential (which I don't seem to) or get headhunted straight out of academia (as a friend who went to Columbia was)[/i] you're SoL in terms of job prospects and internships.

I'm entering my second year this fall but if last year was any indication of my social potential I'll be getting decent grades (A's and B's), not going to parties (because "fuck yankees"), and not really having a life outside of classes, working out, and writing. I can't drive, and relying on the shuttle service (that's only 5 days a week and shuts down at 10pm) isn't really ideal if I want to go out into DC or Baltimore.

If anyone has advice for me, it'd be well appreciated. I'm not making this decision lightly, this choice of wanting to fully study abroad in Europe.

Title change should be "To stay or Go", my bad!

[Sonoma]

Is your university private or public? If private, get the fuck out and go somewhere else.

Georgetown is good for IR though, and it's in your area

[Kelent]

(07-08-2017 09:43 PM)Sonoma Wrote:  

Is your university private or public? If private, get the fuck out and go somewhere else.

Georgetown is good for IR though, and it's in your area

It's private, and I applied to Georgetown (still will try to apply this next semester) and got rejected. Still have to send a polite email asking as to what I can do to improve but that's neither here nor there. Figure I basically just need to raise my GPA by a helluva lot (currently basically a 3.1). I'm not opposed to Georgetown for a Masters or PhD... just don't really feel like DC/NoVA meshes with me very well right now :/. I'm gonna try going to metal concerts in Silver Springs though a couple times and see how those go, but the general consensus in my mind is DC is great... if you're at one of the Big Three, in your mid 20's, or rich/well connected. I'm 0/3. Don't get me wrong I'd be happy to work there I just feel like E.Europe/Germany is sorta where I feel most drawn to right now.

[Suits]

When I chose my university, I did so based on the assumption that it should be somewhere that would be respected and recognized by employers in North America. I really wanted to go one of a handful of schools in Thailand that offered degrees in English, not for the quality of the schooling, but for the life experience that would come along with living in Thailand and the opportunity to learn fluent Thai. In the end, I went with the "responsible decision" and chose a school in the USA.

Ironically, within 2 years of finishing my degree, I was 100% self-employed and nobody cared where I had gone to school or even if I'd gone to school at all.

If I could go back in time...

[Sonoma]

Get out of the school you're at and go to public school. Don't waste money paying out the ass for a diploma from a school no one has heard of

[Kelent]

I would go to a public university but it's primarily finances that's the concern (+ education quality and general life experience). State school isn't cheap, jobs cut for students, and they're very car dependent places. I'd rather go abroad to Czech Republic or maybe Hungary before attending an American uni anymore.

I totally agree though, I need to get out.

[The Beast1]

Many others have said it, bail on the school. You will be regretting it if you stay any longer.

Do whatever it takes, I wish the same advice was given to me years ago.

[MongolianAbroad]

I read somewhere you could get free college if you went to Germany. If that's an option and finances are a concern, why not go to Germany?

[Sonoma]

I spent 15 grand total for tuition in California for my BA (1000 a year for community college, 6000 a year for 4 year, 2 years each plus books), I didn't realize Virginia's public schools are basically unsubsidized.

Seeing the jam you're in, I'd go overseas

[Kelent]

(07-10-2017 01:36 AM)Spaniard88 Wrote:  

I read somewhere you could get free college if you went to Germany. If that's an option and finances are a concern, why not go to Germany?

With a LOT of caveats, yeah. Most programs at larger more well known universities require near-fluent levels of German. German Master's programs on the other hand are very plentiful in English.

(07-10-2017 06:32 AM)Sonoma Wrote:  

I spent 15 grand total for tuition in California for my BA (1000 a year for community college, 6000 a year for 4 year, 2 years each plus books), I didn't realize Virginia's public schools are basically unsubsidized.

Seeing the jam you're in, I'd go overseas

I live in a different state and go to a private university but tbh, talking to a friend of mine who actually has lived in VA all his life he said they aren't subsidized as well as other states. I figure at most I'll spend the next semester and bail. The only issue/worry I have is that I might be in the middle of my spring semester before having to leave for Czech Republic/(insert foreign university).

[Digimata]

Bail out now. You don't want to go into banking but aren't in Ivy anyways, so that's a moot point.

Realize that if you go to the EU and finish your degree there, you are betting on you staying in the EU. Only thing worse than a 3rd tier degree stateside is a 3rd tier degree from a foreign school.

[Kelent]

I don't think it'd necessarily be 3rd tier. I'd be going to a well respected highly ranked university not one somewhere in the countryside

[Digimata]

You missed the point. Unless you are going to Cambridge, Oxford, Sorbonne, etc bulge brackets aren't going to have a look at you unless you've got 4.0+ GPAs, played competitive sports at a Euro Tier 1 levels, and started a company in your free time.

Only other way to get a face to face is if you are banging a MD or the CEOs daughter.

You don't want to go into banking sure, but set your expectations accordingly.

[Noir]

I don't know enough about the US but Europe is tough.

There's certain hubs (Brussels/Hague/any tier 1 city) or you go the academic route with universities.

I did IR, top 15% of class, top 5 UK politics university, acclaimed professors.

My peers who wanted to get to where they wanted to (cities above) all did a masters; I literally know of 0 people who are in the international affairs/think-tank scene who didn't follow this route. Some now work in marketing. One works as a bartender in Boston. A few work for corporates. 20% or so went into politics/IR scenes. Some went into military (most job safety).

A lot of demand for quant/coding (R/SPSS) with IR, cybersec is big. I think the EU has more potential for this. If you follow through with this and some international security studies/geopolitics/diplomacy background, you should be in demand.

Of course, international trade, development and terrorism also big. Keep in mind you will be behind the Europeans who will be ahead of the curve with EU law and various courses offered to them. This is also why mainland Europe dictates law moreso than the UK ever could; there's more students in Germany/Benelux/Switzerland/Italy studying these subjects than the UK (EU specific law/trade).

It also depends on what courses you are offered, where your aptitudes lie and of course, what you enjoy yet consider these points that any employer or organization with judge you on:

- How much do you know about the European way of doing things, politically, economically and culturally?

- Do you speak 1 of French or German? Any others?

- Are you open to post-graduate studies? You might need a masters unless you focus on some trade related courses and throw in some law. Quant (+ qual) statistics did me well as a course.

- Have you got decent internships down? Do internships as soon as possible then worry about where to get a job. Figure out what you like and prove you have work ethic, European job market is competitive and also scarce compared to the US.

- Have you got good networking skills? It's a small field and a good portion of what you pay for in university is access to your professors (network). Elite universities, elite networks. Good internships, foot in the door etc.

- Can you accept or ignore a SJW role in IR. This may or may not matter to you just yet but you need a thick skin and an ability to nod your head at people. I actually think Europe is better than the US than this but depends on country.


With economics, if you have a focus on finance, you are looking at London. Otherwise academia.

If you network or have connections, score some internships and are top 5% or so of your class, you will look at London and any medium-high/elite level financial investment/service/management firm if you have quant and other highly desired skills. Look into where the economic capital is shifting to now (post-Brexit)

I know guys who are currently doing this in London. You still need to do CFAs and whatever other 23948 courses they need to but this is what they did. One has moved to Switzerland now as he took the right steps.

+ network network network.

This is 3x important as you are moving to a new place. Much better to do this at home and come with a loaded CV. If you are moving to Europe, it's called a CV get used to it.

I'll let some other finance guys chime in here.

Academia is easier in Europe but as always you need to come with XP or do post-graduate studies there for an easier path.

@digimata, the guys who are killing it, that I know didn't go to any of the universities you mentioned.

LSE, Warwick, Manchester, Nottingham. If you land the right internships, show up at your fairs and network with the decision makers you can get in, assuming you look good on paper (study). Oxbridge is great for the network and 'circle' but employers also have pressure (and deals) to accept graduates from elsewhere and those universities are fucking great TBH. Also their people are more likable and less stiff.

I am sure H1N1 can chime in with some good data in this thread.

[Kelent]

(07-10-2017 03:15 PM)Noir Wrote:  

There's certain hubs (Brussels/Hague/any tier 1 city) or you go the academic route with universities.

I did IR, top 15% of class, top 5 UK politics university, acclaimed professors.

My peers who wanted to get to where they wanted to (cities above) all did a masters; I literally know of 0 people who are in the international affairs/think-tank scene who didn't follow this route. Some now work in marketing. One works as a bartender in Boston. A few work for corporates. 20% or so went into politics/IR scenes. Some went into military (most job safety).

A lot of demand for quant/coding (R/SPSS) with IR, cybersec is big. I think the EU has more potential for this. If you follow through with this and some international security studies/geopolitics/diplomacy background, you should be in demand.

Of course, international trade, development and terrorism also big. Keep in mind you will be behind the Europeans who will be ahead of the curve with EU law and various courses offered to them. This is also why mainland Europe dictates law moreso than the UK ever could; there's more students in Germany/Benelux/Switzerland/Italy studying these subjects than the UK (EU specific law/trade).

It also depends on what courses you are offered, where your aptitudes lie and of course, what you enjoy yet consider these points that any employer or organization with judge you on:

- How much do you know about the European way of doing things, politically, economically and culturally?

- Do you speak 1 of French or German? Any others?

- Are you open to post-graduate studies? You might need a masters unless you focus on some trade related courses and throw in some law. Quant (+ qual) statistics did me well as a course.

- Have you got decent internships down? Do internships as soon as possible then worry about where to get a job. Figure out what you like and prove you have work ethic, European job market is competitive and also scarce compared to the US.

- Have you got good networking skills? It's a small field and a good portion of what you pay for in university is access to your professors (network). Elite universities, elite networks. Good internships, foot in the door etc.

- Can you accept or ignore a SJW role in IR. This may or may not matter to you just yet but you need a thick skin and an ability to nod your head at people. I actually think Europe is better than the US than this but depends on country.


With economics, if you have a focus on finance, you are looking at London. Otherwise academia.

If you network or have connections, score some internships and are top 5% or so of your class, you will look at London and any medium-high/elite level financial investment/service/management firm if you have quant and other highly desired skills. Look into where the economic capital is shifting to now (post-Brexit)

I know guys who are currently doing this in London. You still need to do CFAs and whatever other 23948 courses they need to but this is what they did. One has moved to Switzerland now as he took the right steps.

+ network network network.

This is 3x important as you are moving to a new place. Much better to do this at home and come with a loaded CV. If you are moving to Europe, it's called a CV get used to it.

I'll let some other finance guys chime in here.

Academia is easier in Europe but as always you need to come with XP or do post-graduate studies there for an easier path.

@digimata, the guys who are killing it, that I know didn't go to any of the universities you mentioned.

LSE, Warwick, Manchester, Nottingham. If you land the right internships, show up at your fairs and network with the decision makers you can get in, assuming you look good on paper (study). Oxbridge is great for the network and 'circle' but employers also have pressure (and deals) to accept graduates from elsewhere and those universities are fucking great TBH. Also their people are more likable and less stiff.

I am sure H1N1 can chime in with some good data in this thread.

1) I am 100% open to post graduate studies, my plan is to get a PhD.

2) I speak Hungarian at a B2 level, currently trying to take classes in German and French.

3) So far I have zero internships largely because of lack of opportunity at my current institution. Currently my professors have zero connections despite my attempting to build solid relationships with them.

4) I'd say I'm fairly good at networking. Definitely not (yet) Foreign Minister material but for someone who's 19 and got a lot of drive I'd say I'm leagues ahead of my peers at my current institution.

5) I am perfectly fine accepting or ignoring an SJW role. I recognize that it comes with the territory, to one degree or another.

6) I've always called it a CV. Sounds a helluva lot more natural to me.

7) While I love the UK, post-Brexit I don't feel it's a sound investment to go there and spend considerably more than I would be in the US for tuition + a flat and come out with a degree that isn't comparable to Oxbridge or LSE. I'm not even sure if I'd be able to get into LSE without showing that I've improved from my (admittedly very terrible) days in highschool.

8) I'd like to go the quant route but, to be honest, development and risk assessment has always seemed a lot more fun to me.

9) I recognize wherever I go the field will be pretty damn cut-throat and I'll have to work my ass off but at least I'll have a shot at a decent degree and the ability to network across the continent.

10) If you want just a shot in the dark kind of guess... I'd say Tallinn, Frankfurt, Budapest/Vienna, and if Spain can get their shit together maybe Barcelona could develop some kind of financial industry but that's purely a shot in the dark. I see a lot of promise for development in Ukraine despite the violence.

11) As for how much I know about the European way of doing things I will admit despite my frequent trips back to Hungary I was never exposed to the financial or more technical sides of life, but I do understand parliamentary politics, cultural norms, and how generally compared to America one might say it's more "communal" or less hyperfocused on the individual

[Suits]

(07-10-2017 07:31 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

3) So far I have zero internships largely because of lack of opportunity at my current institution.

4) I'd say I'm fairly good at networking. I'd say I'm leagues ahead of my peers at my current institution.

Sorry. You can't be "fairly good at networking" and completely unable to find an internship outside of your institution literally handing you one.

Don't feel bad. 95% of people view themselves as "above average."

[Kelent]

(07-10-2017 08:12 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 07:31 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

3) So far I have zero internships largely because of lack of opportunity at my current institution.

4) I'd say I'm fairly good at networking. I'd say I'm leagues ahead of my peers at my current institution.

Sorry. You can't be "fairly good at networking" and completely unable to find an internship outside of your institution literally handing you one.

Don't feel bad. 95% of people view themselves as "above average."

I recognize the mistake in hindsight. I am currently working retail so although it's definitely not in my field and not worth much on a CV, it's not like I've never worked a day in my life before. It's not like I haven't tried to find internships, it's just that outside of Georgetown or GWU, the prospects are seemingly very (understandably) limited. I think if I do get into Charles University (or wherever I decide to go), one of the first things I'll do is search for an internship. I'll also try and find temp work when back in the DMV that way I'll have something

[Suits]

(07-10-2017 08:24 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 08:12 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 07:31 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

3) So far I have zero internships largely because of lack of opportunity at my current institution.

4) I'd say I'm fairly good at networking. I'd say I'm leagues ahead of my peers at my current institution.

Sorry. You can't be "fairly good at networking" and completely unable to find an internship outside of your institution literally handing you one.

Don't feel bad. 95% of people view themselves as "above average."

I recognize the mistake in hindsight. I am currently working retail so although it's definitely not in my field and not worth much on a CV, it's not like I've never worked a day in my life before. It's not like I haven't tried to find internships, it's just that outside of Georgetown or GWU, the prospects are seemingly very (understandably) limited. I think if I do get into Charles University (or wherever I decide to go), one of the first things I'll do is search for an internship. I'll also try and find temp work when back in the DMV that way I'll have something

At your age, lack of experience is hardly a flaw. You know what you need to do. Internships range in the learning benefit offered (and some don't even pay a stipend), but when you are building your resume from the ground up, you'll obviously have to be willing to accept some compromises.

This is an opportunity to either prove your networking ability or learn some networking ability by finding an opportunity that is both educational and a great boost for your resume.

If nothing else, there's a ton of ways to severely increase your skills that require zero networking or special connections.

Come to China for three semesters, study like an animal and you'd be fluent in Chinese (written and spoken). Same goes for French, Spanish, etc. Potentially useful skills that tick off the "international experience box" on your resume and will open other doors for internships and the like.

Most people cheap out and study abroad for a semester (achieve nothing of value, don't reach fluency in any language) and call it a day.

That's fine when you're a charismatic grade A student who literally walks on water academically and seems to simply succeed at everything in life.

There were plenty of people in my classes in university who were impressive in person and I have no doubt went on to do impressive things. For them, a token semester abroad probably was all they needed.

But for those who don't have the "it" factor, some actual skills and experience may be necessary. I learned Chinese and learned how to earn a living income working privately as a language tutor before graduating. This ended up being a smart choice, because my degree was worth dick-all in over-educated Canada in the years following the Crash of 2008.

[Kelent]

(07-10-2017 08:42 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 08:24 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 08:12 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-10-2017 07:31 PM)Kelent Wrote:  

3) So far I have zero internships largely because of lack of opportunity at my current institution.

4) I'd say I'm fairly good at networking. I'd say I'm leagues ahead of my peers at my current institution.

Sorry. You can't be "fairly good at networking" and completely unable to find an internship outside of your institution literally handing you one.

Don't feel bad. 95% of people view themselves as "above average."

I recognize the mistake in hindsight. I am currently working retail so although it's definitely not in my field and not worth much on a CV, it's not like I've never worked a day in my life before. It's not like I haven't tried to find internships, it's just that outside of Georgetown or GWU, the prospects are seemingly very (understandably) limited. I think if I do get into Charles University (or wherever I decide to go), one of the first things I'll do is search for an internship. I'll also try and find temp work when back in the DMV that way I'll have something

At your age, lack of experience is hardly a flaw. You know what you need to do. Internships range in the learning benefit offered (and some don't even pay a stipend), but when you are building your resume from the ground up, you'll obviously have to be willing to accept some compromises.

This is an opportunity to either prove your networking ability or learn some networking ability by finding an opportunity that is both educational and a great boost for your resume.

If nothing else, there's a ton of ways to severely increase your skills that require zero networking or special connections.

Come to China for three semesters, study like an animal and you'd be fluent in Chinese (written and spoken). Same goes for French, Spanish, etc. Potentially useful skills that tick off the "international experience box" on your resume and will open other doors for internships and the like.

There were plenty of people in my classes in university who were impressive in person and I have no doubt went on to do impressive things. For them, a token semester abroad probably was all they needed.

My only concern with the whole China route (which I have considered before... maybe for a Masters if I don't end up in Germany or yeah, work as an English teacher post graduation) is that I'd be too far from home and there would be a massive quality of life change, at least in theory. Sure, it'd be fucking great and I'd love to live in a place where I could be immersed in Mandarin (maybe Taiwan as Option B) or any useful language (I'd argue with proximity to Germany Czech Republic is a good close second), but China in particular... politically, socially... I don't think it will be the best long term. Additionally Tier 1 cities are uber expensive from what I've read (obviously I could be wrong, you're the expert) and I'm afraid of bottoming out. The idea with my going abroad is to not only immerse myself in a culture, learn a new language, and get networking experience... It's also to save 80k over three years.

[Kelent]

@Suits let me apologize after the fact... didn't realize the China bit wasn't literal. With that in mind... relatively speaking do you think getting my degree in Czech Republic (can't see myself in the Netherlands :/) would be a good time/job investment? I am planning on applying to Vsoka Skola Economica as well as a few other schools in the region (might even do Hungary but.. rankings aren't too good and political climate isn't good).

Taking into account the responses before yours.. I feel it's still a good option. Going abroad will teach me to network, to get shit done, and will be much better than six months. I'll develop stronger relationships in my pursuit of a Masters degree and ideally be able to engage in genuine research programs.

[Noir]

Typical, someone comes and asks for advice and basically defends their own position.

Did you want advice or did you want to rationalize/justify what you want to hear?

If so, there's plenty of choirs you can join.

It's hard and you gotta network, accept it.

Best of luck.

[Kelent]

@Noir

Nope, I came here for advice and I found it, which I really appreciate. Instances where it seems I've tried to rationalize/defend my position mostly come out of wanting to learn from others experiences and perspectives rather than wanting to join a choir.

I recognize that networking is tough, but I'm not going to stand down from the challenge. I'm going to learn and improve, from this experience and the many others I'll have in the future.

Best of luck to you too, Noir

[zoom]

American employers are probably not going to value a degree from the Czech Republic or Slovenia.

[soviet_dissident]

Some good advice in this thread, esp. by @noir. I thought about going a similar route, and will opine with some more-general points. I have a Political Science BA from a top 10 U.S. public university.

What is your reasoning for attending a second-rate private university (GW? American?) at $60k a year to acquire a Humanities degree? You could do a lot with that money---hell, go travel for 6 months to Europe and then invest the rest and you'd be better off. You can learn the same material from a less expensive state school, online, or the library. Go learn to code for free or for pay and you can make $50k a year starting out. Go learn financial modeling for $15 online and network your way into a starting position. Or get a finance internship through your current university's job placement program and then look up the term “sunk cost” in terms of if you’d like to continue your schooling. A non-technical degree is a signalling mechanism to an employer and an opportunity to network your way to a job—it’s not much more than that, as knowledge can be cheaply acquired. Getting a European degree most likely makes the networking part harder, if you want to work in the U.S. The European economy is also mediocre (ECB’s at the negative bound!) and, thanks largely to that bitch Merkel + 3rd world migrants, Western Europe is unsafe and will descend into civil war (perhaps soon).

Why do you want to work for state entities, policymakers, or think tanks? In those scenarios, your path is severely constrained by (internal and external) politics. Europe and the U.S. are dominated by pussy Republicans like Paul Ryan or feral leftists who will destroy you if you step out of line. If you work for a think tank, even the ostensibly "free market" ones have an agenda which is not necessarily benign. You’d be surprised how the most "rational" libertarians with similar beliefs and laboring in obscurity are as petty as high school girls. And you WILL be answering to whomever cuts the checks. If you go work on Capitol Hill (living in one of the most expensive parts of the country), you will be probably paid a paltry wage and be a glorified intern. You won't be Pat Buchanan in the 70s, leading the conservative charge in the White House and having the ear of the President at age 30. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to be in politics/policy making, you'd better be at the top, as an elected representative. If you care a lot about economics and/or foreign policy, go read about it, write about it, start a podcast. I would do whatever you can to take your fate into your own hands and not to rely on pencil-necked policy wonks for your livelihood.

You’re not going to get into academia unless you do a PhD at an Ivy-caliber institution. And the tenure track for even those professors is well-nigh impossible these days.

I think the value of university degrees (especially abroad) is questionable at best. If you were attending an Ivy league and feeding into Wall St., that’d be one thing. But it doesn’t sounds like it. (And to be honest, the “Liar’s Poker”/“Bonfire of the Vanities” Wall St. days of 26-year-old Michael Lewis making stupid money are probably over or much rarer at the very least). The government sector probably won’t pay enough, especially if you want to increase your sexual market value, have a family, etc. The Boomers bought their houses 30 years ago in the Acela corridor and got their cushy pensions—I wouldn’t count on that for your/my generation.

I studied abroad during undergrad in Hungary for a semester; it did nothing for me professionally. If you insist, you could look into the Corvinus MBA. It’s cheap and it’ll probably be fun, living in Budapest. But they are feeding into the Hungarian job market. I've considered a PPE in Austrian economics at CEVRO, but I am under no illusions that the same criticisms I outlined to you don’t also apply to a degree from a Czech university. But I really love studying that kind of stuff, it's relatively cheap, and it would be for my own edification/desire for the experience. The latter is something you have to weigh as well---life isn't only about money (though you certainly don't want to waste it!)

The IR school in Monterey, CA is where the military sends a lot of language translators. A friend of mine also took the graduate coursework to get into a U.S. intelligence service. I think it's this one: http://www.miis.edu/academics

(A radical, contrarian idea: go to a trade school or get an apprenticeship (over screaming opposition from your immigrant parents). Learn it well enough to start your own business and become rich. Attract a hot woman and read foreign policy journals and books in your spare time.)

Perhaps I’ve raised more questions than I’ve answered. My overall point would be to get the education as cheaply as possible in the market in which you’d like to work. Intern over the summer where you’d like to work (I did this in DC at a constitutionalist judicial advocacy group my Junior year), and see if it is a longer-term option. Work for a while, feel out the market, and see if graduate school makes sense (the cost is exorbitant in the U.S. and way not worth it, in my opinion). If you must continue your formal schooling, you’re better off saving the money in undergrad, getting good grades, and going to a top graduate program in business or law (I don’t think lower-ranked programs or those in other disciplines are worth the cost, insofar as they aren’t subsidized.)

Minden jot kivanok; en is sokat gondolkoztam eszek a dolgokrol. Szar a kozgazdasag, de ha kelet Europaban tanulnal, lehet hogy talalhatnal egy szep baratnot vagy feleseget! Az is fontos.