well
i got to know that sajha.com shares all the people there everywhere
so, certainly there must be so many nepalese in US using this site

my concern is with those who are persuing UG in US

well, i just finished my I.Sc with good academic results (not bragging + although its not of any help, whats problem not saying it !!! )
but then i just flew myself in the wave of coming to US
i have already taken my TOEFL and SAT is next week, and sAT II the following month.
but, i am hearing a lot that the life being miserable once one enters US for UG

is it really true ?
cant i afford it if i get a tution waiver ?
lets say, working in 3 months.

because i just dont want to work while studying .

help me, advise me....

Well,it depends on what you expect here and how you take the things,as far as your query about life being miserable.The situation when you are a student in Nepal or US is very different.Most of the students in Nepal don't work and whereas most of the students here work for different reasons.People have great respect for those who work(or don't care what you work for your living except ...).Even if you get tuition waiver,you have to work for your other....and most importantly,it is not the money that matters for you,you will get very important work experiences and so many...,if you work here.It is not only the international students who work here,most of Americans do work for different reasons.
If your parents are wealthy enough,you doNOT have to work.I have seen some Nepalese students who don't work here are supported by their miliionaire or billionaire(NRs.) parents.But,I think they miss many .....which canNOT be bought by money.After all,work experience of any kind matters much here.
Life could be miserable in the sense you miss many things here.you are 'loved one'for your parents,but nobody would be for you here.Your mom should be very aware on what you eat or do Not eat;who cares here unless you get some friendly and helpful ones.You most probably get friends from Nepal who could help you.
You can compare your life with US citizen who work for many hours.Everybody works here,so why not you .......?
Once you get in here,you will simply enjoy it.I am NOT lying.
One difference is quite visible:you might have burden of study and exams throughout the semester,unlike what you are used to in Nepal where you have to care final exam only.
By the way,I am NOT an UG student,I observe many UG students and their life styles.I they feel great here.

...because I just don't want to work while studying...

Dude,
Who do you think you are huh? Most of the students, whether americans or not , work during their academic semester. Every international student works during the semester. I have seen many Nepalese working in gas stations among others though legally you are obliged to work within the campus and that too less than 20 hours.

If you think so highly of you, then get a good scholarship. You said results are really good right? Personally, I don't pay at all to the school but I work for my own personal satisfaction(of course, pocket money incentive is always there...)

So, take the challenge if you have guts.

PS: I ain't experienced but I have seen my friends working on campus and outside at the same time. Its tough but not unmanageable.

If you don’t want to work while studying. Coming to US as an undergraduate student will not be a good option for you. Very very few universities will waive your tuition.

If you have a good I. Sc try to get same in you undergraduate studies in Nepal and come for graduate studies. If you have a good GRE score and good scores you will definitely get a Graduate Assistantship and stipend that will be enough to survive in US without working outside.

That’s what I have experienced.

save your energy for graduate school. America will still be here in 4 years. I promise it will.

UG is very expensive. What makes you think your school will waive your tuition? UG students almost always pay their full tuition. If you graduate with an undergrad degree it will be VERY hard to find a job because they don't give H1-b visa's to those with only a bachelor's degree. So you will need to go to graduate school anyway.

In graduate school you can get assistantships fairly easily which will waive your tuition. The assistantship will give you good experience for your resume. It is much easier to get an employer to sponser you if you have a graduate degree because of immigration regulations. You will more easily find your way to a green card and a real future in America.

As an undergrad you will transfer schools every other semester trying to find a better deal, drop out to work under the table in Ocean City, drown in credit card debt and be too ashamed to call home lest your mother find out that you are not going anywhere.

I have seen too many undergrad Nepali's get lost here. In my opinion you are too young and immature to handle it. But when I was 19 I thought I was pretty mature so I am sure you will not be convinced that you are really still just a child.

its all your choice. if you are willing to work hard and sacrifice lot of things "that you dream about america (esp. in your social life)" you can do well

actually u have tons of advantage of coming here as an UG. u will b able to assimilate well with other people. not like in grad school where u r mostly .. u know what...

but its going to be tough not an easy ride unless u get substantial financial aid from your school.

there are tons of ppl who came as an undergrad. paid for tuition and have done well.
u can do it. but its hard.

======================================================
as always what do i know (O:

mayilii,
let me respond to your misleading statements

not all UG pay full tuition. if you look @ package of almost all UG's they have significant amount of AIDs etc. of course it depends on schools too. yes in community college that may be true. but all state/private schools package do give substantial aids to their students [ may be domestic or foreign/international]. number of international student may be less. but they do award.

getting assistantships in GRAD school also depends on MAJOR and SCHOOL. there is no gurantee that all GRAD students get assistantships.

YOU WILL GET H1-B WITH BACHELORS DEGREE. it all depends on your FIELD. now again there are tons of NEPALESE with MASTERS without JOB does not mean that its hard to get sponsor. THERE ARE TONS OF FACTOR. BUT I DO NOT THINK DEGREE [ bachelors/masters] is the ONLY determining criterion.

Yes you might have to work hard. may be in Ocean City or New York or Arlington or Dallas or Chicago but if you are willing to do it ITS WORTH it. NO WORK IS SHAMEFUL OR BAD [ unless you are stealing. ]
[ above all beside the hardships and everything you will learn to appreciate what your parents did for you.]


====================================================
anyway as always
what do i know (O:

Let me add again,
This guy said that he has pretty good scores. So, there is every chance that he can end up in good schools which are need-blind. Moreover, most top undergraduate liberal arts colleges do give a lot in financial aid.
Just look at the top 50 colleges in liberal arts ranking...Most offer a lot of financial aid, be that need-based or merit based.

If you have decent scores, few suggestions:
Extremely good academics :top 1-5% in a top school, SAT 1450+, decent Toefl- Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst,Wesleyan Univ.Middlebury

Really good academics: top 10% in a top school, SAT around 1400 -Bates College, Trinity College, Kenyon college, Connecticut college, Dickinson college


If you don't have these attributes, look for colleges with lower rankings but do give a shot at one or two of these.

bibas100 is right. It all depends on where you end up. Good school with good scholarship = great life! I'm enjoying my undergrad years and will be graduating with no loans, and have not had to take job off campus. So yea, it's possible to enjoy your UG life. And undergrad is wayyyy more fun than graduate school.

i would say, if you have descent acad, descent scores in Toefl, sat, and will get admission in good school with very good financial aid, definitely come to usa. The key here is finance. If you can not get aid, then i would suggest you to do undergrad in Nepal and come here as a grad student.

bibas has mentioned namesof very good schools. you can go to usnews.com and search good school with ranking. generally good school will provide better finacial packages, however getting into such school is not very easy thing to do. good luck.

An honest suggestion to you. If you are really that good at studies, why don't you study undergrad there itself. At least you would not want to worry about paying for your tuition, since even in Nepal you can get good scholarships or your tuition could be affordable. Thats one genuine advantage you got being a Nepalese Student studying in Nepal.

But as you have good scores, i recommend you try in for scholarships in the US as well. Or else, as people above said , graduate studies is a wise choice for fellow Nepalese who can exploit their talents within the country itself. Not that you cant in US, but in case, you'd feel like working and studying does not meet up to your expectations.

Go back to nepal and complete your graduation(Bachelor) then come again. Life will be easy and you will really get quality education. Life sucks if you join undergraduation in USA unless you have sac full of dollors.
Tesile babu make a good decision............

Preety didi

If you are really serious about getting a degree then, for most people like myself, would do anything it would take to get there. Most people come to US for the American dream, of having great jobs and finally becoming a PR and then a citizen...its a land of opportunies, thats what they say. As for scores, it really does not matter (maybe it does at the time of admission to a UG school) what you made in high school. But the fact of the matter is, once you get into the UG school, you need to make good grades here to be able to get a degree. And its upto you if you don't want to work while attending school, but really, like someone already pointed out, unless your parents make millions gazillions, you dont have to. UG out of state costs average about $7000 tuition only...excluding room and boards and monthly bills...And to restate the fact "people who work while going to school are respected" is absolutely true...you create networking opportunities...Personally, I had my parents to support me but I chose to do it on my own, I changed 3 different schools just to save money, went to a community college for 2 years full time, worked 20 h/week at school, and full time (cash) at two other places, and attended classes at night. And I still made it to President's Honor Rolls and Dean's Lists...I did not have a life literally. When it comes to friends, you will be lucky if they would help you out but most of us are in the same situation...so good luck on that...again, there is nothing wrong with not working while going to school, but it will come back and bite your ass in future, once you get a degree, and apply for a job, people will want to look at your experience (any!) and will ask for references...and networking do count! And for the scholarships and grants...most are merit based, federal and state grants are only for americans, I did not have any luck with grants and scholarships because there were americans ahead of me in the line...

It is getting harder and harder in US despite you have a degree/degrees. As for me, I am a Registered Nurse with BSN degree from US, and the so called "green card in 6 mos" vanished before my eyes because of visa backlog. Even with masters degree in nursing I am looking at 5 years backlog with eb2! So it is getting tougher and next to impossible even with prestigious area of study...so choose your major wisely!