Some help needed

[Antonio the Sixth]

Thank you guys. Comments, anyone else ?

[ZuWo]

All I can say is that my brother, who's obviously not American either, visited San Francisco for a couple of days (he's attended an English language school in Santa Barbara for three months) and he absolutely loved the city.

You have a great opportunity. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't know what university to pick either.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I think I'm hesistating between Emory and Richmond. Who could tell me more about these ?

[ilikeverin]

I know nothing about Richmond, which I think says something in and of itself.  Emory is a fine institution, though I'm a bit wary of any good schools in the South; they tend to be rather patrician.  Also, Emory's zoology program is full of anti-linguistics heretics, not that that would trouble you

[Tetro Kornbluth]

That sounds like a really fun experience, Antonio.

On a related note, and I'll post thise here because I know you'll be reading this thread, do you have any ideas about the University of Paris-Nanterre? I might be trying to get a spot there for an Erasmus exchange next year (in philosophy). (Other contenders are University College Dublin and Queens' at Belfast, so if anyone else has ideas, feel free). It's an Erasmus exchange, so the academical side of things takes a back seat, but I'd hate to be stuck at some third-tier university for a prolonged amount of time.

(As I may have mentioned before on here, I'm currently at the Catholic University of Leuven, so I'd like to maintain that sort of Academical level or not too far below it)

Dear god, man, don't go to UCD (and I warn against Queens; but that because I don't like Belfast very much).

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

That sounds like a really fun experience, Antonio.

On a related note, and I'll post thise here because I know you'll be reading this thread, do you have any ideas about the University of Paris-Nanterre? I might be trying to get a spot there for an Erasmus exchange next year (in philosophy). (Other contenders are University College Dublin and Queens' at Belfast, so if anyone else has ideas, feel free). It's an Erasmus exchange, so the academical side of things takes a back seat, but I'd hate to be stuck at some third-tier university for a prolonged amount of time.

(As I may have mentioned before on here, I'm currently at the Catholic University of Leuven, so I'd like to maintain that sort of Academical level or not too far below it)

Oh, Paris-Nanterre, I don't know, and don't know anybody in it, but that would be like Toulouse - Le Mirail (in which I spent 2 months ), or Rennes 2, that is, classical very big French universities built by the glorious standards of the 70s architecture, and which every once in a while goes on:

AG! STRIKE!

With sometimes over-crowded amphitheaters (actually in Toulouse sometimes people had to sit outside of this, then they were outdoor even in the cold winter, and to let doors of it opened to hear the lessons, while hundreds were sitting inside everywhere they could, I personally decided to wake up one hour earlier to be sure to have a place in a warm part of the amphi and overall with a normal sit...). Not always renovated buildings, thousands of students, and, good luck!

Ah well, that might be a bit too cliché, but that would be the general painting of such kind of French universities, might have kinda changed in 10 years, dunno, and as I said I can't really speak about that one, but I'd guess it's part of those which are this trend.

Besides 'Grandes Ecoles' such as Sciences-Po which Antonio is doing, but which are quite limited in term of place, and beside more professional courses such as BTS/DUT, France's high studies are pretty poor, and overall in Human Sciences, in Hard Sciences it's a bit better.

And I didn't even speak of accommodations! Usually still the very glorious not necessarily renovated 70s buildings for accommodations proposed by unis. And if you wanna live in the city, in some French cities it can be quite accessful prices, but, in Paris and around!!

Add to this that the govt is making a law to restrict the possibilities of foreign student to work in France right after their studies even if they found a job, to give the priority to French student (yay, yay, yay, glorious, isn't it?), and welcome in France for your studies!!

Well, don't want to disgust you, but really, I think that one foreign student that would like to study abroad would have to be very interested in France to find it worth it to come here compared to other places. But who knows, you can also always be lucky and find some neat situations here or there here. At least, all of this is, thankfully, quite cheap in term of costs (unless you can't have an accommodation proposed by uni and that you're in a big city).

Oh and, from a Catholic Flemish school to the Leftist Paris-Nanterre, there might be a gap! But who knows, you might as well enjoy it.

And best wishes to Antonio.

[Foucaulf]

Damn, I should have noticed this thread earlier. I'm studying at Northwestern right now, so I could have told you all about the alcoholism here!

It's good that you're aiming for some LACs - there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Among what choices you have left, Emory is one of the best Southern universities and UPenn is a big time research school.

I guess I hope you take another look at Penn - an Ivy school like it has incredible student life and opportunity. The caveat is that it is near the bad part of Philadelphia, though there are not that many complaints.

[TJ in Oregon]

I don't know a ton about the place but Emory's campus is beautiful. It has a huge garden in the center of it with a large pond and trails all around. The buildings also look really nice.

[Хahar 🤔]

Damn, I should have noticed this thread earlier. I'm studying at Northwestern right now, so I could have told you all about the alcoholism here!

How many Chinese from British Columbia are at Northwestern? I know I'm Facebook friends with one.

[Foucaulf]

How many Chinese from British Columbia are at Northwestern? I know I'm Facebook friends with one.

No more than ten, and most of them are in engineering anyway.

(I may know who you're talking about, so maybe PM me about this)

[Yelnoc]

I think I'm hesistating between Emory and Richmond. Who could tell me more about these ?

Well, there is the thing with Georgia weather which I mentioned earlier.  It is probably a net positive.  As TJ said, the campus is very nice.  It is located "in" Atlanta; it might not be within the city limits but feels a lot like the city down there.  The nice part of the city.  Directly across from Emory is the CDC headquarters, complete with every vaccine imaginable (and every virus too! ).  The university itself is certainly prestigious.  The campus houses a top-noch medical facility and is renown for it's medical school.  Little known is Emory's excellent business school, ranked either second and third in the nation by...well, whoever ranks these things.  

I can't say I know much about Richmond, though I hear they have an excellent business school also.  As far as whether goes, do not be fooled by the latitude!  The D.C metro area down into Richmond can get nearly as hot as Atlanta, but the weather swings are as bizarre as Denver!  Also, Richmond is kind of a depressing looking city.  In a faded glory sort of way.  

Atlanta has more variety on that front.  Buckhead and northwest Fulton into the neighboring counties is very upscale and trendy.  Believe it or not, that area hosts the largest Gay African-American community in America.  The business district below it is nice; lots of skyscrapers and that sort of thing.  Moving southwards it does get a little sad. The poor neighborhoods are poor.  Five of the twenty five most dangerous zip codes are in the Atlanta area.

That's everything I can think of off the top of my head.  If you have anymore Atlanta questions, just ask!

[ilikeverin]

I think I'm hesistating between Emory and Richmond. Who could tell me more about these ?

Well, there is the thing with Georgia weather which I mentioned earlier.  It is probably a net positive.  As TJ said, the campus is very nice.  It is located "in" Atlanta; it might not be within the city limits but feels a lot like the city down there.  The nice part of the city.  Directly across from Emory is the CDC headquarters, complete with every vaccine imaginable (and every virus too! ).  The university itself is certainly prestigious.  The campus houses a top-noch medical facility and is renown for it's medical school.  Little known is Emory's excellent business school, ranked either second and third in the nation by...well, whoever ranks these things.   

I can't say I know much about Richmond, though I hear they have an excellent business school also.  As far as whether goes, do not be fooled by the latitude!  The D.C metro area down into Richmond can get nearly as hot as Atlanta, but the weather swings are as bizarre as Denver!  Also, Richmond is kind of a depressing looking city.  In a faded glory sort of way. 

Atlanta has more variety on that front.  Buckhead and northwest Fulton into the neighboring counties is very upscale and trendy.  Believe it or not, that area hosts the largest Gay African-American community in America.  The business district below it is nice; lots of skyscrapers and that sort of thing.  Moving southwards it does get a little sad. The poor neighborhoods are poor.  Five of the twenty five most dangerous zip codes are in the Atlanta area.

That's everything I can think of off the top of my head.  If you have anymore Atlanta questions, just ask!

Oh, yes!  I forgot to vouch for Atlanta as a very nice city, both from personal experience and from secondhand knowledge.  Can't hold a candle on the Twin Cities, of course but it's a good town.

[Psychic Octopus]

Emory's a great school. I don't know that much about it, though. If you are narrowing it down to that and Richmond, I would pick Emory.

[Antonio the Sixth]

OK, guess Emory will by my 4th choice.

The final 2 universities will be in Canada, so I've yet to decide... Hashemite already gave me some tips, and I guess he convinced me to put UOttawa as my first choice.