Okay, so a bit of background about me. I’m 19 years old from the USA. I actually applied and attended school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, but actually failed and was dropped from the school. I had high grades and test scores in high school, I was a really good student, but I’ve been suffering from severe depression since I was about 15. I was at my absolute worst that year at school and didn’t have enough energy to even attend class. That was my downfall, I actually got high scores on all my tests and assignments (all A’s), but all the missed classes and missed tests caused me to fail all but 3 of my classes and to be kicked from the school.
Anyway, I came back home and have been attending therapy as well as taking Community College courses to bring my GPA up. I’ve been feeling 10000% better and have been thinking of my academic future.
I’ve decided that I want to pursue a degree in Korean Language and Culture, but I have no money and rely on government financial aid and the thought of paying the price of US tuition is awful. Actually, attending university overseas has been a dream of mine for a long time and applying directly to the school instead of going through exchange seems like a better option for me.
I came across Chula looking for good Korean programs and their program is pretty neat, they’re partner universities with top Korean schools like Seoul National University and Ewha Womans University. Their professors teach language and culture at Chula and I’d be able to study a semester or two in Korea as well (At a lower cost in the US). My grades and test scores are pretty average, so scholarship options are limited, but at Chula, they accept full US federal loan program, I’d get the same loans as if I were going to a school here in the US.
I’d actually prefer to go to Ewha Womans University, but I don’t have the money for that.
My parents aren’t too excited about this idea though and I’ve been wondering if it’d be a good idea too. It’s the only affordable option I’d be happy with.
There’s still the option of going to schools in the US, but that’s still super expensive and I’m not too jazzed about the American higher education system.
These are the schools I’m applying to (in order of my preference):
- Ewha Womans University - South Korea
- Chulalongkorn Univerisy - Thailand
- University of Hawaii at Manoa - USA
- Ohio State University - USA
I’m planning on applying to all these schools directly and the only one I’m having doubts about is Chula. I guess I’m just wondering if it’s as viable an option as the others? It’s the top university of Thailand, but what about the rest of world? Any input and experience would be appreciated.