u/Radiant_Law_4074

Does anyone have experience with transferring credits from affiliated schools abroad? I’ve been looking at a couple different European universities to study abroad at but I’m having trouble finding 1:1 content equivalents to RPI courses I need credit for. Some schools also have classes with the same content as at RPI courses but less than the 15 required contact hours per credit. How lenient is the registrars office with transfer credit from affiliated universities that isn’t an exact match?

I’m an American electrical engineering undergrad student currently going to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute but I have the option to go abroad next spring semester, and I’m trying to decide between KU Leuven and PoliMi. I understand that both are very academically intense, but my home college has its own reputation as being very difficult so I’m comfortable with that. As far as I can tell, the big differences:

Leuven is much cheaper than Milan

Small city vs major city

Historic vs more modern town

More English speakers than Milan

More practical vs more theoretical classes

More temperate, rainier climate vs similar to my hometown (DC)

More centralized campus vs spread out campuses

Are these accurate? Also, how’s student life? I’m very involved in music at my home college, so I’d appreciate access to practice rooms if there are any. I also understand that the drinking culture is fairly big, but currently I can’t drink because of a medication I’m on— is that particularly weird around campus? Most students seem busy academically but are schedules filled with lots of class sessions or is it mostly private studying? Are weekend train trips to the surrounding countries doable mid semester?