With the Class of 2023 finalizing their college decisions, a new kind of schooling for CHS students has gained traction: studying abroad in a foreign country.
Some students have decided to steer away from American schools and attend schools elsewhere. Seniors Ayumi Sykes of Tinton Falls and Lucy Battista of Tinton Falls have both committed to schools in Europe; Sykes is going to EADA Barcelona Business School and Battista going to the University of the Arts in London.
“I knew that I wanted to get out of the country for college,” Sykes said. “I also would just like to have a different experience, and I want to be able to travel a lot.”
Many students, like Sykes, who choose to study abroad say it is more cost-efficient than studying in the U.S. According to Forbes, the average American tuition is around $30,165, while other countries, such as Spain and Luxembourg, have tuition around $15,556.
“It tends to be a lot cheaper over there, the price of most schools over there is similar to a state school here,” said Battista.
When studying abroad, students are put into a brand-new atmosphere that would otherwise be unattainable in the U.S.
“I knew I wanted to study abroad going into college,” Battista said. “However, I knew if I only studied abroad for a semester, I wouldn’t want to come back.”
According to the Institute of International Education, one of the main reasons to study abroad is to gain life experience. One can learn how to handle new situations and become independent and self-sufficient.
“I’ve visited England multiple times before,” said Battista. “I love England and I really like the people there.”
A significant difference with schools across the world compared to the U.S. is the initial application process. Universities in America typically accept students who have taken rigorous courses and are heavily involved within their school and community, while other countries prioritize the scores from a student.
“I feel like my essay didn’t matter as much, like it didn’t weigh in as much as it would here,” said Sykes. “I think essays are a deciding factor here, but it was more so just my stats which I was able to rely on.”
Now that these CHS seniors are ready to fly from the Beast nest, they are preparing for a new journey ahead of them.
Finalizing their information and sorting out their living situations is the next stage of this change. Battista commented on the challenges of this process.
“[This process is] just communicating a lot with people over email, from the school,” Battista said. “I have to get a student visa in order to live there, and it’s just difficult without actually being there.”
