I am a Singaporean student who got admitted into these two schools with financial aid. I am currently undecided as to whether I should major in Physics or CS.
Haverford College
PROS:
- Better faculty (their recommendation letters would probably carry more weight)
- A more interesting college experience (studying and living in the USA would be completely different from studying in Singapore)
- Allows me to get OPT and work in the US for 3 years
- Interesting Honor Code
- Arguably opens more doors to top grad schools (not sure if I am definitely attending grad school though)
CONS:
- Cost 20k per year and I will have to take up to 50-60k student loans (though I am exploring the option of staying off-campus to reduce cost)
- Its name is probably less recognized than Yale-NUS (which has both Yale and NUS in its name)
Yale-NUS College
PROS:
- Interesting bicultural (West meets East) common curriculum which can be very marketable
- Close to home where I get to see my family
- It is essentially free with my EFC about 1k
- Get to tap onto large research university resources from NUS (which is on the same campus). Haverford has the consortium but travelling to Penn or Swarthmore is relatively less convenient
CONS:
- Relatively new school so alumni network and curriculum recognition is lacking and even though internship and research opportunities are abundant, they are probably still less diverse and aplenty as Haverford’s
- Staying in Singapore would be much less exciting than heading to US
- 50% of the school are Singaporeans
Just some thoughts in my mind… Because I am unsure if I will be going for grad school, I am not sure if I should factor it in into my decision-making. 50-60k loans should be manageable if I were to take on a decent job during my 3 years OPT. I am not sure if factoring in a possibility and allowing the possibility to swing my decision towards Yale-NUS would be wise. Also, I am certain that as much as I would try to not think about it, 50-60k loans would affect the way I view courses and majors as I would try to make sure I graduate with the necessary credentials to secure a job which would allow me to pay off my loans. I really hope to learn for the sake of learning and Yale-NUS’s loan-free option seems to offer that option to me. Lastly, as much as I want to deny it, I think this decision would kind of shape the person I would become for the next 10-15 years. Heading to US with the understanding that I would graduate with 50k loans would make me a more adventurous person. I would turn into someone who would hustle harder and take risks (someone who would dream big). Yale-NUS would be a safer and cushier option as I get to stay closer to home and be with my family. Even though I can still head to the US for grad school or possibly work there, that would be too many ifs. I understand that I won’t be ultimately shaped by these decisions but giving these different reasons weight in my decision-making would kind of shape how I view myself and how I perceive my wants.
Sorry for the spam.
Which college would you choose based on this information?
“though I am exploring the option of staying off-campus to reduce cost”
That’s not going to happen. Haverford is 100% residential with the exception of a handful of seniors.
I think it is compulsory only for first-year students but I could be wrong.
Thanks for the info! Do you have any opinion on Haverford vs Yale-NUS for me? I am really lost…
Personally, if cost weren’t an issue, I would choose Haverford in a heartbeat for the chance to have a new experience and the reasons you cite. BUT the financial implications are real, and you will need to think through that part. I would probably take the risk and do it, but it’s a very personal decision.
How would you get the 50K loan? USD?
I personally think that loan is too big if you are considering grad school because interest would compound and you wouldn’t be paying it back when you are in grad school. You could study-abroad 1 year while at Yale-NUS in the US for that excitement.
You can’t pay back a 60k loan with 3 years opt (if it’s 60K in us dollars).
Are you looking at full COA or judt direct costs?
What’s your parents’ budget and how much is Haverford’s direct cost*?
(In the Us, Haverford would have more name recognition than Yale NUS, but I think it’s the reverse in Asia).
- (Tuition fees room board) - (Grants scholarships) =
@gardenstategal Thank you for your input! And I agree about the financial implications part.
@PurpleTitan Quite many banks in Singapore actually offer loans to students who are heading overseas for education. I think the interest rate is at 4.5% which is not too bad. And the grad school dilemma is real. I am quite certain that I don’t intend to go to med/law school nor get an MBA anytime soon. So if I were to go to grad school, it would be a masters or phd in CS/Engineering/Physics. The thing is that I really don’t know if academia/engineering is for me and hence I really don’t want it to affect the quality of my undergrad experience. I know there are TA deals for masters and phd courses which can help to make grad school more affordable in the event that I wanna attend grad school. Hence, I don’t wanna just dismiss the Haverford option (since I love Haverford) simply becos I am considering grad school
@MYOS1634 If I were to go into a CS career, how long do you think it would take on average to pay off the loans? I am really clueless on this so I just want some advice on taking up loans. The 20k is more or less everything (tuition + room + board) after grants and work-study. I don’t intend to take any or much money from my parents since I have 2 younger siblings who are less academically-inclined and they would require my parents’ financial help for their college education.
Haverford is definitely less renowned outside of US but Yale-NUS isn’t exactly much better. People recognize both Yale and NUS but they tend to be less certain about the quality of the graduates (since it is a new school and also because people don’t understand liberal arts education that well in Asia).
It really is a tough decision…
If your parents are like me or many parents, they’re proud of your academic success and want to participate in your educational costs. So, let them.
Obviously, not to the point where they raid your siblings’ college funds or their own retirement! But whatever’s they can afford to help with, let them. Most parents are happy to invest in their children’s future.
If you can cut the loans from 60 to 30k, even 40k, then it’s doable with OPT.
Not really, iMO. Even if you enter a CS career, that $50+ that would go to debt and interest payments could go towards vacations (lots of them), down payment on a house, or a grad degree.
What’s wrong with the idea of a year studying abroad while at Yale-NUS?
How does optional practical training work? Philadelphia has been a city thats not good for high tech/CS but OK for IT. Will Haverford help you find a US job in CS? Are you sure you would not be better off going back to Singapore to work, as far as loan payments? That may sound odd, given what we read about the plethora of CS jobs, but i know a GaTech CS grad who is struggling right now to find a job in NYC area. Most US jobs in CS are on the west coast where Haverford College is relatively unknown. Why would a US company hire a Singaporean for only three years, from a liberal arts college without the right to work in the US? Maybe possible, but ask Haverford if they help you? Do you get work study with your financial aid package to Haverford? There are no resident assistant jobs at Haverford either, thats a normal way students can lower living costs, by living with freshman and being a “mentor” for free room and board. But Haverford does not offer that type of employment.
"Most US jobs in CS are on the west coast where Haverford College is relatively unknown. "
Haverford CS majors do VERY well in job placement including the West Coast. Even though Haverford might not have name recognition with the typical man on the street, employers and post grad programs do know of the caliber of grads Haverford produces.
Haverford is well recognized.
OPT is no problem, the US tries to keep the graduates it’s trained and educated.
After OPT students tend to go for a Master’s degree because it’s become impossible to get an H1B (due to some companies buying those wholesale, which should be forbidden…)
@MYOS1634 I will try to talk to them about it. My parents are both high school dropouts so they are pretty excited about me entering college. They are just sceptical about the costs… But thank you for the information on the OPT. Do you have information about extending my “work visa” after OPT?
@PurpleTitan I understand the opportunity cost at stake.
Studying in your home country and going for a year abroad is still fundamentally different from studying abroad for all 4 years. It would most likely make no financial sense to attend Haverford (unless in the rare case that I somehow get hooked up onto a high paying job or I somehow manage to launch a highly profitable startup in the US). However, sometimes it’s the intangibles which are invaluable. And I can’t seem to figure out how much I value these intangibles. I blame it on a lack of self-understanding but I am at this stage where I must figure it out by 1st May. I don’t think this decision would define my career, life or me as a person but I just don’t want to miss out on a potentially fantastic experience. As a student who attended a boys-only school, there are certain experiences which I had missed out on which I know I can never get it again. I don’t want that feeling (at least not without having put in my best in the decision-making process)
@Coloradomama Philadelphia won’t be the final place for me to settle and work during my 3 years of OPT. Haverford has a pretty extensive network for internships/research/work opportunities. The career outcomes for their graduates have been great too! In fact, a substantial number of their CS graduates have found employment in the big tech companies.
I have received work-study plans from Haverford and the 20k which I have to fork out is after work-study.
Thank you for your input though! Really appreciate it!
After OPT (we’re talking 2026) your company would apply for an H1B and hopefully by then the system will be fixed. If not you go to graduate school.
