Education is about developing the student. Overseas education is about developing the student. Thus, every part of the plan must be specific to the one student in question. The ‘why go,’ the reason, can be like many other people’s or it may be quite uncommon. The test is, ‘Does it fit this student particular situation, advance this student’s development, open doors for this student,’ etc.
Possible good reasons (among very many):
Has an interest that’s most easily, directly developed in Meiguo, e.g., piano studies can be undertaken without having to pass advanced mathematics.
Has no idea of interests; can profit from the ‘discover yourself’ aspects of US higher education. People develop at different speeds and profit from trying out different areas. Students freely select their own majors, but may take time –2 years in some places-- to discover their own interests and develop their own motivation.
Wants the solid training for a bi-lingual career and cosmopolitan citizenship that comes from immersion in the foreign culture. With no doubt, demand for outstanding bi-lingual professionals will increase for the foreseeable future.
Has a passion for English, English literature, Western history and cultural studies, etc. It’s a good choice to pursue such majors in the West.
Has discovered a great interest, but too late to pursue it effectively in the Chinese system. The flexible US system offers welcoming opportunity to all ages.
Wants the experience of studying at a top world academic powerhouse. As later mentioned, nearly 70% of the top 50 universities are in the US; China has yet to break into that bracket of the major ranking.
Weak reasons, again, among many
Wants a foreign diploma to be highly employable. Caution! Don’t forget poor C and so many underemployed overseas graduates. Another example: One day, my driver allowed that he had an MBA degree from the US. I was surprised. His English wasn’t strong. “Where did you go?” I asked. He named a new, unheard-of profit making school. Later, a colleague said, “That US study cost nearly 1 million RMB. His job today pays less than RMB 40,000 and includes driving you around.”
An overseas degree does not guarantee a great job. Exactly who wants to hire? It’s worth thinking hard about the realistic prospects. Western employers will prefer a native speaker, especially when unemployment is high and there’s a belief that China is taking ‘American jobs’ –to say nothing of visa problems. Chinese employers need to see a compelling reason to take the overseas degree student who only knows foreign methods, terms and working environment, but not Chinese methods, Chinese terms and working environment.
Wants independence. Everything here depends on the student’s track record: Does he manage himself consistently with good control? Plans well? Prepares vigilantly? Handles challenges systematically and methodically? If the answers are not clearly yes, it’s a situation for extreme caution.
Irrelevant and risky reasons
Reflect glory on the family, show the family’s wealth, and keep up with the family’s social group. Clearly, it’s a mistake to think that overseas education is a luxury commodity, like a huge apartment or a luxury car. Overseas education has to do with a student and the student’s future. If it is based on an irrelevant reason, the risk dramatically rises. The unfortunate student may end up in that unhappy bottom group.
Escape gaokao, give a weak student a supposedly easier path in the US. Let’s think for a moment. If gaokao is a problem, isn’t it likely that trying to pursue degree studies in a foreign language in a foreign culture will be a bigger problem? And, if the student should endure low status colleges for all the extra years required to learn English and get a degree, exactly what doors will a low value degree open?
教育的目的在于发展，出国留学亦是如此。因此，出国留学计划的每个部分都必须针对学生个人而言。至于“为什么出国”这一问题，原因可能与众人相同也可能相当少见。我们要探讨的是这个原因是否符合他的具体情况，能否提升他的个人发展，能否帮他开启未来的大门等。
比较充分的理由(仅选一些)
(1)自己的兴趣能够很容易地在美国得以快速发展。例如，学生不需要通过高等数学的考试可就读钢琴专业。
(2)不明白自己的兴趣所在，希望通过美国高等教育完成“自我发现”的过程并从中受益。每个人发展的速度不同，发展的领域也有差异，要尝试不同的领域来获益。大学里，学生们自主选择专业，但是许多人需要花费很长的时间来发现他们真正的兴趣所在，发挥积极主动性。这一过程有时要花费两年的时间。
(3)想要得到扎实的训练，未来获得一份双语的工作，成为世界性的公民融入外国文化。毫无疑问，社会需要更多的双语人才，这一点是可以预料到的。
(4)对英语、英国文学、西方历史和文化研究饱含热情。而在西方国家从事这类专业是个不错的选择。
(5)已经发现兴趣所在，但是为时已晚，无法在中国圆梦。而美国的教学制度较为灵活，可以给各个年龄段的学生敞开大门。
(6)想要获得在世界顶尖学府学习的经历。据统计，世界排名前50名的大学，有近70%在美国。中国的大学还未能挤入排名之列。
不太充分的理由(仅选一些)
(1)想获得外国文凭，找工作时更有利。要小心!别忘了学生C的教训，还有许多可怜的海归毕业生没能找到工作。再如下面这个例子：一天我的司机告诉我他获得了美国一所大学的工商管理硕士学位。我听了很惊讶，因为他的英语不怎么好。“你上了哪所大学?”我问他。结果从他口中得知那是一所新建的、无名的、只会捞钱的学校。之后，有同事说：“那里学费要近100万人民币。而他现在的工资不到4000元，还要带你到处转。”
国外的文凭并不能保证他们能得到好工作。确切的说，又会有谁想雇用他们呢?他们真实的前景值得我们深思。西方国家宁愿雇佣以英语为母语的人，尤其是现在失业率如此之高的情况下。很多人认为美国的许多工作都是被中国人抢走的。更不用说还有签证的问题。再者，要让中国的老板雇佣海归也需要充分的理由，因为他们只知道国外的方式、方法，只熟悉国外的工作环境，而对中国的情况一无所知。
(2)想要独立。这一切都要取决于这个学生过去的记录：他是否能够始终如一地做到自律?他的计划是否周详?他的准备是否充分?是否具备系统的，有条不紊的迎接挑战的能力。如果还不能完全做到以上几点，就要格外谨慎。
不相干的危险原因
(1)想要光宗耀祖，炫耀家财，为了紧跟家庭社交圈。显然把出国留学看作和豪宅、豪车一样的奢侈商品是错误的。出国留学和一个学生甚至是他的未来息息相关。如果因为一些不相干的原因就选择出国留学，那所冒的风险也将急剧上升。不幸的学生就会沦为“失业群体”的一员。
(2)为了逃避高考。对成绩不好的学生来说，留学美国看起来是一条捷径。但仔细想想，如果高考都成了问题，那在他乡接触异国文化，用外语争取学位岂不更成问题?再假设，一个学生花了几年就读语言学校，学习英文，结果还得屈就于在低等的大学中争取学位，那么这样低含金量的学位将来又能有什么用呢?