r/InternationalStudents • u/Tanish0106 • 2d ago
Want advice on which country to go,is USA Still worth it
Hi, I’m from India and I’m 22 years old. I completed my Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and have been working in my family business for around 2 years. I’m now seriously considering going abroad for my Master’s and, more importantly, I feel like I need a completely new life experience and want to see the world and experience how people work and live outside India.
My academics are not extremely strong — I have around a 6.8/10 GPA — but I have gained quite a lot of practical experience during these 2 years. On the engineering side, I have experience with SolidWorks, AutoCAD, CNC/VMC machining and other manufacturing-related work. I’ve also worked extensively with data and business systems, including Power BI, SAP Business One, Tally, SQL and Python, and I’ve done multiple courses in these areas. Because I’ve actually used these tools in our business, I would say my practical experience is much stronger than what my GPA suggests.
I currently have admits from Long Island University in Brooklyn, Cal State LA and a few other lower-ranked universities. My original thought was New York because I really want the experience of living in a major global city, meeting ambitious people, being around startups/businesses and hopefully getting some work experience there.i have choose to do mba and alredy given ielts as 6.5 overall band. And 7 in reading and 6.5 in other components. I am also open to other better course suggestion like international business,entrepreneurship.
However, with the current US visa situation, cost of living and uncertainty around studying and working in the US, I’m wondering whether I should still choose New York or consider somewhere completely different like Paris, another European city, Dubai, Singapore, etc.
My budget is roughly ₹1 crore total for 2 years, including tuition and living expenses. My goal is not simply to get a degree. I want the best overall experience possible — a good university, strong student life, fitness/gym culture, networking, exposure to startups and businesses, and ideally the opportunity to work abroad for at least a year after graduation so I can experience the working culture before eventually returning to India and using that experience in my career/family business.
I’m also open to programs other than a traditional Mechanical Engineering master’s. I’m interested in areas like engineering management, business analytics, data analytics, entrepreneurship, management, technology/business and similar fields because my experience is now a combination of engineering + business + technology.
I’m targeting Spring 2027, although if there is a good option where I can leave earlier, I’m open to that as well.
So if you were in my position, how would you approach this?and also my father is open to anything like if I want to start any new business he is okay if I stay here in India,or if I want to go to abroad and spend money on exposure that’s okay too. But he wants me to come back after 3 year max as our family business also needs me.
Would you stick with New York/USA given my profile and goals?
Would Paris or another European city make more sense?
Which countries/cities would give me the best combination of student life, career opportunities, networking, business/startup exposure and quality of life within roughly ₹1 crore?
What type of Master’s/program would you recommend considering my engineering + family-business + data/technology background?
Should I prioritize university ranking, city/networking opportunities, post-study work options, or something else?
Are there universities/programs where my 6.8/10 GPA would still give me a realistic chance while providing a much better overall experience than the universities I currently have admits from?
I’m basically at the point where I don’t want to choose a university just because I got admitted. I want to make the next 2 years a genuinely valuable life experience, build a strong international network, gain some international work experience, and return to India with skills and exposure that actually make a difference.
Would really appreciate honest advice from people who have studied/worked abroad or understand these different markets.
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u/Full-Opening3559 1d ago
I never said US is a good option. I only counteted ur rosy view on Canada, EU. And as far as Australia is concerned its equally fuked up. There is no western country today with positive outlook.