Amicus Partners

One of the wonderful things about growing old(er) is the chances you get to change perspectives; to witness them take different shape with time and lived experiences. To taste that bittersweet tinge of regret, wishing that you knew then what you know now. It is a tinge that has become familiar over the last few weeks, as my own foreign master’s program came to an end and the journey back “home” began.

What should I have done differently, where should I have focused more of my time, how could I have better employed my time as a graduate student in a foreign land? And, perhaps most importantly, was I right in choosing which university to study at?

It is this last question – choosing where to study that is the focus of this piece. With good reason – at Amicus Partners this is often the most perplexing questions our clients face.  

There are a few tools that one can use. Rankings for instance. Like them or not (I don’t), rankings are one of the most accessible, and popular metrics. Then there is subject expertise – many law schools, for instance, have developed reputations for subject-specific LLM’s; this often goes a long way in helping speed up the decision-making process.  

Of course, there is the total cost of attendance which includes cost of living – particularly relevant with the depreciating rupee and the increasing rates of tuition. Or you can rely on peer networks – what have the people you know indicated about a particular school or course. There is also great value in reaching out to alumni and current students; graduate schools are very often proactive in facilitating these conversations.

These are all valid factors, playing significant roles in my own decision. Highly “ranked” schools come with their own halo effect, more so if they are known for a specific field of study. Low costs of attendance are always attractive, and peer networks provide critical first-hand information that can be difficult to find elsewhere (exceptions being blogs like the *cough* *cough* Amicus blog).

But there is more. A lot more. Which is where the changed perspectives come into play. If I had to go back in time, and make the decision once again, here are four factors that I would have given far more importance than I did back when I was applying.

One, the weather. Winter and snow might look lovely in the movies, but living through it can be quite the opposite. The lack of sun for months on end can hurt and demotivate in a way that is hard to anticipate for those from sunnier lands. And if you are blessed with a tolerance to cold that may be best described as bhadralok then well, be prepared for some rather dark days ahead. Even with boroline.

Two, the location. And by this, I mean the city (or town) that the graduate school is located in. And this is not from a networking perspective but rather from the lived experience perspective. Before going to Philadelphia, a friend of mine commented that the city would remind me of another great city – Calcutta. I had scoffed back then. Now, I must admit he was right.

Bustling, multicultural cities have their own charm, as do university towns with their massive campuses oftentimes located in the middle of great natural beauty.

Three, class size. With some graduate programs (I am looking at you US law schools) admitting more than two hundred students at a time, class size is an important consideration in the application decision. Having said that, this is not as straightforward as one may presume – smaller class sizes are not always better. A larger class size might allow for greater diversity in cohort profiles, an important factor if you are looking to build a network. This also means a larger alumni base, again something which can be important in the long run.

Four, desi demographics – this is a true reflection of just how personal education decisions can be. For me, studying in a foreign country was occasionally a terribly isolating experience.  The grammar, the accents, the food, the color of skin – the differences reinforced just how far from home I was. And at moments when the homesickness was acute, a simple glimpse of the familiar was most welcome. It could be a desi grocery store (with outrageously priced Parle G), or a salwar kameez-clad aunty with the LV bag, or Indian-accented food (google “Little Sicily in Philadelphia”) – all welcome familiarities.

At least every now and then.

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