Getting into the US
Hey Guys,
I'm a European student that will be starting university (undergrad) this fall in Canada or Europe (Uk or France) and am interested in pursuing a career in the US later on. I have heard it's pretty hard to start a career right after graduating ug if you're not coming from a US school (even if graduating from reasonably good schools abroad, such as UCL, LSE, McGill, and Sciences Po (I know, not so sure about that last one for a career in business outside France).
I grew up in the US and speak pretty much native English so that's not a problem. Considering that college in the US isn't an option, which country would give me the best shot at a career in consulting or IB in the states down the road.
**1.- ** Will studying in Canada be a plus because of geographical proximity and brand recognition?
**2.- ** Does a Canada -> US transfer seem easier / more feasible to you guys than a Europe -> US transfer?
3.- Will applying for a job in the US (not through a transfer) be easier after a few years of work experience in Canada/Europe than right out of undergrad, or do the visa hassles and preference for US schools stay the same?
Thanks!
I am assuming this is for undergrad? Are you a US citizen and can legally live/work in the US?
You should, in theory, always study in the market you want to work in, especially if you are very junior and can't rely on an existing network and referrals. I would study in the US (why is that not an option here?) or in Canada. Do you have any preference in what exactly you want to do in consulting? Or just one of the big groups and then specialize later on/or remain generalist?
Alternatively you could study in the UK or the EU, then join a consulting group and transfer to their US teams later on. But this would take a lot of time.
Since schools, education and lifestyle are very different in each of these nations.. what do you prefer?
edit: you said "you grew up in the US" - if you, for whatever reason, are not a US citizen and you want to live/work in the US as a grad: absolutely study in the US with a student visa and try your luck through that avenue through OPT and CPT. any H1b/L1-2 route afterwards is more difficult or impossible. Especially after what we are going through atm.
Thanks for the quick reply Gumball!
Yes, this is for undergrad. Well, I'm not that into the US since I have a pretty good deal at McGill (I pay $10 000 instead of $50 000 in tuition) and can finish my ug in 3 years instead of 4, (french bac perks). The deadline for US schools already passed so I'd enter next fall and start school at age 20 :/ In addition to this, I also get a 3 year work visa in Canada (compared to 1 1/2 in US I think, for non STEM majors) and speak English and French fluently (big plus for montréal). Studying in the UK would cost me 2.5x - 3x what studying in Canada would, so, even though UCL's better than McGill in economics, I don't think the much larger loans are ultimately worth it.
If you are not a US citizen and you set your heart on living/working in the US after college: please consider studying in the US. OPT/CPT will help you land at least the first job and gives you additional draws for H1b. Applying from abroad for US jobs is difficult enough, if you are not a LPR you will have almost no chance of landing a job in the US.
For now i'm just focusing on getting into one of the big groups for the enriching experience and good pay and specializing or switching industries later on. I truly like all three countries but probably would say Canada>UK>France bc France is really elitist in terms of job opportunities and IMO tend to prefer the guys from top Bschools (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP...) and engineers (l'X...).
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