I am enrolled at Macquarie University in Sydney, but am currently on exchange at the University of Richmond in the US. I always wanted to go to college in the USA, on the east coast especially, as I always thought there was more to see on the east coast than the west. The school is very well renowned in the US and is in the Top 100 on Forbes best universities in the US.
It also has a very small cohort, which was a nice change from the big universities in Australia.
The sense of community at Richmond has been a lot better than other universities in the US, and as it’s mandatory for everyone to live on campus, I live in a suite with 4 people – sharing a bathroom. Mac Uni didn’t line this accommodation up for me- Richmond Uni did.
The application process was based on my GPA, which required a 3.0 and an application which involved references and a personal statement- there is no interview required. In terms of financing exchange- you’re up for a lump sum!
I received $4500 in grants from Macquarie University for going on exchange which has been really helpful.
The flights have cost approximately $2500, and to date (8 months) my accommodation and food have cost $10,000. Spending money on holidays, and other activities have cost me about $5000- so it’s not exactly a cheap thing to do.
I definitely recommend other students travel to Disney World in Orlando Florida. We did this in Fall Break, and it is quite the experience. For Spring Break go to Mexico, Cancun. The beaches were beautiful and the nightlife is some of the best in the world! Travel to New York and experience the big apple. Get involved at University whether it is through a club sport or volunteering- you will experience a different side of America that way. And finally, go to Greek parties on campus, you’ll watch all the American movies much more differently now!