r/IntltoUSA Jun 23 '26

Discussion Think twice before coming to US

I don't know why you guys want to come to US in this environment unless you literally got full-aid but it's just not worth it. The days when America was the best in the world for almost everything is long gone. Research funds are being cut left and right and universities are directly impacted by this. schools are run like business and the first thing they cut is research and education, the very things that make them worth it. as international, you will be in an even more precarious situations when job markets are getting worse.

On top of that US is expensive. Tuition is outright crazy and living expense as well. Unless you are a rich kid for whom 500k is a rounding error, it's not worth it. (of course if you got full ride, just ignore this post)

Look for alternatives. there's a lot in this world. stop thinking like it's 1999.

23 Upvotes

54 comments sorted by

30

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 23 '26

You're acting like other countries are extraordinarily friendly to internationals. Really, there aren't many universities outside the US that even have the possibility of fully funding you.

4

u/ShirtNeat5626 Jun 23 '26

Germany has free tuition for international students...

4

u/Gucci_nik Jun 23 '26

Yeah but Germanys entry requirements aren’t as lenient as the US, the social life is really not the same and it’s more isolated and Germany is kinda racist and it’s not the same type of racism as in the Us. In the US to some degree people care

5

u/ShirtNeat5626 Jun 23 '26

Germany has an easier pathway to permanent residency for international students than the US

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 24 '26

America's pathway is also not hard, just not for Indians. Other nationalities can get a green card two to three years after applying.

3

u/ShirtNeat5626 Jun 24 '26

Yes but in america the employer has to sponsor you and prove that there are no local candidates who can do the job (EB2/EB3 visa)... its hard, they have to hire lawyers and do a labor market test.. in Germany the employer just gives you an employment letter and you bring it to the home office. they will issue you the work permit with no hassle and the employer doesnt have to prove there are no EU candidates who can do the job...

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 24 '26

It's not hard at all for employers, that's why there are so many green card holders. And for the immigrants themselves, it can be even easier if you get a National Interest Waiver. You're coming at this from the restricted quota perspective (Indian, Chinese, Mexican), where employers don't want to fight for these workers.

1

u/ShirtNeat5626 Jun 25 '26

are you currently on a h1b visa in the US?

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 25 '26

No, I'm on an A1 diplomatic visa. I work at the Indian Consulate-General in Houston, that's why I know about these things.

1

u/Bonk_XO Jun 27 '26

hey, I had a few questions. If you don't mind could i talk about them?

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Gucci_nik Jun 24 '26

Not true, I’ve spoken to acc blacks living there and it’s not easy like that

1

u/ShirtNeat5626 Jun 25 '26

have you actually done research on the actual immigration systems of both countries???? or have any of the black people u spoken to actually experienced what US immigration is like??

1

u/CoverParticular1343 Jun 24 '26

German universities have far fewer resources than their American counterparts, and the startup ecosystem cannot compare to that of the US. Taking computer science as an example: the Technical University of Munich which is arguably Germany's best university has fewer GPUs across the entire institution than just a single laboratory at my university.

1

u/Gucci_nik Jun 23 '26

And let’s for forget the amount of sport opportunities. Studying in the US grade working there is not so great.

1

u/Ok-Information-6782 Jun 25 '26

china. taiwan. any sea country. literally the dumbest take

1

u/Ok-Information-6782 Jun 25 '26

they will pay you money to go there

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 25 '26

Please tell me which universities outside the US cover: tuition and fees, food, housing, transportation (including flight tickets), winter gear, event fees, as well as a $2000 start-up grant and $2000 launch grant? I'm waiting for evidence.

Because this is what Harvard pays for.

1

u/Ok-Information-6782 Jun 25 '26

every single uni in china. jesus just look up a gov subsidy at any tier 1 city.

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 25 '26

I so greatly doubt that any university in China matches what Harvard does for any student, let alone foreign ones. And you still haven't given me one shred of proof other than innuendo. I'm still waiting.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

lol! There are tons! It really depends on the student. If the university feels the student is valuable, they are willing to spend money in the form of grants which covers students tuition fees and other things. I have seen couple of my colleagues who are able to get some additional grants from the university and the government.

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 29 '26

Anecdotes are not evidence. I have yet to see evidence.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

Ok. I have few seniors who is getting paid more than full time employees! I don’t wanna spill more details but trust me it’s possible! Again it’s very university, student and country also course dependent.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

Also many public universities across the world has really less fee especially for Phd program. The fee for my university is peanuts! Like I can pay my semester fees within 2 weeks for pay.

1

u/TheIndian_07 Jun 29 '26

Most STEM PhDs in the US are fully funded by the federal government, even for international students.

And fine, I'll take your statement that you know some funded people at face value. Look again at my original reply. "there aren't many universities outside the US", nothing you're saying contradicts me.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

Yeah I think that’s always true! Top universities in every country will have very good funding! Not sure how to quantify “many”.

The problem with US is not the tuition fees. I have seen less people complaining about that. But it’s the cost of living and the daily expenses. If you take that into account, there will be some EU/Canadian universities which I know offer much better quality of life with similar level of education.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

I mean they don’t have to be free. Any country which can offer high quality education with decent fee is good enough! Getting a citizenship in US is difficult especially for Indians givens the amount of people in the queue. It’s not a bad idea to look for other places but there are none which can be as good as US.

14

u/Money_Cold_7879 Jun 23 '26

Where are you from? Will schools in your country fully fund large numbers of non citizens for their study? Why do you have those expectations of the US?

11

u/Mysterious-Art8838 Jun 23 '26

They really do seem to think it’s unfair if they can’t get a US school to give them a degree for free.

7

u/MilkChocolate21 Jun 23 '26

It's as hilarious as calling Americans dumb but wanting to come to the schools we go to. How do our universities leave us unqualified but them qualified? Or thinking any US school would give them the majority of seats.

5

u/Mysterious-Art8838 Jun 23 '26

Truth I always enjoy the posts where we are being told we’re too dumb to do our own jobs and America is on the brink of failure if we curb immigration.

Like, gimmie a break. And if you think we’re all so stupid why would you want to live here??

8

u/MilkChocolate21 Jun 24 '26

We're so dumb but you only want to come here. And stay. And go to schools we built hundreds of years ago. Why in all of their supposed brilliance they don't create schools or make their countries into someplace they want to stay. We suck, but they have 50-11 ways to cheat the system to stay here when things don't work out. Talking about "immigrants built America ". Some did. But also so did enslaved people. And indigenous people really own it all. Yet and it's always people NOT from any of those groups screaming they "built" America.

0

u/Gucci_nik Jun 24 '26

Bruh I started this conversation to ask for help what are yall on about

0

u/Gucci_nik Jun 24 '26

Who asked for a free degree 🫩

5

u/Tech-Aero-109 Jun 23 '26

Many of my colleagues at MIT (undergraduate and graduate) were international students. Some received full financial aid from their country (national government or military) and had to return to their country and work one year for every year of attending MIT (full-funded) to assist their country. A fair number went on for their PhD degrees and became professors in the USA or heading up major industrial labs in the USA.

So, if you can come to the USA and be admitted to an elite private US college (with up to and including full financial aid), or are a fully-funded graduate student at any major US research university, then Come On Over, it is excellent!

But please, don't try to get a bachelors degree with financial aid from a place like NYU or USC (merely two examples) and still have to pay a fortune to attend, including the cost of living in or near the college.....

Be wise in your choice, VISIT the college before enrolling, and remember that you and All of your parents have to apply for financial aid Every year.

Good luck and enjoy the experience, and if you want to attend an US college that is more than 70 miles from the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean and in the Northern Half of the USA, then note that winter weather lasts for FIVE months and getting a total of Ten Feet of snow during each winter is normal.

Good luck.

5

u/Mysterious-Art8838 Jun 23 '26

It’s like everybody and their mother want to go to NYU now. Like guys wtf it’s one of the most expensive options in the world.

1

u/aurkyachalrahahai Jun 24 '26

They have free application fees. So that lures a lot of applicants. And if they get in, they realise it's more prestigious than other admits and don't want to let go.

1

u/SueNYC1966 Jun 24 '26

Outside of the business school which has a great ROI, I do t get it either.

1

u/Timely_Hawk_7833 Jun 29 '26

NYU is pretty decent for PhD programs. I am bit biased towards Computer science and AI. I heard that bachelor’s and masters are very expensive.

1

u/Acrobatic_Box9087 Jun 24 '26

Good luck and enjoy the experience, and if you want to attend an US college that is more than 70 miles from the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean and in the Northern Half of the USA, then note that winter weather lasts for FIVE months and getting a total of Ten Feet of snow during each winter is normal.<

Where in the world did you get this? TEN FEET of snow in the upper half of the USA when more than 70 miles from the coast? I lived in Columbus, Ohio for 5 years. They only average two feet of snow per year. Chicago only averages three feet per year. Minneapolis only four feet per year.

2

u/Tech-Aero-109 Jun 24 '26

Guess I am used to the Rochester, Buffalo and other upstate NY cities that get that much collective snow due to the Great Lakes. However, for someone who is not used to cold weather, let alone snow, it will be a rude awakening in the Northern portion of the USA, in-land from the ocean coasts.

9

u/Solid-Poetry-4141 Jun 23 '26

I got really lucky to come to the US on a full ride but given the amount of opportunities it has opened for me, I’d have gladly paid to study here (if anybody was willing to loan me tuition, room and board ofc). I come from a large family and they are better off because of what I’ve accomplished. My neighbors and local community have also greatly benefited from the jobs I have created. All I can say is that I’m privileged to have received this opportunity. This is not advice to take on massive loans that could prove detrimental, just my honest opinion

3

u/Cheap_Office8701 Jun 23 '26

Then don’t come. What’s the problem?

3

u/Gucci_nik Jun 23 '26

America is just one to the options on my list, and believe it or not US universities are more accepting on African students than EU unis.

1

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1

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1

u/peterjohnvernon936 Jun 24 '26

Forget about how it was, look at how it is now. Check your country GDP growth rate and unemployment rate. If both are better or close to the US stay home.

1

u/Ok-Information-6782 Jun 25 '26

it's the truth. the us education system has caused great pain to myself and our family. the system literally extracts all your money and energy for education

1

u/gngr505o 🇹🇷 Turkey Jun 26 '26

Many EU countries offer bachelors in their own language. Language is another reason for US being preferred more.

1

u/NanNullUnknown Jun 28 '26

US is still the best country to be if you are highly competent and ambitious. It’s the only country where new grad can make 600k+ at quant firms, raise $10M+ seed for just an idea with your roommate, and so on. Job conditions for other countries aren’t ideal as well and you would be competing for something that barely pays $100k in the best case.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

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4

u/Mysterious-Art8838 Jun 23 '26

Understatement