Beyond The States

How useful are college rankings actually? What do they measure? Can you find great colleges in Europe without relying on rankings? How can you determine whether a school would be a good fit if it is not ranked? Jenn talks with Miwa Kitmura, Head of External Relations from  Vesalius College in Brussels to answer these questions and more...

Jenn begins by touching down on the problems with the US higher education admissions processes and the increase in the number of US schools with extremely low acceptance rates.Maarten Dikhoff, an administrator from Groningen University, explains how different the admissions process is when students apply to schools in the Netherlands and Europe. The transparent and...

This episode of the Beyond the States podcast focuses on tuition cost. Jenn presents information on the astronomical tuition in the US and related problems. She then demonstrates how tuition for the English-taught bachelor’s and master’s degree options in Europe allow an international student to pay less for her entire degree program-including travel costs- than...

In the spring of 2015, Jenn Viemont happened on a Facebook post about a US student who was attending college for free in Germany. Little did she know that article would start her on a journey to build a database of the thousands of English-taught bachelors and masters programs in continental Europe. In this episode,...

This week’s episode certainly aligns with a common theme this season addressed by many of our guests, and that is the critical importance of cultivating “soft skills” in the up-and-coming workforce. These skills, like assertiveness, resilience, self-direction, empathy, cooperation, diversity awareness, and adaptability are simply not versed (even discouraged) in traditional education in the US....

It’s that time of year again… College admissions are on the minds of many students who have attempted to get into their choice schools across the US; it can be a deeply confusing and stressful time for many. Jenn begins the episode this week by sharing a disturbing, first-hand look at the US admissions process...

There are some incredible university choices all around the world, including in the US. However, there is a widespread belief that the US higher education system is the best in the world. Jenn summarizes specific studies that debunk this belief. Later in the episode, Jenn and her guest discuss other aspects of studying and students’...

Jenn’s son, Sam has been struggling with implementing and sticking with organizational systems since his 5th grade. Even though the question of whether Sam suffers from ADHD remains unsolved, one is for sure, he lacks Executive Functioning skills. Therefore, in today’s episode, Jenn is joined with Jenna Prada, the creator, and director of Private Prep’s...

Why are certain places a perfect choice for some people but a mistake for others? Generally speaking, something doesn’t have to be “better than” or “worst than”, it can just be defined as different. Moreover, something is very rarely universally “better than” or “worse than”, rather, it is a matter of the specific person’s preferences. Whether we are talking...

What are the differences between study programs at Research Universities and those at Universities of Applied Sciences? Which one prepares a student for a Master’s Degree Program and which for employment? Should we care about academy snobbery? How can you choose the best possible university for our own circumstances, and what can you expect after...