17M, Class 12 PCM+AI, tier-3 India, genuinely uncertain about abroad vs India undergrad
Who I am: 17, currently entering Class 12 (CBSE, PCM + AI stream) from a tier-3 city in UP. Scored 88% in Class 10. Class 11 was rough, expecting somewhere in the 60% to 70% range. Class 12 should be better.
What I've actually built: Designed and deployed a monthly performance analytics system for my family's school (KG–12). Built automation using Google Apps Script, a bias analysis dashboard in Looker Studio, and handled operational/branding work. Also have 7–8 years of self-taught graphic design. Branding work for clients through a small design agency I run.
What I'm interested in: Large scale systems, automation, backend infrastructure and not surface-level coding. Fields that genuinely growing: Economics + AI, Computational Finance, Data Science, Business Engineering. IIT is not a target.
The family context: My family runs a school built from scratch by my grandfather. I'm open to taking it over someday if it comes to that and I'm genuinely willing to pivot toward business if that's the smarter path. But I can't build my entire plan around it. The school has maybe a 40% survival chance realistically, so I need a parallel career that stands on its own regardless of what happens there.
The abroad question: Financially feasible up to a point. Partial scholarship range would work. No older sibling or mentor. Most of my research has been self-directed, which means I'm aware of my blind spots.
What I'm actually trying to figure out:
- Is undergrad abroad worth it at my profile level, or does India undergrad → abroad masters make more strategic and financial sense?
- For Computational Finance, Econ+AI, Data Science, or Business Engineering. Which countries and universities are realistically strong without requiring a near-perfect profile?
- If business is a genuine path for me. Does that change the degree/country calculus significantly?
- What should I be prioritising right now SAT, AP, IELTS, or just boards?
- If you've come from a similar background (tier-2/3 India, family business, studied abroad) what do you wish someone had told you at 17?
Not looking for "follow your passion" advice.