I am a post seminary girl who attended seminary in the United States. I have a few comments to make in response to what I read on the previous posts. First of all, you cannot compare this generation to the generation that was 50 years ago. Times have changed and most girls graduating high school now are not yet ready to ‘go out into the real world’ yet. The amount of bad influences there are in the world is tremendous and not all 17/18 year-old girls are ready to handle them. Finishing high school is a very crucial time in people’s lives…
That being said, seminary in Eretz Yisroel is definitely a luxury. Observing my friends who have come back from seminary a year ago have made me realize what a world of good seminary in Israel can do, but I still consider it a tremendous luxury. There are seminaries in the US that cost a third of the price of the ones in E”Y.
I attended an out-of-town seminary in the US and gained tremendously from it. I connected with my teachers, who are all Gedolim in Torah or Neshai Chayil that are pillars of their community. Eretz Yisroel is not the only option!