<p>University of Texas at Austin is by far the strongest academically and it is a school with a LOT of spirit.</p>
<p>However the graduate experience is very different from the undergraduate experience, in that you’re a professional focused on one field then, whereas undergraduates need to experience everything to “grow”, not just intellectually but also personally, becoming well-educated and well-rounded. As a grad student you work on becoming an expert in one discipline. Although the out-of-class undergrad experience isn’t looked down upon and would make sense for you culturally since you’re international, it’s very distinct from what graduate students expect of themselves, kind of the way you’d look at your Year 11 activities from your 1st year in college’s vantage point.</p>
<p>However, by saying you want to start your MA, are you saying that you hope to get an MA eventually and will start after your Highers, in which case you wouldn’t be applying for the MA directly, or that you have (or will have) a BA and want to do graduate (i.e in British English: postgraduate) studies?
You’d have more choice if you applied to schools with PHD programs - typically they will provide funding. If you don’t make it to the PHD level, you would still have your first 2 years covered.</p>