<p>I’m currently an IB Diploma student and I will be sitting my SATs and ACT. I was on the Field Hockey team for all years of High School so far and I am joining DECA and Interact Club. Joined my newly established Link Crew last summer and I’m on committee for Relay for Life as well as a team captain. I am also in my school’s Recycling club. I really want to go to University in London, but only if I get into a good school like Imperial or LSE or King’s or something. Do you think I could get into a pretty good school if I score well and get high points on my Diploma?</p>
<p>I was planning on studying Marketing, but I may just go into Engineering because I heard a business degree is not worth it if you are planning to do your MBA? Any insight on this?
Thanks for all the help xx</p>
<p>@ilove - yes you can get into great UK schools with a very high SAT or ACT score and a very high IB score. For the most part, the club and sports activities you listed will not impact a UK university’s admission decision.</p>
<p>I agree with the view that if you are planning on a MBA then studying marketing as an undergrad may not be a good fit. However, you need to understand that UK university education is very focused on the specific topic you are studying. Admission to the schools you mentioned will be based in part on the passion you show in your subject. You would need to demonstrate that you have the skills and interest to pursue engineering if this is the subject you apply for.</p>
<p>Lots of people here will be happy to be of help (including me), but you show no signs of having done the least bit of investigating on your own about the colleges or courses you are interested in. So, I will answer your questions and send you off to do some of your own research. </p>
<p>To answer question 1: Do you think I could get into a pretty good school if I score well and get high points on my Diploma? </p>
<p>Well, yes. That is pretty much how it works- you get high points, you can get into a pretty good school.</p>
<p>Rule #1 of UK schools: all those ECs you list are completely irrelevant to an application to any of the London unis. UK schools will look at your standardized testing, your recommendations and your personal statement only (except Oxbridge, who do interviews and sometimes aptitude tests).</p>
<p>Question 2: should you do engineering instead of marketing, because you ‘heard’ that there is no point doing a business degree if you are going to do an MBA?</p>
<p>Rule #2 of UK schools: you do not ‘major’ in a subject- you apply to a subject and you study ONLY that subject for your 3/4 years of university. Let’s say for the minute that you actually are interested in engineering. First, LSE doesn’t offer it. Second at KCL and Imperial you will have to choose a particular type of engineering (KCL the choice is Biomedical Engineering or various Computer Science / Robotics options; at Imperial the choice is various combinations of electrical and electronic engineering). I’m guessing that that is not what you were imagining. So, go do some research on the subjects and the colleges and see what you think you would like to study.</p>
<p>You’re right, I haven’t done an adequate amount of research. I do know that the UK is very lenient in terms of what you study compared to the United States. I only mentioned Engineering (which I am aware has several branches so let’s say Electrical Engineering or Computer Sci.) because my Mom wanted me to do it (and I don’t think I will go through with that).
The person I heard from is a current Business major and he said that the MBA program is very similar to a Business undergrad. He suggested doing something else as an undergrad in order to get a more varied experience and background that would help in my future career. I’m still flip flopping between study subjects but hopefully after some thorough research and convincing I can choose something I would actually like to study. But I do want some of your input on whether you think it’s worth studying a business course in undergrad then doing your MBA or if I should do something else like my business major friend said? Thank you so much for your help and direction.</p>
<p>I am interested that you see the UK system as more lenient with respect to the course expectations. It would be more accurate to say that the US favors a broader high school curriculum, whereas the UK favors a clear focus, with exams in courses that are relevant to the subject you are applying to study.</p>
<p>As for whether or not to do a business degree, it is another sign that the UK might not be the right place for you: as unidad pointed out, itisreally important that you have serious, genuine interest in the subject you are going to study- you will be completely immersed in it for 3 or 4 years. If you love studying business / marketing, then do it for undergrad. Later, after you’ve worked for a few years, pick an MBA that adds to what you have already done- there is variation between programs. Or, stay in the US and do a liberal arts degree in anythirg and then go to b school.</p>
<p>The advice given above is very true, and applies to literally all universities in England. Some universities are beginning to offer a broader curriculum, where you then ‘specialise’ after year 1 - e.g. Exeter, and I think Kings in London also, but such universities are few and far between. Also, if you start a course and don’t want to continue with it, you are faced with 2 options: apply to do another course there or elsewhere, or drop out completely. There is VERY little course flexibility in England. The Welsh universities are also quite similar.</p>
<p>The Scottish universities have a lot of flexibility built into them, and I suppose are more similar to what you have in the US, in that there is a sort of credit system that is operated, although even in Scotland there are some restrictions as to what courses you can do.</p>
<p>For educational purposes, the UK breaks up into its ‘Home’ countries: England, Wales and Scotland. Then there is of course also N Ireland, but I think that is seen as part of Ireland for academic purposes, though not a 100% sure on this last point.</p>
<p>Like the other posters above, I think if you cannot decide between the two very different courses marketing and engineering the UK education system may not be for you. It is very unlikely you would be able to switch between such different courses half way through. You would probably have to drop out and reapply. Not a great situation. Perhaps you would be best studying at a US school and doing a year abroad in the UK? That would give you much more flexibility.</p>
<p>Lets now clear up some myths. In order to get your money, Scottish universities like to sell themselves as just like American universities. This is untrue and simply a marketing ploy. They are much more like the rest of the UK. Scottish high schools have one year less than the rest of the UK. So a degree lasts 4 years instead of 3. In the first year you may study more than one subject (but not a subject at random. There are still entry requirements. Eg you won’t be able to study something you don’t have the correct highers/A-levels/APs for), they you choose to specialise from the second year onwards. As mentioned above, there are some English universities which have similar courses. My sister went to Lancaster where she studied French, History and Politics in the first year and then specialised in French.</p>
<p>I am not sure why Americans find Northern Ireland and Ireland so difficult but FYI, the two countries are The Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is politically part of the UK (whether you like it or not) and their schools and universities are part of the UK system. The Republic of Ireland is politically separate and has a totally different school system (having said that, lots of people from Ireland go to uni in the UK and vice verse, so I expect the schooling systems are compatible). If you want to apply to a uni in NI you use UCAS as above.</p>
<p>@collegemom3717 Sorry, I mean to put US instead of UK. I’m well aware that the US is much more lenient in what course you choose. Honestly, it’s not about the education for me. I do understand that I would have to choose a set course if I want to study in the UK and hopefully by the time I have to apply to Unis, I will have a set goal. I have many opportunities this year to establish myself and acquire the skills and interest for the courses I’m looking at.
Also, I’m not looking to just study in London, I want to live there in the future!
But thank you for all of your help, I will use all this info to do even more research and hopefully get a clear path!</p>