<p>Wow, limabeans, sounds like that worked out well for your nephew! Our friends daughter went to LSE for a year, had a great time, and got hired at a top law firm. But I don’t know how much of an impact that experience was on her job offer, there are so many things involved. It sounds like alot depends upon what the student makes of the opportunity.</p>
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<p>It is a give that every negative story will be matched by a different account. That is why I wrote that it is impossible to draw conclusions without addressing the vastly different background issues. Many students go abroad. Many love the experience. Others regret the time away from their friends and find the experience less positive than expected. </p>
<p>Again, LSE is a school that is at the pinnacle of education, and it should not surprise anyone that students who spent some time at the school also end up with good jobs prospect. What will, however, never be known if is because of the experience or if had no bearing. But then the same can be said about one’s entire academic career.</p>
<p>Fwiw, Limabeans, do you know how your nephew worked around the seemingly unavoidable requirement that international students spend an entire year at LSE? For many students who consider the LSE international program, the fact that the summer program ends us later than in the US is a handicap for the all-important junior/senior internship.</p>
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<p>I do think that attending LSE is a great opportunity, especially if it does not “rob” part of one’s education in the United States. I happen to think that European programs are better tailored to more mature students.</p>
<p>Just want to chime in that actually enrolling in LSE or Oxbridge for a masters (Ox in particular has a good econ MPhil) is about a million times better than some lame ‘study abroad’ program.</p>
<p>If you go for a masters, you directly apply to and enroll with the school, and have to find a place to stay and make your own friends. Not to mention that you actually have to pass classes and learn stuff.</p>
<p>These days especially, I would be totally unimpressed as an employer with someone who had done an organised study abroad programme. It annoys the hell out of me when they describe themselves as having ‘lived’ in some place when they actually went on an American-run scheme that does everything but wipe up after them in the toilet. Going and getting a masters abroad though, that shows real initiative and they might actually have learnt something.</p>
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<p>Study abroad in the places mentioned are rarely “american-run schemes”. The study abroad program to Oxford is not a purely American run either since these students enrol in the colleges and basically do everything as oxford students. I think its simlar for the MPhil where you have to stay in a college. The lSE program you also have to find a place to stay lol in most instances and you do have to pass your class so that you get credit for a whole year of work.</p>
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<p>A lot of these masters programs basically feed on American students. It does not show any initiative lol and its no different from a 1 year study abroad program either. Most people do it in the hopes of improving their chances at a PhD back in the US. So they are basically working towards their PhD and less interested in sight-seeing and experiencing anything. The only international experience you get is interacting with tons of international students who can barely string a sentence in english albeit would be very brilliant students.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, to actually experience what it means to study abroad, it depends on the student and not the length of the program or how the program is run. Most American students (and the same can be said of their counterparts- European ERASMUS students) would actually try and experience the country in the true sense but instead go there as tourists.</p>
<p>Depending on which school he attends in the US. An exchange to LSE/Oxbridge wouldn’t be helpful for a students at an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, Duke, etc. In fact, students at those schools treat an exchange to LSE/Oxbridge as a relaxing term for traveling every weekend (not for learning hardcore or resume building) since they transfer credits back to their home institutions pass/fail (with no effect on the GPA even if they fail since the credit simple just won’t transfer at all). In fact, if he attends an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, Duke, etc., going on an exchange anywhere (these schools just have exchange programs with top schools in other countries though) would demonstrate that he’s interested in traveling and has interesting hobbies, which is a plus for careers in finance and consulting.</p>
<p>If he attends a less prestigious school in the US, an exchange probably would help his resume stand out.</p>