American wishing to study in Germany (life, cost, country, living)

[Mh8780]

I'm an American high school student in 10th grade (this is actually early on thinking about colleges in normal standards). The high cost of public colleges and the exorbitant price of private colleges makes it so in the US, going to a local school the only option for me. My parents's income is relatively high, however the high tax rate and cost of living compensate for this.
My ancestry is half Irish/English and half German (Brunswick and a town in Bavaria). My grandparents are fluent in German and a college offers German courses for $250 so becoming at least proficient will not be a problem at all.
I really don't know what college I should go to but right I want to:
Major: Law
Minor: European History
If I can't use my degree back in the US I'm content with living in Germany for the rest of my life.

[Brontosaurus]

Two things to bear in mind: 1. Law is a country-specific subject. A law degree from country X is usually useless anywhere else. 2. Do not assume you can become a permanent resident of Germany just because you want to. You will need to qualify for a visa. If you can't then you have to leave so you need to research exactly what is required. Start at the German embassy website.

[viribusunitis]

I would rethink studying law in a language that's not your native one. Law is considered to be extremely tough in Germany and your future career basically depends on two exams you take. And they are already pretty hardcore for Germans.

And then there is always the problem of future employment. I guess it will be hard or even impossible to find a job as a lawyer in Germany for someone who's German isn't absolutely perfect. You could look for a job in international law, but competition is pretty severe there.

Also, Germany doesn't have a Major/Minor system as far as I know. And I doubt that there is a program called "European History" you could enroll into

[Rob702]

You may be able to find a job as a lawyer with an American company that has offices in Germany, but besides that you'll be bound to German companies. To my knowledge you can't even work in Austria, which is probably the country with the most similar legal system.

I don't want to destroy your dream, but please be realistic. As a lawyer your German needs to be flawless. You need to be able to speak and write fluently without any mistakes. Everything else will be seen as unprofessional.

How about finding a good college statesside that has exchange programs with universities in Germany so you can spend a semester or a year abroad? There are plenty of colleges with decent financial aid packages. You're in 10th grade so you have lots of time to prepare for applications and brush up your credentials.

[lndigo]

I would only recommend studying in Germany if you're going into a STEM field. Law would serve you very little in another country unless, as already pointed out, you can master the language. Keep in mind German grammar is very challenging, and fluent non-native speakers regularly make mistakes. Also, undergraduate programs are not liberal in Europe like in America, where you take a variety of core curriculum classes expanding many disciplines, but I think this kind of varied education would be more useful than a rigid one for something in the humanities or history department.